What a joy it is to have these virile, intelligent, and gorgeously groomed performances back in circulation! The fussy qualities of András Schiff’s solo Haydn recordings for Teldec are nowhere to be found here. Go, for instance, to the E major trio’s strange central Passacaglia, where Schiff’s forthright shaping of the two-part solo piano writing nearly stings in its severity. As a result, the lyrical passage that follows when his colleagues reenter makes more of a contrast. The E minor trio’s rondo may seem to proceed at less than a true Presto, but the moderate pacing allows Haydn’s remarkable contrapuntal interplay to fully register. Note also the haunting variety of timbre and tone color Yuuko Shiokawa and the late, great Boris Pergamenschikow achieve through discreet employment of vibrato. This not only applies to their superbly synchronized rapid scales and runs, but also to the simplest accompaniments (the F-sharp minor trio’s slow movement, for instance).
In addition, the fortepiano-like ping of Schiff’s Bösendorfer grand ideally suits this repertoire. Among these musicians, not one harmonic surprise, unexpected silence, or witty turn of phrase goes for nothing. Wonderful music, inspired interpretations, excellent sound, perceptive booklet notes, and modest cost to the consumer: anything less than a “10/10” would sell this disc short. [3/21/2005]
