Beaux Arts Trio, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink - Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Piano Trio No.11 (1987)

This Haitink/Beaux Arts/LPO Triple Concerto is superb and also unique in my experience. The acoustic captures the BA Trio so closely that one can hear their playing in minute detail. At the same time, the orchestral playing is equally detailed and attractively unbloated. The BA plays the concerto from a chamber music perspective more than a triple superstar perspective. Nothing drags and the bouyancy helps. Pressler and Greenhouse are especially eloquent. Both play with beautiful tone. Try the cello intro to the second movement and both in the polacca section of the third movement. However, Isidore Cohen sounds a bit scrawny/anemic at times. On the whole the trio playing is addictive. This performance faces major competition from Serkin/Laredo/Parnas/Schneider/Sony and Demus/Jochum/VSO/Tacet (see the review of the Tacet). The Beethoven Variations are totally captivating and beautifully played. Highly recommended.