RECORDING OF THE MONTH     CHOPIN Waltzes and Impromptus Vladimir Feltsman £11 post free World-wide VIVALDI The four seasons London Mozart Players/Juritz £12 post free World-wide BEETHOVEN Symphonies 4 and 5 LSO/Yondani Butt £12 post free World-wide

AVAILABILITY Artek

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Trios: Trio in D major Op. 70 No. 1; Trio in E flat major Op.70 No. 2 The Peabody Trio Recorded at the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City, March 2003 ARTEK AR 0018-2 [65.44]

I tend to associate the Peabody Trio with contemporary repertoire but of course that can be a function of the recording industry in skewing perspectives. It’s true that this youthful, Naumberg Chamber Music Award winning trio has set down twentieth century literature for New World Records and for CRI but they opt for the canon in their debut disc for Artek. I enjoyed it for its sane approach to tempi and for a pleasing tonal blend. They approach the Ghost Trio with neither reverence nor casualness. So there is abruptness and raptness (at the desolate, intensely reflective end of the opening movement) but well calibrated accents and sprung rhythm. The dynamics are tiered in the slow movement, sometimes daringly so, though always audibly and whilst neither of the string players – Violaine Melançon (violin), Natasha Brofsky (cello) – are big, meaty tonalists they are adept at integrating unison passages. Pianist Seth Knopp shines in the finale in particular – fine, even playing – flexible and light. They approach the much less well-known companion, the E flat major, in a like spirit. There’s some well-judged pomposo phrasing, swelling dynamics and good attention to detail, as well as some moments of prayerful simplicity. I was most taken by the Schubertian cast they impart to the Allegretto second movement. It would be interesting to hear them in Brahms – to see how they might aerate textures – but also in the French School where I have a strong feeling they will show affinities; not that they fail that test here. The recording is natural and well balanced. Jonathan Woolf   Advertising Rates Visitor stats MusicWeb International has over 40,000 Classical CD reviews on offer Discs received Having a problem Donating? Gerard Hoffnung Concerts & The Bricklayer Story   New Releases New Releases   MusicWeb sells the Polish catalogue CDAccord £10.50 post free W-W MusicWeb sells the Arcodiva catalogue £12.00 post free W-W £11.75 post-free world- wide MusicWeb can now offer you discs from the following catalogues: Prices include postage [Acte Préalable £13.50] [Arcodiva £12.00] [Avie from £6.25] [British Music Society £12.00] [CDACCORD from £13.50 ] [ClassicO £12.50] [Hallé from £11] [Heritage £10] [Hortus £14.99 ] [Lyrita ONLY £11.75 ] [Nimbus Special prices] [Northern Flowers £13.50] [REDCLIFFE £11 ] [Sheva £11] [Tactus £11.50 ] [Talent from £12.00 ] [Toccata Classics £10.50 ] Musicweb Special Offers Monthly Best Buys     Google Ads - for information about privacy matters, click here.  Amazon Musicweb International is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

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