Mendelssohn: Piano Trios

Album review

The two piano trios of Felix Mendelssohn are unquestionably among the most frequently performed and recorded works in the literature. As such, new recordings of the two great trios have a lot against which they can be compared. The Austrian Eggner Trio -- three brothers who formed their own ensemble in 1997 -- seeks to make its mark on the vast field of recordings with this 2009 Live Classics album (although whether or not this is an actual "live" performance is not immediately clear). The Eggners approach Mendelssohn with guns blazing: generally vibrant, ambitious tempos, a muscular, almost angular articulation, and a degree of unbridled gusto that is sometimes left out of other performances. The excitement of the Second Trio Finale alone could be enough to make you want to hit the "repeat" button on your player. It could have been…were it not for the album's rather abysmal sound quality. The strings sound as if they're playing in a tunnel, and the poor cello in particular -- despite Florian Eggner's best efforts -- could just as well not be playing at all for all the times its sound is obscured on its lower three strings. Even the tone of the violin is rendered very unappealing, like someone playing on an inferior instrument, which is not likely the actual case. The piano's sound, though quite loud and dominant, is no more appealing; rapid passagework in the left hand is a blurry wash of sound. What could have been a rousing, exciting reading of these oft-recorded masterpieces is sadly rendered significantly subpar.

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