The inner movements of Trio 1 come off best here. The moderate tempo chosen for II is ideal, and the trio catches the charm and sweetness of the music quite well. III, meanwhile, is spirited, lively and a good deal of fun. The remainder of the disc is disappointing – competently played but lacking the soaring lyricism, brilliance, and dash so often called for in these wonderful works.
The real villain, though, is the recording engineer, who has almost completely buried the cello behind the violin. Moreover, there is little stereo separation, and the sound is boxy and dull – like an early LP or, even worse, an AM radio.
The playful, spirited, and intensely dramatic (not to mention beautifully recorded) interpretations of the Golub/Kaplan/Carr Trio on Arabesque remain the best buy in this repertory.
Copyright © 1995, Thomas Godell.
This review originally appeared in the American Record Guide