Beethoven’s string trios stand among his earliest masterpieces, fully the equal of his early quartets. They are the greatest works in their medium after Mozart’s great Divertimento K. 563, and they are boldly and excitingly performed here by three members of the Kodály Quartet. One of the best aspects of the playing is the fact that the music sounds like Beethoven–that is, gutsy and even a touch rough (try the opening Allegro con brio of the G major trio), but never coarse. You just know that this isn’t a pale imitation of Mozart, but a vibrant new musical voice.
Then, in the cantabile adagio of the same work, or in the Adagio con espressione of the C minor trio, the players allow the music’s lyricism to blossom. Thank God there’s none of that ugly, “authentic” string timbre, with squeezed sustained notes and clipped phrasing. In short, if you’re in the market for this repertoire, then you should seriously consider acquiring this disc. The engineering, it’s worth adding, is very good too: warm, clear, and well balanced. [3/9/2011]
