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Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 1/3 (1795) [28.01] Variations in E flat major, Op. 44 (1792?) [12.27] Piano Trio in B flat major, Op. 11 (1797) [20.29] The Florestan Trio: Anthony Marwood (violin), Richard Lester (cello), Susan Tomes (piano) rec. Henry Wood Hall, London, 7-9 September 2003. DDD HYPERION CDA 67466 [61.10]

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The Florestan Trio's unfolding Beethoven cycle poses a problem for the reviewer, though a welcome one: it's difficult adequately to describe the essential rightness of their performances. These players' command of the Beethoven style - a precarious balance between clean-limbed order and volatile explosions, all contained within rigorously crafted structures - is thorough and expertly conveyed. In the sonata-form movements as well as the variation sequences - not only Op. 44, but the finale of Op. 11 - the lyrical themes sing within the same basic pulse as the forward-driving, uninhibited allegro sections, drawing power and dramatic weight from the composer's sudden harmonic pivots while maintaining a sense of "Classical" proportion. In the C minor's third movement, labeled Menuetto, the minuet-shaped phrases carry a more scherzo-like temperament; the Florestans take the full measure of both these contradictory impulses, relaxing easily in turn for the unexpectedly gemütlich Trio section. The "lesser" Opus 44 variations - Beethoven deploying his expressive arsenal in the service of rugged, elaborately imagined entertainment music - sound as important as the two "big" trios in this fleshed-out treatment. No less importantly, this ensemble also finds the right Beethoven sound - as important a component of interpretation as phrasing or tempo, but one unaccountably neglected by otherwise fine artists. The firmly weighted tone of the piano provides the foundation for a dark, burnished ensemble sonority, into which the violin injects a brighter, more incisive note. (Indeed, pianist Susan Tomes deserves special mention for her dazzling, articulate, full-bodied passagework at all dynamic levels.) In both trios, the long-breathed themes of the slow movements - presented by the piano in the C minor, and by the dusky 'cello in the B flat major - acquire their grave dignity as much from the players' depth of tone as from their sober interpretive demeanour. Hyperion's first-class production, with the resonant ambience enhancing rather than obscuring musical detail, ideally complements the superior performances. Stephen Francis Vasta Help us by making a donation through PayPal Powered by Please support our advertisers below by clicking on the logos for further information. All Naxos reviews All Lyrita reviews All Nimbus reviews All Hyperion reviews All First Inversion reviews (formerly Divine Art) All Forgotten Records reviews All cpo reviews All Convivium reviews All SOMM reviews All APR reviews All Chandos reviews All Oehms Classics reviews All Bridge reviews All Orfeo reviews Advertising on Musicweb

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