Ludwig van Beethoven: Klaviertrios Nr.3 & 4 on 2 CDs

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Over the more than 40 years of its activity, the Suk Trio underwent several personnel changes. Yet it was the "classic" Suk - Panenka - Chuchro line-up (the configuration from 1960 onwards) that wrote the most colourful chapter in its illustrious history.

The ensemble was a rare example of perfect coordination between opposites: a noble virtuoso pianist with a crystal-clear touch (Jan Panenka), an earthy and energetic cellist (Josef Chuchro) and a lyrical and melodious violinist (Josef Suk). These outstanding individuals managed to uniquely meld together their disparate temperaments, creating a legendary chamber grouping that was enthusiastically received by listeners worldwide.

Beethoven and Schubert's piano trios were one of the pillars of their repertoire and at the same time represent the first great apex of this genre. The 25-year-old Beethoven published Piano Trio No. 3 in C major together with another two trios under the opus number "1" in 1795, shortly after his arrival in Vienna. The extensive Trio No. 7, the "Archduke Trio", was written in 1810-11 and is the work of a mature composer. Schubert completed his Trio No. 1 in B flat major during the last year of his life (1827) alongside serious and melancholic pieces. The work's optimistic vein therefore comes as something of a surprise.

Legendary recordings of vintage Beethoven and Schubert by the classic Suk Trio line-up