Mendelssohn: Piano Trios

Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman

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Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Review

by James Leonard

While it is pleasurable to hear three of the world's best-known virtuosos playing together with such extraordinary sympathy and enthusiasm, the actual performances by violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Emanuel Ax on this disc of Mendelssohn's two piano trios are merely so-so. Each alone sounds marvelous -- Perlman with his sweet intonation, Ma with his lyrical phrasing, and Ax with his sonorous tone -- but together they are not quite the sum of their parts. They seem to be half-listening to each other, but mostly listening to themselves, and their ensemble, though more than functional, is manifestly less than tight. Often entrances and attacks are not wholly unified, rhythms are not completely integrated, and worst of all, interpretations seem to have been made up as they go along. That the performances work so well is testimony to their individual excellences. That they fail to succeed as a unit is proof of their ineluctable individuality. The sound is warm, but a bit thin.

Track Listing

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49
1
1. Molto allegro agitato
Felix Mendelssohn
Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman 10:06 SpotifyAmazon
2
2. Andante con moto tranquillo
Felix Mendelssohn
Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman 06:16 SpotifyAmazon
3
3. Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace
Felix Mendelssohn
Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman 03:55 SpotifyAmazon
4
4. Finale: Allegro assai appassionato
Felix Mendelssohn
Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman 09:05 SpotifyAmazon
Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 66
5
1. Allegro energico e con fuoco
Felix Mendelssohn
Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman 11:18 SpotifyAmazon
6
2. Andante espressivo
Felix Mendelssohn
Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman 06:44 SpotifyAmazon
7
3. Scherzo: Molto allegro quasi presto
Felix Mendelssohn
Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman 03:51 SpotifyAmazon
8
4. Finale: Allegro appassionato
Felix Mendelssohn
Emanuel Ax / Yo-Yo Ma / Itzhak Perlman 08:25 SpotifyAmazon
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Mendelssohn: Piano Trios

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