Trio Parnassus - Mendelssohn: Complete Piano Trios (2004)

While there have been many recordings of one or the other of Mendelssohn's Piano Trios over the years, the works themselves have yet to worm their way into the standard repertoire. Who knows why? Mendelssohn's trios are passionate and powerful works by one of the great early Romantic German composers at the height of his genius and they stand with the piano trios of Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, and Dvorák as among the great chamber works of the nineteenth century. Will this 2003 recording of Mendelssohn's Piano Trios by the Trio Parnassus on Musickproduktion Dabringhaus und Grimm catapult these works into the standard repertoire? Only if there were justice in the world: the Trio Parnassus plays with a warm but strong tone, performs with an elegant but vehement ensemble, and with absolute and unswerving commitment to the music. Even the great performances from the past -- from the classic Thibaud, Cortot, and Casals to the fervent Argerich with the Cause brothers -- are more about the passion and power of the performances than they are about the passion and power of the music. But the Trio Parnassus gives itself wholly to the music and the performances are arguably the most completely convincing ever recorded. MDG's sound is exemplary: warm, rich, clear, and immediate.