Ludwig van Beethoven: Die Streichtrios - The String Trios - Repost

Posted By : GuessNot4Me | Date : 13 May 2009 09:32:53 | Comments : 5 |

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In Op. 9 Beethoven mastered it thoroughly, and the inclusion in this set of the Op. 3 Trio shows us how – by modelling some of his textures on those of another great trio, Mozart’s Divertimento in E flat, K563. In perfect contrast, there’s a good example, in the Serenade, Op. 8, of a trio that isn’t really a trio; the scoring for three strings
often sounds merely fortuitous, as though those were the instruments to hand – not surprising that some of its movements could have been easily arranged for other combinations (including flute and guitar!).
So, an ‘educational’ set? No – the three Op. 9 Trios are splendid works: alive, ingenious and full of poetry. And apart from a few minor blemishes, these performances are more than adequate. Anne-Sophie Mutter can be a little fierce at times, especially at the opening of Op. 3, and there’s what seems to be a tiny misreading in the first movement
coda of Op. 9 No. 3 (bar 199, at 7'46''), where one of the violin’s quaver figures is mysteriously turned upside down. More disturbingly, there’s some horribly bad tuning (lower strings) on one sustained fp chord in the following Adagio (bar 13, at 1'23''). Generally though, moods and tempos are well judged. Despite the prevailing seriousness,
Mutter, Giuranna and Rostropovich are also sensitive to the young Beethoven’s Puckish sense of humour – even in Op. 9 No. 3 (C minor doesn’t always mean tragedy with Beethoven).

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Anne-Sophie Mutter, violine
Bruno Giuranna, viola (alto)
Mstislav Rostropovich, violoncello

CD 1:
String Trio in E flat, Op.3
1) 1. Allegro con brio [11:23]
2) 2. Andante [5:51]
3) 3. Menuetto (Allegretto) [3:18]
4) 4. Adagio [8:05]
5) 5. Menuetto (Moderato) [3:36]
6) 6. Finale (Allegro) [6:35]
Serenade for String Trio in D, Op.8
7) 1. Marcia (Allegro - Adagio) [7:28]
8) 2. Menuetto (Allegretto) [2:24]
9) 3. Adagio - Scherzo (Allegro molto) - Adagio (Tempo I) - Allegro molto [4:55]
10) 4. Allegretto alla Polacca [3:18]
11) 5. Thema con Variazioni: Andante quasi Allegretto - Variations I -IV - Marcia. Allegro [9:19]

CD 2:
String Trio in G major, Op.9, no.1
1) 1. Adagio - Allegro con brio [10:02]
2) 2. Adagio, ma non tanto, e cantabile [7:18]
3) 3. Scherzo (Allegro) [3:05]
4) 4. Presto [4:57]
String Trio in D major, Op.9, no.2
5) 1. Allegretto [7:59]
6) 2. Andante quasi allegretto [5:43]
7) 3. Menuetto (Allegro) [3:43]
8) 4. Rondo (Allegro) [6:16]
String Trio in C minor, Op.9, no.3
9) 1. Allegro con spirito [8:28]
10) 2. Adagio con espressione [6:35]
11) 3. Scherzo (Allegro molto e vivace) [3:09]
12) 4. Finale (Presto) [5:37]