Trio Parnassus - Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 2 (2001)

The question this release raises is not whether or not these performances can hold their own with the best; rather it is whether or not the previous best can hold their own with these new ones. Put differently, I have never heard better recordings of these pieces. Indeed, all of the praise that (in our previous issue) I lavished on Volume 1 of the Parnassus's emerging cycle of the Beethoven trios applies equally to this one. The group's animation, control, and command of style are simply astonishing, conveying the essence of this young lion of a composer in his earliest published ventures. The wit, brusque outbursts, tenderness, and tight artistic rein that harnessed a wide-ranging imagination emerge with a point and clarity that is simply remarkable. Obviously, this demands sensitive musicianship. It also requires extraordinary technical command. Note, for example, Chia Chou's exceptionally clean and even articulation of the piano passagework, the remarkable dynamic shadings of all three participants, their care in listening to each other to insure proper balance, and the apparent awareness of the strings that stylish playing demands avoiding excess vibrato. The outer movements of op. 1/3 (with repeats observed) emerge with all their Sturm und Drang intensity; both sets of variations, with all their implied contrasts, humor, and brashness. Complementing the entire production is state-of-the-art-sound. Aside from the sheer pleasure it generates, this CD makes one anxious for future releases in a series that now promises to be as good any cycle of the Beethoven trios on disc. -- Mortimer H. Frank