BaL 30.05.15 - Mendelssohn: Piano Trio no. 1 in D minor

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Harriet Smith compares available versions of Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No 1 in D minor

Completed in 1839, this trio is one of Mendelssohn's most popular chamber works along with his famous Octet. When Schumann reviewed the piece he declared Mendelssohn to be "the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the most illuminating of musicians."


Available versions:

Abegg Trio
Alte Musik Köln
Antipicardie Trio
Argenta Trio
Atlantis Trio (download)
ATOS Trio
Maria Bader‐Kubizek, Dorothea Schönwiese‐Guschlbauer, Hrvoje Jugović
Beaux Arts Trio (up to 4 versions obtainable though some not generally available in UK)
Benvenue Fortepiano Trio
Borodin Trio
Chung Trio
Kyung-Wha Chung, Paul Tortelier, André Previn
Czech Trio
Eckhard Fischer, Mario de Secondi, Michael Hauber
Julia Fischer, Daniel Muller-Schott, Jonathan Gilad
Florestan Trio
Line Fredens, Janne Fredens, Natsuki Fukasawa (download)
Gould Piano Trio
Grieg Trio
Gryphon Trio
Guarneri Trio (2?)
Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, Arthur Rubinstein
Israel Piano Trio
Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Klaviertrio Amsterdam
Johannes Leertouwer, Viola de Hoog, Julian Reynolds
Leibniz Trio
London Piano Trio
Maria Milstein, Gideon den Herder, Hannes Minnaar
Mendelssohn Piano Trio
Munich Piano Trio
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Lynn Harrell, André Previn
Nash Ensemble
David Oistrakh, Sviatoslav Knushevitsky, Vladimir Yampolsky
Osiris Trio
Petrof Piano Trio
Rembrandt Trio (download)
Hagai Shaham, Raphael Wallfisch, Arnon Erez
Sitkovetsky Trio
Smetana Trio
Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Eugene Istomin
Stuttgarter Klaviertrio
Swiss Piano Trio
Josef Suk, János Starker, Rudolf Buchbinder
Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals, Alfred Cortot
Tre Musici (download)
Trio Alba
Trio Ceresio (download)
Trio Con Brio Copenhagen
Trio Dali
Trio di Vienna
Trio Fontenay
Trio Jean Paul
Trio Opus 8 (download)
Trio Parnassus
Trio Portici
Trio Pro Arte
Trio Santoliquido
Trio Wanderer
Vienna Piano Trio
Voces Intimae
Yuval Trio
Zürcher Klaviertrio (download)

[richardfinegold]

What about the version by the Suk Trio (Suk, Panenka, and Chuchro)? I'm pretty sure Supraphon keeps that set continuously available, at least as an import. That would be my choice.
Does this same Harriet Smith write reviews in Gramophone ? If it is the same she doesn't impress me much.

[gurnemanz]

What about the version by the Suk Trio (Suk, Panenka, and Chuchro)? I'm pretty sure Supraphon keeps that set continuously available, at least as an import. That would be my choice.

Also mine. It is listed here, but "Temporarily out of stock", - also by Supraphon and jpc. Coupled with the classic Octet recording from the Janacek and Smetana Quartets, which I had enjoyed for years on LP, it makes for a very recommendable purchase.

[richardfinegold]

Also mine. It is listed here, but "Temporarily out of stock", - also by Supraphon and jpc. Coupled with the classic Octet recording from the Janacek and Smetana Quartets, which I had enjoyed for years on LP, it makes for a very recommendable purchase.

Amazon U S still lists it as new and available .
I'm listening to Yo Yo et al on Spotify. Pretty weak.
The David Oistrakh listing looks interesting .

[pastoralguy]

I first heard the Mendelssohn Trios in 1990 on Radio 4 when I worked in a boarding school in Perthshire. Such was the location that I couldn't receive Radio3 but, occasionally, some a music would pop up on Radio4. Alas, there was no such thing as the Internet so my Edinburgh based sister was dispatched to purchase a cd. The only only one she could find was the Borodin on Chandos which she got for half price since the box was broken! To this day, it's still my benchmark recording.

[richardfinegold]

I first heard the Mendelssohn Trios in 1990 on Radio 4 when I worked in a boarding school in Perthshire. Such was the location that I couldn't receive Radio3 but, occasionally, some a music would pop up on Radio4. Alas, there was no such thing as the Internet so my Edinburgh based sister was dispatched to purchase a cd. The only only one she could find was the Borodin on Chandos which she got for half price since the box was broken! To this day, it's still my benchmark recording.

Who is Violinist? Did Dubinsky ever play in a Borodin Trio, or just the Quartet?

[DoctorT]

I'm quite happy with the Florestan Trio's recording

[pastoralguy]

Who is Violinist? Did Dubinsky ever play in a Borodin Trio, or just the Quartet?

Yes, it's Dubinsky. Very fine playing.

[pastoralguy]

I have a cd of Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuelle Ax playing both these trios. I had very high hopes but, alas, found it slightly disappointing.

[pastoralguy]

There's also a happier recording with a trio led by Leonidas Kovakos coupled with the Mendelssohn concerto.

[richardfinegold]

I have a cd of Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuelle Ax playing both these trios. I had very high hopes but, alas, found it slightly disappointing.

That was the one I referenced in #4. Weak beer indeed. The Suk ought to be easy to find second hand to supplement the Borodin. It's edge of the seat breathless but controlled.
I think I also have the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson, part of a large box set, and remember that favorably

[cincinnatus]

This was last considered 15 years ago by Jeremy Sams (along with piano trio 2). His recommendation was Stern, Rose and Istomin.

[visualnickmos]

This was last considered 15 years ago by Jeremy Sams (along with piano trio 2). His recommendation was Stern, Rose and Istomin.

I didn't know that.

This is the version I have - very good, too - as one would expect from such a line-up!

[Don Petter]

There are at least four recordings by the Beaux Arts Trio available:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dclassical&field-keywords=beaux+arts+trio+mendellsohn

Here, the earliest (1964 or earlier) is with Guilet as violinist, the 1967 one is also with Guilet (download for a reasonable price!), the third with Cohen, and the fourth with Hope.

Cortot/Thibaud/Casals is available as a CD from Pristine and Naxos

Trio Santoliquido (1955) is also available from Pristine on CD

[Roehre]

Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Eugene Istomin is the recording through which I became to know the piece.
It was on the the same CBS Masterworks LP as Beethoven's op.1/3, for which I actually bought it.
I must say that the Mendelssohn for me turned out to be the much more interesting piece - and I liked especially the quite chopinesque approach of the slow mvt.