# Mendelssohn piano trios. Recommended recordings



## vincula

Hello there,

I have been digging into this wonderful genre for a while now and Mendelssohn's pieces have -finally- caught my attention. There seem to be a plethora of different recordings of his trios. I haven't splashed any cash yet. Any favourites out there?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,

Vincula


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## Skakner

I have this one and never felt the need to explore further. Maybe there are better options. 
You should also check his two Cello Sonatas. Beautiful chamber music as well!


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## vincula

Thanks a lot. I'm listening to the _Wanderer Trio_ on Spotify right now. Will check out that one later today. I'm more familiar with his cello sonatas. Beautiful indeed!

Regards,

Vincula


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## Merl

The Florestan Trio are mighty fine here but so are the Sitkoveskys.


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## SearsPoncho

I'm very happy with the Florestan Trio. I've also never felt the need to look elsewhere. I'm sure the others are very good.


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## joen_cph

This is one of the cases where the ultra-budget label Brilliant Classic's release with Amsterdam Piano Trio (incl. Klara Würtz) is also good. 

I didn't do a lot of comparison though, I've only got 3 recordings of each trio.


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## Merl

The BBC Building a library broadcast recommends the Fischer - Gilad - Muller-Schott recording of the first trio but listening to it it sounds a little on the slow, romantic side to me. Nice version though.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p02sk8hh


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## Joe B

Leonidas Kavakos, Patrick Demenga and Enrico Pace are excellent in this repertoire as well:


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## jegreenwood

Merl said:


> The BBC Building a library broadcast recommends the Fischer - Gilad - Muller-Schott recording of the first trio but listening to it it sounds a little on the slow, romantic side to me. Nice version though.
> 
> https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p02sk8hh
> 
> View attachment 144890


I have that recording, and I like it. I also have a recording of the D Minor by Heifetz/Rubinstein/Piatigorsky.


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## flamencosketches

I have Trio Wanderer on HM/Musique d'abord and I like it.


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## wkasimer

Skakner said:


>


I thought that this was well played but deadly dull. Try Stern-Rose-Istomin.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

I always think that Mendelssohn is uplifting


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## starthrower

Golub/Kaplan/Carr Trio on the Arabesque label


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## vincula

wkasimer said:


> Try Stern-Rose-Istomin.


I did listen to it last night and enjoyed it enormously.

Thank you so very much for the hint :tiphat:! -and to you all for keeping this thread interesting. I don't know why these great pieces went under the radar chez moi. _Mea culpa_.

Regards,

Vincula


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## BlackAdderLXX

Merl said:


> The BBC Building a library broadcast recommends the Fischer - Gilad - Muller-Schott recording of the first trio but listening to it it sounds a little on the slow, romantic side to me. Nice version though.
> 
> https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p02sk8hh
> 
> View attachment 144890


This is the one I enjoy.


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## Eclectic Al

BlackAdderLXX said:


> This is the one I enjoy.


Yes.
I got it not long ago on a Qobuz sale for a ridiculously low price. Have just got round to listening to No 1, prompted by this thread. It seemed pretty good to me.


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## PeterF

I have and like the Fischer/ Muller / Gilad cd of both Mendelssohn Piano Trios.
Trio No.1 seems to be more popular than trio No.2
Here are the other CD. copies I have of Piano Trio No.1
Istomin / Stern / Rose
Argerich / Capucon / Capucon
Rubinstein / Heofetz / Piatigorsky


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## Josquin13

These are some of my favorite works by Mendelssohn, and there have been many first rate recordings over the years, so it's not an easy decision. Although you can't go too far wrong with a number of them. But if you agree that we're living in a golden age for string quartet playing, if anything, it's even more so for piano trios. I find it impossible to keep up with all the different groups today.

However, there is one recording that has stayed in my mind over the years that I consider extra special: it's by a lesser known group called "Trio de Barcelona" on Harmonia Mundi, & they're well recorded, too (in 1990): https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Trios-Op-49-66/dp/B000007MXW.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/felix-mendelssohn-bartholdy-trios-op-49-66-mw0001806133
https://music.apple.com/us/album/mendelssohn-piano-trios/269447741

Unfortunately, there isn't a You Tube clip of Trio de Barcelona playing Mendelssohn Trios, but there is link to them performing the 6 movement Dvorak "Dumky" Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 90, which should give you some idea about the quality of their playing:


























So if I were pressed to pick just one, Trio de Barcelona would be my 1st choice.

However, I've also liked Trio Wanderer: 



, the Stuttgarter Klaviertrio on Orfeo: 



, and the Vienna Piano Trio on Nimbus (in their first incarnation, which I tend to prefer to the present one): 



.

Among those versions that I've not heard, I wouldn't mind hearing the recording by the Sitkovetsky Trio, since it won a British award. (I might also recommend hearing the Oliver Schnyder Trio and Trio Elegiaque, if either group were to record these trios, but I don't believe they have yet.) In addition, the young, all sibling group, Trio Metral, gets excellent reviews, & I enjoyed hearing them play this music via You Tube: 



.

The London Bridge Trio on the SOMM label is worth sampling, as well, if you have the time. However, they've recorded the Mendelssohn Trios as part of a series with the piano trios by the Robert & Clara Schumann, entitled "The Leipzig Circle", so they may be a more costly option?: 



.

