Search - Franz Joseph Haydn, Haydn Trio Eisenstadt :: Haydn: The Piano Trios [Box Set]

Powerful performance, superb sound, amazing value

Scaffa | Sweden | 12/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a bargain. 39 piano trios on 8 discs that will guarantee you many hours of pleasurable listening. The sound quality is excellent as is the performance. The Eisenstadt Trio plays on modern instruments. I have not listened to the famous Beaux Arts renditions but I have "The Last 4 Piano Trios" performed by Levin-Beths-Bylsma, in which a fortepiano is involved. For me, listening to the sound of a grand piano is a completely different and much more enjoyable experience. Certainly, musicians can learn a lot from playing period instruments but that does not necessarily mean that they are more palatable to the ear of the listener. Quite the contrary. The fortepiano has a rather brittle and sharp sound, reminiscent of a toy instrument. No such torture here. This is eight discs of pure bliss. There is an interesting review to be read here:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2006/Jan06/Haydn_trios_49489.htm



"

Recommended without reservation

jsa | San Diego, CA United States | 10/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Haydn Trio Eisenstadt face formidable competition from the Beaux Arts Trio in this repertory. The Beaux Arts set has been around for a long time & accolades have been heaped on it from Gramophone, Penguin & just about every other critical source out there. Indeed, their playing is refined, elegant & stylish; & the recordings, which were made between 1971-1978, still sound very good.



Although I've owned the Beaux Arts set for a couple of years, I've never fully warmed to their playing which sometimes seems to be almost too polished. Having recently acquired Haydn Trio Eisenstadt's set of Beethoven piano trios & finding it immensely satisfying, I decided to add their survey of the Haydn piano trios to my music library.



The Eisenstadt trio plays very securely, have a thorough understanding of Haydn & benefit from excellent recorded sound. They have played together for a long time (since 1992) and it shows. Without going into a point by point comparison between the ensembles, let me say that in some cases Beaux Arts plays with a little more sparkle, but in other cases Trio Eisenstadt seems a little more idiomatic. But what I especially like in the Eisenstadt set is the arrangement of the material. In the Beaux Art set, the trios are sequenced chronologically from the earliest compositions to the last, whereas in the Eisenstadt set you will find mature trios paired with Haydn's earliest efforts. Some listeners may want to hear how the piano trios progressed as Haydn aged, but I find that listening to the early works all in a row just doesn't hold my interest. For this reason I found myself avoiding the first few discs in the Beaux Arts set, whereas, I appreciate these trios more in the Eisenstadt set as they are integrated with the more mature works.



This is a first rate package that also includes nineteen pages of notes filled with fascinating details on the Haydn piano trios.



Recommended without reservation!

"

This is a steal: I would pay twice as much for these

Soo Doe Nimh | United States | 03/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have owned this set for about 8 months; I have probably heard each disc 4 times, with at least two close passes on each, and they're still in the small stack of heavily-used CDs atop my player. If you insist on balance among the instruments and a strong pianist - obviously non-negotiable since it's the principal role in these pieces - you won't be disappointed.



The group plays with a unity of purpose: they sound as if they planned everything carefully in rehearsal. The pianist is quite musical and aware of Haydn's many inventive games, and the string players also know what's up - you'll hear plenty of varied texture, chuckling, or pathos from all three instruments, depending on the place. These pieces expose the piano heavily, so he has to be good, and he is; you won't mind listening to him through eight CDs' worth of music.



The violinist has an unconventional sound, with a rough edge, but it keeps her from disappearing into the background, and she has good judgment. I can't tell if her tone comes from playing a non-modern instrument or if it's just in the nature of her playing.



One aside: Haydn really is under-rated. I wonder that these are intended as light chamber pieces, when there's so much life and solid artistry in them.



This set is a bargain. I bought it because I figured I wouldn't regret it at the price, but would be worth it even at prices typical of big-name ensembles. Buy extra copies and hand them out to friends - we need to support good chamber groups.



I'm trying to do my part to fight star inflation, but these merit the full 5 stars. They're as good as the Beaux Arts Trio recordings.



A real pleasure. These guys are smart players.

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