Cheap Schumann: Piano Trios, Op. 88, Op. 110; Piano Quartet, Op. 47 (Music) (Robert Schumann, Thomas Riebl, Richard Lester, Florestan Trio) Price

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Customer Reviews of Schumann: Piano Trios, Op. 88, Op. 110; Piano Quartet, Op. 47

The last work to be composed actually comes first on the CD, the G minor Piano Trio #3, Op. 110. It's a late work which is sadly almost never played. I admit that I'm still not quite convinced by the Scherzo (third movement) and the last movement, but the first movement is very fine, in mood not unlike the first movement of the D minor Piano Trio #1, and the slow movement is, as always with Schumann, beautiful. Throughout there are many interesting examples of Schumann's love of counterpoint. I'm very glad to have gotten this CD; as a amateur pianist who enjoys playing chamber music, it's always good to a find an attractive, little-known work.

Next up is the earliest work, the Op. 88 Fantasiestücke, which despite the "late" opus number were actually written in 1842, in Schumann's "year of chamber music," when he produced the string quartets, the Piano Quintet, and the Piano Quartet. Schumann called them "fantasy pieces" rather than "piano trio," but the four individual pieces can be thought of as movements of a "Piano Trio #0," since they were written before the three piano trios. They are rather Haydn-esque, with the piano dominating in all except the "slow movement" (the third piece of the set), which is quite lovely.

For me the highlight is the Op. 47 Quartet, a work which has been unfairly overshadowed by the Quintet which preceded it. Like the Quintet it's also in E-flat major, but the first movement is altogether more nervous, a darker kind of passion than the outgoing Quintet. The scherzo is short and tricky; I'll leave it at that. The slow movement which follows is absolutely glorious, one of the most beautiful things in the entire chamber music repertoire, with a deeply eloquent main theme. The last movement is thrilling, with tons of counterpoint everywhere. The Florestan Trio performs this work superbly: their tempos, except for a first movement which is just a bit too fast, are very well judged. In this and the other works, their playing is technically assured and imaginative, full of flair. Most of all, they sound convinced by the works, which is never to be taken for granted in Schumann's lesser-known works. The recording itself is demonstration quality, ideally balanced.

I'll conclude by saying that you should definitely take a chance on the repertoire (if you're not familiar with it) and buy this CD. And, you should also get the Florestan Trio's other Schumann CD, with the first two piano trios, which is absolutely fantastic.