Whether or not the disc’s producers intended it, this trio of works for violin and piano forms an interesting microcosm that pinpoints some of the compositional ideas that the composer returned to many times during his short life (1797-1828). The relatively early A major Sonata offers a dose of Classical elegance; the grand, sweeping gestures that open the Rondo Brillant identifies with the passions of Romanticism; and the lyric Fantasy in C major provides a signpost to his lieder (the third movement, in fact, is a series of variations on his “Sei mir gegrüßt”.)
The father-daughter duo of Pamela and Claude Frank dispatch Schubert’s music with admirable ease and an appealing aplomb–every indication is that they are having fun with these charming works. It’s as if we have been invited into the Frank family living room for a casual afternoon of musicmaking. Both are accomplished soloists and chamber musicians of the highest order, and they complement each other perfectly. The sound is quite acceptable, but not exceptional in any way.
