The Meadowmount Trio offers warm and ingratiating renderings of two Dvorák trios, playing with exquisite beauty of tone and sparkling rhythmic energy. This last element is particularly critical to the Dumky trio, and the Meadowmount’s lively performance brings out much of the work’s dancelike character. The ensemble also gives a suitably engaging account of the F minor trio, with heartfelt solo work in the beautiful Poco Adagio.
The recording, made in 1992, has satisfying fullness and presence as well as realistic dynamic range–and this is all well and good, so long as you don’t listen to the Fontenay’s excellent recordings on Teldec (or the Suk Trio on Supraphon!). But since I let the cat out of the bag, I might as well tell you that both reference ensembles’ readings are more intensely dramatic. Both the Fontenay and the Suk Trio editions include all four Dvorák trios, and if you don’t want the two early ones (very good music, by the way), or if a lush sound is of greater importance to you, then you might consider the Meadowmount an attractive option. But honestly, the competition is truly strong in these marvellous works. You should have them all, and you should have the best. Newcomers should be advised that the CD booklet reverses the order of the works on the disc.
