Mendelssohn - The Piano Trios; Variations Concertantes

Album review

The Nash Ensemble has distinguished itself as one of the United Kingdom's preeminent chamber music organizations. This piano trio features violinist Marianne Thorsen, cellist Paul Watkins, and pianist Ian Brown and lives up to the performance expectations of the greater Nash Ensemble. Their recording of the two Mendelssohn Piano Trios offer listeners a great deal. These are three clearly talented musicians who have a great deal of experience playing with each other; every aspect of their playing synchronizes beautifully, from articulations and attacks to vibrato and pacing. Some listeners may find their choice of tempos a bit on the slow side, especially in the Scherzos, but it's never so slow as to become pedantic or uninteresting. Each of the three musicians is equally at home in either an accompanimental or soloistic role -- the cello solo at the beginning of the D minor first movement is quite lovely and convincing. The recording quality itself is generally good, but seems to be at a low level, so be prepared to turn up the volume a bit. The recorded sound of the piano is sometimes not as crystal clear as it could be; and with the busy inner voices that Mendelssohn demands, this translates to not always being able to hear each and every note.

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