Mendelssohn: Trio No. 1 / Dvorák: Dumky Trio

1	Piano Trio No. 1 in D min
2	Piano Trio No. 1 in D min
3	Piano Trio No. 1 in D min
4	Piano Trio No. 1 in D min
5	Piano Trio No. 4 in E min
6	Piano Trio No. 4 in E min
7	Piano Trio No. 4 in E min
8	Piano Trio No. 4 in E min
9	Piano Trio No. 4 in E min
10	Piano Trio No. 4 in E min
Mendelssohn: Trio No. 1 / Dvorák: Dumky Trio
1.	Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 31:02
	Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
	Performed by Beaux Arts Trio
2.	Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor ("Dumky"), B. 166 (Op. 90) 35:44
	Composed by Antonin Dvorák
	Performed by Beaux Arts Trio

Barnes & Noble

For most chamber ensembles, a 50th anniversary would more likely be an occasion to reissue classic recordings than to enter the studio and make new ones. And while the Beaux Arts Trio, formed in 1954, has received the former treatment (a two-disc set commemorating their many years with the Philips label), they haven't stopped there. On this brand-new recording, they return to their origins for another go at the same works they featured on their first LP: Mendelssohn's First Trio and Dvorák's "Dumky" Trio. The ensemble has seen members come and go over the years, but Menahem Pressler has been anchoring the group at the piano for the full half century, transmitting his unmatched insights into the trio repertoire to his new collaborators. The trio's current violinist is Daniel Hope; his intensely committed recordings of 20th-century violin works have attracted attention lately, but he's no less comfortable here in the very different world of Romantic chamber music. It's not a totally alien world to him, though: The folk-dance flavor of the Dvorák trio brings out the same fiery spirit that marks his East Meets West recital disc. Cellist Antonio Meneses is just as strong an asset, contributing a beautiful singing tone, especially to Mendelssohn's lyrical melodies. As for Pressler, in his playing we hear the sound of a lifetime intimately lived with this music; there's no arguing with his interpretations or his technique. And with a younger generation in place to study his example, the Beaux Arts tradition is in excellent hands for the future. If the year 2054 sees a return to the studio for yet another Mendelssohn/Dvorák session, the results are likely to be just as delectable. Scott Paulin

All Music Guide

Okay, so maybe it's not the right thing to say, but really, don't you agree that the new Beaux Arts Trio is, well, better than the old Beaux Arts Trio? Of course, but better in what sense? The old Beaux Arts Trio, with its imperial tone, its elegant interpretations, and its impeccable technique, was arguably the best recording piano trio in the world in the latter years of the twentieth century. But the new Beaux Arts Trio, with its warmer tone, its passionate interpretations, and its still impeccable technique may arguably be the best recording piano trio in the world in the opening years of the twenty-first century. The only link between the new and the old "Trios" is pianist Menahem Pressler but one got the sense that he was the warm and passionate heart of the old Trio and with violinist Daniel Hope and cellist Antonio Meneses, one gets the sense that he has found is warm and passionate soulmates. Their Mendelssohn "Trio in D minor" is big, dark, and heartfelt and their Dvorák "Dumky" is big, tragic, hilarious, and both are played with tremendous panache. In other words, "better" in the sense that the new Beaux Arts Trio is warmer and more passionate and, in a word, more human than the old Beaux Arts Trio. Warner Bros.' sound is rich and detailed. James Leonard