Bal 17.12.11 Schumann's Piano Trio no. 1 in D minor

[DracoM]

Doh! Didn't spot this!

[LeMartinPecheur]

Cortot, Thibaud and Casals seems to be my only version. Decent place to start, but the work has never done much for me. Will hope to learn the error of my ways on the 17th!

Doh, completely failed to learn the error of my ways this morning. Must admit that my concentration easily wandered: 'fraid the work still didn't do much to grab it. No doubt my fault. Verismissimo: did you do any better?

[visualnickmos]

Well, I see that this BaL has generated an overwhelming response!!! I didn't even manage to hear it, and inspite of this late hour, I STILL don't know the final recommendation! What, pray, what is going on??? Think I'll stick with my Beaux Arts, in any case...

[HighlandDougie]

Kogan, Gilels, Rostropovich - sounded pretty good for 1958 - with the Florestan Trio as a modern alternative. Very good BAL (reasoned arguments behind the opinions) - a work I hardly know (I've heard it once in concert a long time ago) but got my attention so I will investigate further.

[verismissimo]

Must admit that my concentration easily wandered: 'fraid the work still didn't do much to grab it. No doubt my fault. Verismissimo: did you do any better?

Haven't had a chance to listen yet, LMP. I have to do a piano practice with my 9yo daughter at that time, then take her to her lesson.

[Caliban]

Doh, completely failed to learn the error of my ways this morning. Must admit that my concentration easily wandered: 'fraid the work still didn't do much to grab it. No doubt my fault. Verismissimo: did you do any better?

I've just listened to this programme. I was feeling exactly like you, LMP... I was thinking 'what a boring piece'... that is, until the Tetzlaff/ Andsnes reading of the slow movement was played. They and the Florestans seemed to inject the piece with real expressive interest - either that, or the slow and last movements are just more interesting than the first two.

Very well-presented BAL, I thought. Interesting. Not sure that the Russians who were chosen for top spot quite did it for me like the two versions I just mentioned, based on the extracts chosen. Well worth a listen tomorrow to see. And I like the sound of the couplings on that DG set, esp the fascinating-sounding Fauré piano quartet with dear old Rudolf Barshai on viola. I'd never heard of the existence of that...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There was one horrendous moment for me when the Reviewer declared that she was going to choose a recording that was "over 50 years old". I thought "Oh, she's going for Casals et co from the '30s".

Any other old duffer out there who still calculates time from his/her twenties?

[verismissimo]

Verismissimo: did you do any better?

I think the truth is that it's not just this trio that I have difficulty with these days, LMP. I find that I no longer play much of Schumann's ensemble chamber music now. I used to love greatly the piano quintet, but I find even that rather blatant and too thickly scored for my taste in recent years.

Thankfully, I still love the piano music and the songs inordinately. And I'm still partial to the symphonies, though they can suffer from the same issues as the chamber works.