Gidon Kremer, Giedrė Dirvanauskaitė, Georgijs Osokins - Beethoven & Chopin: Piano Trios (2020) [Hi-Res]

Given that a concerto is usually a sure attention-grabber, it's been notable how thin on the ground new recordings of Beethoven's Triple Concerto for violin, cello and piano have been during this big birthday year of his; at least in comparison to the flurry of new Violin Concertos that have appeared. Confirmation, perhaps, that for many it's a rather problematic work, despite its big-boned drama, sense of fun, and indeed the theoretical attraction of uniting not one but three A-lister soloists. But now here are Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite and Georgijs Osokins with Carl Reinecke 1867 piano trio arrangement of it, recorded in the warmly supportive acoustic of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music Concert Hall in Katowice.

And whether or not dispensing with the orchestra works for you (some will say that, while the original may be short on meaningful interplay between orchestra and soloists, the first movement's triumphant forte passages can sound a bit anaemic when heard from piano trio alone), these musicians make the strongest possible case for it: keen chamber awareness of each other, whether fused together in harmony or playing catch with melodic ideas; sparklingly alive overall to the music's theatrics, with a wonderfully taut, time-standing-still Largo, and an attractively delicate and airy final Rondo alla Polacca, into which they throw increasing amounts of Polish folksy swagger as it progresses.

That final Rondo alla Polacca is then the link to Chopin's G minor Piano Trio - an early work full of foreshadows of his mature style, and also one in which the pianist gets to properly shine having largely been responsible for the orchestral support in the Beethoven. Osokins thoroughly shines too, and especially enjoyably for the finale where he grabs from the off with his crisp silvery tone, dancing lilt, and seductively rubato'd push and pull, before providing the swirling virtuosic effervescence underpinning their joyous accelerando to the finish line. © Charlotte Gardner/Qobuz