Beethoven composed his Op. 1 piano trios under the shadow of Haydn. The younger composer’s personality, though, was squarely intact. You already get those sudden dynamic surges, unsettling accentuations, and slow movements filled with sustained, lyrical tension that count among the hallmarks of Beethoven’s quintessential style. The Abegg Trio’s masterful performances of Beethoven’s first two trios go straight to the heart of the music. Faster movements sing out with headlong brio, abetted by rock-steady tempos that benefit from tasteful inflection. Notable, too, is the ensemble’s sly transition from the G major trio’s introductory adagio into an effortlessly sustained vivace, plus the rollicking give and take in the opera-buffa-like finale. It’s good to have these excellent-sounding 1987 recordings available again. Strongly recommended.
