This release is aimed at specialists interested in the art of pianist Artur Balsam, who plays in all four works, and violinist Louis Kaufman, who features in the trio, the Romantic Pieces, and the Concert (here called “Concerto”). There’s no denying the fine musicianship on display here, particularly in the Chausson, a warmly passionate performance ably assisted by the Pascal String Quartet. The Dvorák items are less interesting given the competition, and the mono Concert Hall Society recordings are quite limited in dynamic range (the transfers appear to have been made from LPs, though surface noise is minimal). Of these latter three works, the tiny Romantic Pieces come off best and may be most valuable, since they feature just Balsam and Kaufman alone, revealing their stylishness and sensitivity as chamber musicians particularly well. Still, all of the performances are adequate, and these were among the first (if not the first) recordings of the Trio and Piano Quartet ever made, so they also retain a certain historical interest for that reason. Hard-core collectors will know if this release interests them, and I can recommend it accordingly on that basis.
