Dvořák’s piano trios are without doubt part of a much-appreciated classical core repertoire. Remarkably, of all those released in physical SACD format, none have been reviewed on this site. Yet, user recommendations are all positive. And now there is one more to consider. Rather than thinking in terms of ‘overkill’, close observation reveals differences that should not be neglected. Four elements stand out: The programme, the reading, the playing and the sound, each with its own impact.

Taking these one by one and beginning with the programme, this release is not about producing a complete set; the programme aims at giving insight into musical life in Dvořák’s time, and more precisely in ‘Dvořák’s Circle’. As its centrepiece, the Hermitage Piano Trio have chosen Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 3 and not, as some may have expected, the more popular No. 4 ‘Dumky for Piano Trio Op. 90’. The other three works are from ‘companion composers’ Jozef Suk and Rudolf Friml, both students of his.

Interestingly, Suk’s Second Piano Trio is a composition from his student years, allowing him to enter Dvořák's masterclass, thus making the programme's ‘Circle’ even more intimate, on top of eventually becoming his son-in-law. The big surprise, however, is Friml’s Piano Trio, never recorded before. Complementing the other two, having visited the United States as well. Altogether, a programme that makes sense from various angles.

I remember the days when LPs, as vinyl was called then, were replaced by the digital Compact Disc, and many complained about the lack of information that could be put on such a small carrier. That has since changed a lot. We are now used to informative booklets accompanying each new release. Sometimes in more than one language. That said, the jewel box format can only contain a booklet of a limited number of pages. And not all are of a similar, informative level. In the present case, however, Reference Recordings have gone out of their way to provide 27 pages of well-thought-out illustrated text about the composers in their historical context. Beautifully done and a pleasure to read.

People familiar with the first release of the Hermitage Piano Trio at Reference Recordings (Rachmaninoff: Piano Trios 1 & 2 - Hermitage Piano Trio) know what to expect. This time it is no different: ‘Three dyed-in-the-wool musicians having earned their laurels at prestigious podiums’ is what I said then, and what I can amplify now. A trio is as good as its weakest member. There is none. All three play as one on three different instruments. Total integration. But even more important is the unity of musical and interpretative view of the Bohemian Czech late-romantic repertoire, finding its apogee in the World Premiere Recording of a talented son of an accordion-playing baker, Rudolf Friml, who composed a single-movement Piano Trio summing things up in its title ‘Rural Life in Bohemia’. All the compassion, expressive power, and virtuosity on display will leave a lasting, profound imprint on the listener.

The final element, the sound, is as important as the whole. Prof. Keith O. Johnson is a monument we have known from the beginning of high-resolution recording. A sound freak, one might say. Always tweaking the instruments to obtain the best results. Although for this recording other engineers have come into play, his role is still present in the setup of microphone pre-amps built by him, as visible on the inside of the back cover. It's maybe not the ultimate of SoundMirror's we get in the Reference Recording Fresh series, but an altogether satisfactory 24/192 hi-res sound.

There are other ‘Bohemian’ interpreters, but this one has much to go for, taking all four elements into serious consideration.

Blangy-le-Château, Normandy, France

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