In addition, there's a bunch of 'classic' older analogue & historical recordings--notably from the Suk Trio: 



 (& Suk/Starker/Buchbinder live on Hanssler: 



), the Beaux Arts Trio (in the Cohen/Greenhouse/Pressler line up): 



, and: 



, Chung/Tortelier/Previn: 



, Heifetz/Piatigorsky/Rubinstein:



, Oistrakh/Knushevitsky/Oborin: 



, and: 



, and looking even further back, Thibaud/Casals/Cortot. With the possible exception of the Beaux Arts Trio, the older sound quality on these recordings won't likely be as good as on the more recent recordings, if that matters to you, but you might like the performances better. You'll likely find the older performances more romantic, with perhaps greater warmth.

So, there's a lot to sample & choose from in this repertory, if you feel so inclined.


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## Judith

Have a lovely no 1 which I love very much by
Steven Isserlis
Joshua Bell
Denes Varjon


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## perdido34

Golub/Kaplan/Karr is an outstanding performance:
https://www.amazon.com/Mendelssohn-Trio-No-Minor/dp/B000000T7A


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## Xaltotun

I think I have only ever heard the Trio Wanderer, but after hearing it, I kind of lost the will to hear any others. Just an edge-of-the-seat performance!


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## MusicInTheAir

Josquin,

I own the Trio de Barcelona recording of the Mendelssohn trios also. I haven't listened to it for quite some time, but remember liking it very much. Whenever I visit one of my friends who loves classical music, I always bring over a couple of CDs that I liked so much that I wanted him to hear them. And I know this CD was one of them.

I adore the Casals Trio's recording of the first Mendelssohn Piano Trio. Casals' playing of the opening theme shouldn't be missed. It's too bad they didn't make more recordings. I would've loved to hear them play Schubert's Second Piano Trio.


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## mparta

Ax/Stern/Ma is what i listen to most often, probably more for Ax than anything else. He is a vastly under-the-radar pianist, an artist of great elegance. I have him in the line to hear the farewell DVD from Haitink/VPO with Beethoven 4th concerto and 7th symphony. Ax an artist of suitable caliber for such an event.
That said, it's almost indestructible music.


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## wkasimer

mparta said:


> Ax/Stern/Ma is what i listen to most often, probably more for Ax than anything else.


I'm not aware of an Ax/Stern/Ma recording. There's an Istomin/Stern/Rose recording, which is one of my favorites, and Ax/Perlman/Ma, which isn't.


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## mparta

Right, my mistake, Perlman not Stern. I still like it.


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## Vasks

perdido34 said:


> Golub/Kaplan/Karr is an outstanding performance


I bought it when it first was issued as the reviews of it were so strong. And although I have nothing else to compare it to, they are very good.

Now, a Public Service Announcement:

*The piano trios of Felix Mendelssohn are among his finest pieces he composed. If you don't have them, get them!*


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## Merl

I picked this one up last month really cheap and it's an absolute belter, Jos. Give it a try. Lots of rave reviews due to the fact it sounds stunning.


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## sasdwf

I’m looking forward to hearing the Trio de Barcelona performances after reading this thread. I would second the Trio Wanderer recommendation and add that I’ve long enjoyed the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson renditions on Vox. Sound is a little dated, but great performances.


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## Acadarchist

Agreed. I`ve been playing it today, and went back to the start and listened to it again!


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## Bruckner Anton

I love these two piano trios and own several recordings which I think are recommendable:
1. Beaux Arts Trio: recorded two times. The 1960s one is my favorite version. It is neatly and beautifully done. More importantly, the balance between instruments is perfect. Great sound quality. 
2. BAT: The 1980s recordings. Substantially improved sound. No big changes in terms of interpretation, though the new cellist in #2 is a bit too soft in some sections (no match with the great Greenhouse).
3. Istomin Stern Rose: excellent string playing partly due to close miking. Good sound quality. In particular, the cello part has so many details. Istomin is a bit weak for these piano heavy works, especially in #2, too soft in several sections.
4. Trio Wanderer: perfect sound quality. Modern interpretation that favors fast light-weighted bowing and less vibrato. Quite piano heavy in several sections.
5. Ax Perlman Ma: perfect sound quality. Generally a more gentle and subtle interpretation. Rich strings, lyric piano. Slower tempo in #2 movement 4.


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## MelodicOne

As Bruckner Anton already mentioned, the BAT 1967 recording of these 2 trios (with violinist Daniel Guillet) is very special, to my ears, simply magical. The trio re-recorded these twice more with different personnel ( The great M Pressler, played on all of them) and all the versions were great but again, at least to these ears, this first recording is something very special!


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## gerstlauer

Firstly, apologies if it isn't custom to resurrect older threads here, but I stumbled upon the Atos Trio recently and felt I had to share.

Their performance on Youtube at Wigmore Hall, of Trio No. 1 is what I first encountered, and what an incredible performance it is. The fact that it's available for free, with brilliant filming and sound quality (within the limitations of Youtube, of course) is fantastic.

They've also released both Trios some time back (2011), under CPO. I must say I haven't spent enough time with them to give a proper critical response, but the few casual listens have been enjoyable.


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## SanAntone

*Mendelssohn* | _The Piano Trios_ 
The Benvenue Fortepiano Trio










Released in 2009 this period instrument recording of the piano trios is very fine, IMO.


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## Mister Meow

starthrower said:


> Golub/Kaplan/Carr Trio on the Arabesque label


I have this one, too, and I've enjoyed it, though I eventually got tired of the pieces themselves.


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