[SACD-R][OF] Storioni Trio - Franz Schubert – Piano Trios 1 & 2 (D.898 & D.929) - 2007 (Chamber)

“Young players take a light approach to deeper works – & it pays off, too. The young members of the Storioni Trio of Amsterdam, founded in 1995, here give exceptionally light & sparkling accounts of Schubert’s 2 piano trios.” ~Edward Greenfield, Gramophone August 2007
The Storioni Trio Amsterdam was founded in 1995 by Bart van de Roer, Wouter Vossen & Marc Vossen. The trio derives its name from the Laorentius Storioni violin from Cremona, which dates from 1794 & is played by Wouter Vossen. The instrument belonging to Marc Vossen is a Giovanni Grancino cello from Milan, dating from 1700. In order to perfect its ensemble-playing, the trio has worked with musicians such as Issac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich & Ralph Kirshbaum as well as members of the Emerson & Vermeer Quartets. The trio plays a wide repertoire ranging from Haydn & Mozart to stimulating works by contemporary composers.
The trio has received various prizes & awards & performs regularly throughout the world.
Dodax.com review:
Are Schubert’s piano trios infallible? No. For all of their exquisite lyricism, melting harmonies, & instantly unforgettable themes, in the wrong performances the lyricism can seem sentimental, the harmonies can seem cloying, & the movements can seem to go on forever. Are the trios effortless? No. For all that, none of the parts asks for more than what a talented amateur has to give, they still take sensitivity, strength, & stamina, & in the wrong performances, they can seem willfully individualistic.
Thankfully, the performances on this disc by the Dutch Storioni Trio are the right performances. The Storioni’s previous recording of 2 Beethoven piano trios was 1 of the most impressive debut discs of 2005, & this 2007 release of both Schubert’s trios is easily on the same level. The Storioni absolutely believes the trios are infallible, that Schubert’s lyricism carries all before it, making even the long lines of the 1st trio’s Andante un poco mosso sing like songs born in nature. The ensemble also absolutely believes that the trios are effortless — or perhaps the combination of sensitive phrasing, strong tempos, & endless stamina merely makes them appear effortless. Whatever the cause, the conclusion is that the Storioni’s Schubert trios are wholly winning performances of core repertoire & anyone who enjoys great chamber music playing will enjoy this disc. PentaTone’s sound is typically transparent.