Fidelio Trio FAURÉ, CHAUSSON & SATIE Piano Trios

Following on from their acclaimed Resonus debut the Fidelio Trio continues its exploration of the French piano trio with this impressive new recording of works by Gabriel Fauré, Ernest Chausson, and Erik Satie.

Chausson’s opulent and lyrical Op. 3 piano trio from 1881, is joined by Fauré’s only work in this chamber music genre – the heartfelt Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120 – composed during the latter part of his life. The album is completed with arrangements by John White of works by Erik Satie – selections from his only liturgical work, the Messe des Pauvres, and the incidental music to his own play, Le Piège de Méduse.

Rautio Piano Trio MOZART Piano Trios KV 502, 542, 564

Mozart’s piano trios don’t come out to play as often as Haydn’s, despite being among his finest chamber works. (Similarly neglected are the string quintets, not counting the G minor, K516.) So a new recording of any or all of them is always to be welcomed. This disc adds interest by being performed on period instruments, making it something of a rarity in this repertoire.

The ear is immediately struck by the fortepiano, a 1987 Derek Adlam copy of an Anton Walter instrument from the mid-1790s, which formerly belonged to Christopher Hogwood. It’s beautifully set up, and remarkably little action-noise is captured in the Potton Hall recording. As delightful as it is to listen too, it is evidently a joy to play, and Jan Rautio leads performances notable for their buoyancy and vivacity.

I know from experience that piano trios are notoriously difficult to record and, much as the Rautio players extol the balance advantages of period instruments, this seems to be a problem that has not been entirely overcome. Cellist Adi Tal offers elegant support to the piano’s left-hand lines but Jane Gordon’s violin often dominates. (Neither string instrument is identified in the booklet.) Hers is a full-bodied sound, only occasionally warmed by vibrato, but can become oppressive as sustained notes reach the middle of the bow. Not only that, but Gordon fights shy of exploiting a true piano, meaning that quiet passages are rendered less tenderly than they might have been. The piano in many places is all but swamped by the string tone – which is a pity, as I liked the piano the best. (David Threasher / Gramophone)

Fidelio Trio RAVEL & SAINT-SAËNS Piano Trios

The unusual item here is Saint-Saëns’s Second Piano Trio of 1892, of which the Fidelio Trio give a performance of terrific impetus and refinement. It would be all too easy to fall into the trap of inflating the opening movement – by far the longest of the five – since the busy, red-blooded piano accompaniment to the strings’ main theme can threaten to take on a life of its own. In terms of texture, though not by any means of thematic substance, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio, completed in 1882, comes to mind as a score that in realms of instrumental balance requires similarly careful thought. The Fidelio have done their thinking for the Saint-Saëns and the result is superb: you certainly know that the piano is working hard with all those arpeggios and rapid, keyboard-crossing chords, but the performance is all of a piece, with the violin and cello speaking with just as much authority and élan.

The whimsy of the second movement’s lopsided 5/8 rhythm is nicely etched in; the cello’s languid theme in the central Andante is beautifully done and finds a perfect match when the violin joins in. The lighthearted Grazioso fourth movement forms an emotional breather before Saint-Saëns returns in the finale to the mood of the opening movement with all his seriousness of craftsmanship and propulsive energy.

The Fidelio’s interpretation possesses admirable clarity and definition, polish and brio, qualities they bring also to a very different world of sound in the Ravel Trio. In both works their interpretative touch is secure, their rapport instinctive. Together with their eloquence and passion, this all adds up to something special. (Geoffrey Norris / Gramophone)