Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Complete Piano Trios – Volume 4
Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97 ‘Archduke’ (1811) [41:46]
Allegretto in B-flat major, WoO 39 (1812) [5:26]
Piano Trio in E-flat major, WoO 38 (c.1790?) [14:44]
Variations on ‘Ich bin der Scheider Kakadu’, Op. 121a (c.1801/03) [16:50]
Van Baerle Trio
rec. 2018/19, MCO-1 Hilversum, the Netherlands.
Hybrid multichannel SACD/CD reviewed in SACD stereo.
CHALLENGE CLASSICS CC72782 SACD [78:50]
I have to admit to greatly having enjoyed the previous three releases in this set, so you would hardly expect disappointment with this final volume of the collection. As before, the piano used is a magnificent sounding Chris Maene Concert Grand with parallel strings which “combines the solidity of a modern concert grand piano with the transparent sound ideal of older instruments.” Performance and recording standards are as high as ever, with that youthful vibrancy of sound that charms and smiles rather than delivers a stereotypical gruff, deaf and irritable Beethoven.
The Archduke trio is the most famous of Beethoven’s works in this genre, and with its symphonic scale and dedication to his patron Archduke Rudolph was clearly a piece in which he invested a great deal of energy. The Van Baerle Trio doesn’t go over the top in the first two movements, creating just the right balance between narrative energy and rhythmic sprightliness in the first movement, and galant delight in the second; with its moments of contrasting chromatic counterpoint casting suitable shade to make us pause for thought as the exuberance of the waltz is momentarily held back. The opening of the Andante cantabile third movement is one of those timeless Beethoven statements, and the subtle build-up of the variations is nicely done here, with playful banter to go along with sublime lyricism elsewhere. The final Allegro moderato is always great fun, and while the Van Baerle Trio might have been a little more flexible with their rhythmic phrasing and dug a little deeper with their dramatic surprises the depth of sound and musicality leaves little about which to complain.
There are of course innumerable recordings of the Archduke trio, and the Beaux Arts Trio in their 1980 Philips (now Decca) recording is pretty hard to beat, though rather more reflective than the Kempf Trio on BIS (review), who’s recording is almost equally profound but also reaches out and grabs you by the scruff of your neck with its feel for the drama in the music. Comparison with this version is what led to my minor criticism of the Van Baerle’s finale, and other little details would add up to the Kempf Trio being favoured in general in their Archduke, though not by a huge margin. The Florestan Trio on Hyperion is another standard bearer when it comes to complete sets of the Beethoven piano trios, here reviewed in comparison with Trio Wanderer. If you are collecting the complete set of the Van Baerle Trio’s recordings then you won’t be disappointed with this one, but if it’s only the Archduke you want then it might pay to shop around.
The remaining works in this programme are by no means insignificant fillers. The Allegretto in B-flat major, WoO 39 is light and undemanding, intended as it apparently was for the nine-year old Maximiliane Brentano, whose mother Antoine was Beethoven’s ‘Immortal Beloved’. The Piano Trio in E-flat major, WoO 38 is thought to be an early work, possibly from around 1790. It was never published, and the first movement is by no means top notch Beethoven in its repetitions and rather predictable tonal development. There are some moments of Beethovenian originality, but this is more of a salon entertainment and not particularly essential. The Variations on ‘Ich bin der Scheider Kakadu’ was the last of Beethoven’s published works for piano trio and is much more substantial, knowing Beethoven’s way with variations and including as it does a double fugue in its final section. All of these pieces are played with supreme musicianship, and in the case of the Kakadu variations some heartfelt expression where required, making a fine conclusion to a highly desirable set of the Beethoven piano trios.
Dominy Clements
