Trio Parnassus - Joseph Rheinberger: Complete Piano Trios (1992)

This two-hour double-disc set of Joseph Rheinberger's complete piano trios is a hefty contribution to the rehabilitation of the composer's oeuvre, though it may be more than the average listener can appreciate in one sitting. Rheinberger's music is earnest and perhaps too heavy for some tastes, and it may even seem too stodgy and dryly theoretical. In his mature Romantic style, his reliance on Classical form, and his pensive expression, Rheinberger often resembles Brahms, though it must be said that he lacks Brahms' rhythmic ingenuity, contrapuntal dexterity, and emotional depth. The resemblances between them are really superficial, and listeners may find these four piano trios lackluster and frustratingly dull in comparison with Brahms' three certified masterpieces. Added to this set's problems are the foggy and overly lush playing by Trio Parnassus, and MDG's indistinct and excessively resonant sound quality. If violinist Wolf-Dieter Streicher, cellist Michael Gross, and pianist Chia Chou had played these pieces with more flexibility of tone and sharper characterizations, and if the label had recorded them in a hall with a dry acoustic, the results might have been palatable. Alas, getting through these murky recordings is a hard slog, and they are only recommended for the most serious-minded of Rheinberger's devotees.