Dvorak Piano [Trio] Trios—No. 1 in B flat major, B51; No. 3 in F minor, B13. Chung Trio (Kyung-Wha Chung, vn; Myung-Wha Chung, vc; Myung-Whun Chung, pf).

Decca (Full price) (CD) 421 118-2DH (68 minutes: DDD).

Brahms Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, Op. 87.

Dvorak Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, B51. Fontenay Trio (Michael Mucke, vn; Niklas Schmidt, vc; Wolf Harden, pf).

Teldec (Full price) (LP) 244 177-1; (Cassette) 244 177-4; (CD) 244 177-2 (64 minutes: DDD).

The Chung Trio recorded their performances in the Vienna Konzerthaus, which clearly has a very lively acoustic. The pianist in particular is encouraged by his surroundings to play out with a good deal of muscle and Decca's engineers have produced a recording which has a very strong presence with plenty of ambience. In a way it's an exciting sound, but I feel that it is unsuitable for a piano trio, and after a time the ear and spirit both yearn for a more intimate acoustic. I have already suggested that the pianist was influenced by his performing environment, and I believe that is true of the Trio in general throughout both works. The piano is obviously the strongest of the three instruments, and it dominates the sound stage with the violin frequently struggling to maintain parity, and the cello often rather obscured.

There's still much to admire in the playing however, since all three artists are clearly very involved in the music. In the Adagio of the Third Trio there is some particularly attractive, finely-shaded playing, and a graceful, mellifluous feel to the movement, but even here Myung Whun Chung does tend to attack his instrument too boldly at moments when the piano has even the slightest opportunity to play out, and here, as in general, the three players don't seem to listen to each other as they should. The faster movements all have a great deal of spirit and commitment, but there's also a somewhat strenuous quality, too much vehemence, and the more homely aspects of Dvorak's invention are rather passed over.

The Borodin's account of the Third Trio is already at a disadvantage, since Chandos have found room for only the one work on their disc. The Russian-born players offer a very clear highly considered performance but, again, the recording is large scale, and the playing too strong, too effortful, with no feeling of repose or reflection. The Kim/Ma/Ax trio on CBS offer no less than the Dumky Trio as a partner to the Third Trio. Their version is more attractive also for the fact that whereas the playing is similarly strong within a big, wide-ranging recording, there is much more subtlety and a more inward quality. It's noticeable, for instance, how Ax scales down his dynamics when one of his partners is to the fore, and here the cello seems to be far more in the picture generally. This version is recommended to those who prefer a bold, big-boned approach to Dvorak's piano trios. But it was the Fontenay Trio's version of the Third Trio (Teldec/ASV) which gave me most pleasure. Here the recording quality is attractively intimate, but not at all cramped, and the players seem to strive less yet achieve more, for their performance has many felicities. There is a feeling more than in rival versions of three players in total accord, and Dvorak sounds more like the generous, open-hearted spirit that he is.

The Fontenay Trio's new performance of Dvorak's Piano Trio No. 1 has similar virtues. Again, the recording, though wide in range, is very well-balanced and has the acoustic of a smallish studio. The playing is thoughtful but at the same time spontaneous in feeling, beautifully poised and generously phrased. The players seem to be deriving a quiet sense of pleasure from the sessions (whatever might have been the real tensions of the occasion), and collectors who are familiar with recordings by old Czech chamber groups will find more than a hint of the same unhurried, expansive style in the Fontenay's playing. They certainly reflect the spirit of the music more faithfully than the Chung Trio. In Brahms's Piano Trio No. 2 the Fontenay come up against formidable competition from Szerying and his colleagues on RCA. Exceptional chamber music performances do not always result from putting a group of starry soloists together, but here the three famous players strike a fine rapport. Their playing is rich in experience and character, and they are given a more than acceptable 1972 recording. I can give the Fontenay Trio no greater compliment than to say that their version is fully competitive, and has its own high qualities of high musicianship strength and style. Technically the quality of their playing is on a high level, and most importantly they are able to preserve a feeling of spontaneity in front of the microphones.

AS