Anton Arensky; Mikhail Glinka - Piano Trios (Borodin Trio)

Information

Composer: Anton Arensky; Mikhail Glinka

1. (01) Arensky - Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32
2. (05) Glinka - Trio Pathétique in D minor

Borodin TrioLuba Edlina, piano
Rostislav Dubinsky, violin
Yuli Turovsky, cello

Date: 1986
Label: Chandos

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Review

For anyone interested in Glinka's Trio, choice here is simple. The new Borodin Trio performance is greatly superior to the Pavane version cited above, which is on the stiff side and not blessed with a very distinguished recording (it is coupled with Beethoven's Clarinet Trio). Not only is the sound far better on the new Chandos, but the playing has a sweep and eloquence, also a neat wit, of which the work stands in some need. Though I think myself that David Brown is a little hard on it in his study of the composer (London: 1974), it has to be allowed that this is not vintage Glinka. The first movement is indeed somewhat laboured, but especially in such an attractive performance as this, the scherzo has a deft turn of phrase and the Largo, if rather self-consciously reflecting Glinka's current Italian sojourn, has a certain charm. Glinka's original version, for piano, clarinet and bassoon, was recorded by Alan Hacker, Richard Burnett and Hansjurg Lange using period instruments on L'Oiseau-Lyre (DSLO524, 7/76) but has now been deleted.

Arensky's Trio is also delightfully played, with a nice lilt making the scherzo acquire a pleasant touch of the waltz; the Borodin's rhythms are agreeably flexible here. The final deadpan payoff is very drily managed. The ''Elegie'' shares something with Glinka's slow movement in that use is made of a cantilena over punctuating piano chords. The pianist judges these very well here, accompanying and propelling the string melody and giving it a pleasantly oblique character.

Neither of these work is a masterpiece, but both are well made and refreshingly unpretentious (though Arensky does rather outstay his welcome in his opening movement). They should give much harmless pleasure.

-- John Warrack, Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Arensky-Glinka-Piano-Trios-Anton/dp/B000000AET

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Anton Arensky (12 July [O.S. 30 June] 1861 – 25 February [O.S. 12 February] 1906) was a Russian composer of Romantic classical music, a pianist and a professor of music. Arensky was a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. Among his students there were Scriabin, Rachmaninov and Gretchaninov. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was the greatest influence on Arensky's musical compositions. Arensky are best known for his chamber music, including two string quartets, two piano trios, and a piano quintet. Despite a long-term neglect of his music, in recent years a large number of his compositions have been recorded.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Arensky

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Mikhail Glinka (1 June [O.S. 20 May] 1804 – 15 February [O.S. 3 February] 1857) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognition within his own country, and is often regarded as the fountainhead of Russian classical music. Glinka's compositions were an important influence on future Russian composers, notably the members of The Five, who took Glinka's lead and produced a distinctive Russian style of music. Glinka's two operas and other orchestral works have been fairly popular in concerts and recordings. He also composed many art songs, many piano pieces, and some chamber music.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Glinka

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Borodin Trio was a classical music trio founded in 1976 by Russians violinist Rostislav Dubinsky (1923–97), his wife, pianist Luba Edlina, and cellist Yuli Turovsky (1939–2013). Dubinsky was founding first violinist of the famed Borodin Quartet. He emigrated from the U.S.S.R. to the Netherlands and later to the United States. The Borodin Trio was best known for its recordings on Chandos Records. They were considered to be one of the best piano trios of their generation. Dubinsky and Edlina also performed as The Dubinsky Duo, and Turovsky and Edlina also performed as the Borodin Duo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borodin_Trio

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