Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Trio Fontenay :: Beethoven: The Piano Trios

Trio Fonteney is an excellent example of musicians who play their instruments better than they play music. They make a consistently good sound, and they play together with impressive precision. They also rush through nearly everything in this set as though they have no interests except the sound, the precision, and conserving studio time. No matter how well they are recorded--and they are recorded very well--these performances don't convey the musical content of Beethoven's Trios. At full price the Borodin Trio still reigns supreme in this music (Chandos), and the Naxos set by the Stuttgart Piano Trio gives everyone a run for their money. --Leslie Gerber