Piano Trio, 1, 2, : Abegg Trio ++fanny Mendelssohn-hensel

In previous issues I've praised the Abegg Trio's radiant performances of Beethoven's piano trios. This convenient set of the Mendelssohn's works in this form - two by Felix and one by Fanny, composed the year after her brother's second trio - elicits comparable enthusiasm, thanks to the brilliance of the renditions, individually and collectively... The recorded sound is first-rate therein and throughout the two more familiar scores as well. As previously noted, too, a Bsendorfer Imperial piano, played with some restraint by Gerrit Zitterbart and admirably balanced in this CD, adds a measure of richness not often encountered among other practitioners of the art of piano-trio playing. That said, this Tacet CD sports an attractive lineup as well, and although there are many fine recorded performances of both of Felix's piano trios, these merit inclusion among the very best, due to the Abegg's superior playing, seasoned interpretations, and the splendid recorded sound. High.