Rachmaninov, Arensky, Shostakovich: Piano Trios

• Main performer: Nota Bene
• Booklet languages: English, German, French
• Time: 69:40
• Release Date: 2007

Review

The three piano trios heard on this album -- those of Rachmaninov (number one), Anton Arensky, and Shostakovich (number two) -- share a number of similarities. They were each written by Russian contemporaries, but while Rachmaninov and Shostakovich rose to prominence and have remained popular, Arensky's works have long been unduly neglected. The most common musical thread between them, however, is the presence of at least one elegiac movement. In the case of Rachmaninov, the entire trio is in essence one long elegy. The Shostakovich Trio opens with the haunting false harmonic of the cello and includes yet another somber, third movement. These three trios also contain significant musical, technical, and emotional demands of the performers. The Trio Nota Bene, heard here on this Claves album, earns high marks for its technical execution of these works. Musically and emotionally, however, the trio still has some growing to do. None of the musicians, not even the piano, has a particularly strong, robust sound, even when carrying the melody. The performance is also somewhat lacking in the somber, introspective qualities that are so necessary for these three trios. Overall sound quality of the album is acceptable, but levels are often extremely low, making pianos and pianissimos virtually inaudible. ~ Mike D. Brownell, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Sergey Rachmaninov	Trio élégiaque, for piano & strings in G minor, TN ii/34	14:50
Anton Arensky	Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32	27:31
Dmitry Shostakovich	Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67	27:19

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