Originally issued in 1972, this recording was important for including Dvorák’s First Piano Quartet, one of his best early chamber works and a piece that wasn’t exactly a staple of the repertoire at the time (it still isn’t, though recordings are easier to come by today). The Beaux Arts Trio plus Walter Trampler also delivers a fine performance, with their typically excellent ensemble balance and a particularly flowing and cogent account of the magnificent central variation movement. However, it’s impossible not to notice a certain dryness to the sound, which makes violinist Isidore Cohen sound wiry in his upper register and Manahem Pressler’s never luxuriant piano tone come across as somewhat woody. That makes this swift and classically poised account of the famous Second Piano Quartet less alluring than much of the competition, including Pressler’s more relaxed remake with the Emerson Quartet on DG, and especially Suk/Hala on Supraphon. Still, at the price this is a very good deal, and a welcome newcomer to CD. [12/13/2004]
