Trio Rachmaninoff de Montréal - Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich: Piano Trios (2004)

The Trio Rachmaninoff de Montréal, in this recording of the Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich piano trios, has a number of pros and cons. Youthful energy is by far among its chief assets and this definitely is important with the very long Tchaikovsky Trio, which can sometimes get bogged down. The choice of tempos is pleasing and there is always a clear line between even the most subtle changes in the Theme and Variation movement. Technique is also generally good; the cellist's false harmonics at the opening of the Shostakovich are very clear and smoothly connected.
All that said, the cons of this ensemble ultimately outweigh the pros. The sound quality of the strings at the opening of the Tchaikovsky is quite lean and does not match the elegiac tone of the piece; this too-bright sound pops up frequently throughout both works. There's also an interpretive disconnect between the strings and the piano; while the violin and cello present a theme with a smooth legato line, the piano is often quite vertical. The pianist's left hand gets especially muddy during forte sections and virtually covers his string-playing companions. Finally, intonation is highly inconsistent. The violinist is most frequently the culprit, especially on the A and E strings.