Dvořák: Piano Trio No 3 in F minor Op 65

[Nick Armstrong]

I’ve become fixated on this piece for the last week or so, discovering it by a chance encounter on R3 (can’t now recall if it was a Record Review, TTN or lunchtime concert).

What a gorgeous thing, never-ending felicities. Can’t believe I’ve never heard it before... I must confess (sorry LMP) I missed this post in the thread about the recent ‘Dumky Trio’ BAL:

If I wanted to knock someone dead with a Dvorak piano trio I'd rush to No 3, the F minor, which a couple of Amazon reviewers think is the best-ever pf trio full stop. (With the Archduke and a few others in mind I wouldn't go quite that far but I know where they're coming from.) It doesn't have huge numbers of recordings, I've never heard live (as against 5 Dumkys), rarely gets out on R3 to my knowledge, and probably BaL will never ever get round to it I have the Ax/Kim/Ma with the Dumky on CD, and a gorgeous ancient Supraphon LP by the Suk Trio which is how I got to know and love it

I started (thanks to Qobuz) with the recent Trio Wanderer performance, then noticed a performance by the Grieg Trio towards the end of Wednesday night’s TTN which I’ve downloaded and listened to a few times. The latter is excellent and they have recorded it for Simax but it doesn’t seem to be on Qobuz (although does appear to be on Spotify, which is an odd discrepancy).

And now I’ve found my way to the Ax/Kim/Ma version via the BAL ‘also ran’ recommendation, and note LMP’s reference to it. It seems excellent to me.

I shall explore LMP’s Suk Trio suggestion. The Trio Wanderer version now seems a little superficial after the other versions above.

Any other fans out there?

[mikealdren]

I've accumulated 4 versions (against 3 of the Dumky) and particularly like Faust/Queyras/Melnikov.

[Nick Armstrong]

I've accumulated 4 versions (against 3 of the Dumky) and particularly like Faust/Queyras/Melnikov.

Now that’s interesting: I could only find those performers in the “Dumky” coupled with the Cello Concerto. Have you got a reference please?

[teamsaint]

Now that’s interesting: I could only find those performers in the “Dumky” coupled with the Cello Concerto. Have you got a reference please?

Nick, check the link.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/dvorák-violin-concerto-piano-trio-op-65

It is in Apple Music, but It only came up in “ songs” or if searched for by Violin Concerto, so that might be your issue.

Anyway, i’ll deffo give that a spin, Fausty can do no wrong for me.

( Except for a slightly unremarkable Schumann VC I saw on youtube the other night. Still , just this once.....)

[Nick Armstrong]

Nick, check the link.....

Nice one teams, many thanks.

Yes it had completely eluded the Qobuz search function... In fact there, the only tracks available in full for streaming are movements 2, 3 & 4 of the Trio, the others being ‘samples’ - meaning one has to ‘purchase’ the recording to have it all.

Still, I shall give a good listen to the three available ones and doubtless shell out for the rest (I agree with you about Faust, & feel the same about Melnikov)

[teamsaint]

Nice one teams, many thanks.

Yes it had completely eluded the Qobuz search function... In fact there, the only tracks available in full for streaming are movements 2, 3 & 4 of the Trio, the others being ‘samples’ - meaning one has to ‘purchase’ the recording to have it all.

Still, I shall give a good listen to the three available ones and doubtless shell out for the rest (I agree with you about Faust, & feel the same about Melnikov)

Slightly( or oerhaps not very) interestingly, on Apple Music, unavailable tracks are usually greyed out, but in this case all four movements show as being available, but the first movement doesn’t play, and I get a “ timed out “ message after about ten seconds. Never seen this before.

[Nick Armstrong]

Slightly( or oerhaps not very) interestingly, on Apple Music, unavailable tracks are usually greyed out, but in this case all four movements show as being available, but the first movement doesn’t play, and I get a “ timed out “ message after about ten seconds. Never seen this before.

Similar effect as the Qobuz ‘sample’ tracks it seems.... What happens with the concerto movements?

[Bryn]

Now that’s interesting: I could only find those performers in the “Dumky” coupled with the Cello Concerto. Have you got a reference please?

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/dvorak-violin-concerto-op-53-isabelle-faust-jiri-belohlavek-the-prague-philharmonia-jean-guihen-queyras-and-alexander-melnikov/0794881752720

Search criteria: Dvorak violin concerto faust

However, yes, only the final 3 movements of the trio would import. The concerto and the first movement of the trio were greyed out.

[antongould]

Like you Rumpole never knowingly heard it ....... but I find I have it in my Heifetz Piatigorsky box and will listen tomorrow ..... this and Alkers -probably too much excitement ........

[Nick Armstrong]

Like you Rumpole never knowingly heard it ....... but I find I have it in my Heifetz Piatigorsky box and will listen tomorrow ..... this and Alkers - probably too much excitement ........

Predictability prevents me advising which you should DEFINITELY choose, to avoid ill-effects

[Nick Armstrong]

Search criteria: Dvorak violin concerto faust

Quite... Not the most obvious criteria for finding a piano trio

[teamsaint]

Similar effect as the Qobuz ‘sample’ tracks it seems.... What happens with the concerto movements?

Well, after behaving very erratically, and Apple is usually very slick on my ipad, all the movements of both works seem to have downloaded.

Odd. Could be down to broadband go slow I suppose.

[richardfinegold]

I’ve never heard a version that I didn’t like. My first was Heifetz, probably with Piatagorsky and Leonard Pennario. I suppose the violin is to prominently miked but it’s the one that hooked me. Stern Ma Ax is the one that I usually play, I also have a couple others.

[mikealdren]

Yes, I have Heifetz/Piatagorsky/Pennario and Oistrakh/Knushevitsky/Oborin as well as Trio Fontenay. The first two are certainly fine performances but they're not recent recordings of course. Overall it's the Faust version that I like best.

[antongould]

Like you Rumpole never knowingly heard it ....... but I find I have it in my Heifetz Piatigorsky box and will listen tomorrow ..... this and Alkers -probably too much excitement ........

Well at first I preferred the tall lady but after a couple of listens it is indeed, IMVVHO, a fine piece ..... and the 3rd movement is sublime ....