Trio Wanderer / Christophe Gaugué / Stéphane Logerot FRANZ SCHUBERT Trout Quintet

We expect technical finesse and a thoughtful interpretive approach from the Wanderer Trio; these attributes are shared by the two ‘extras’, and together they make up a notably well integrated quintet. This is a finely controlled, highly polished performance of the Trout, and the recorded sound is excellent, too. It’s a treat to be so clearly aware of the double bass’s contribution to the texture and rhythm, without feeling that the internal balance is at all unnatural. These players don’t put a foot wrong; they negotiate all the awkward corners – between Scherzo and Trio and back again, for instance – with great confidence and conviction; they use Schubert’s dynamics and accents to characterise and enliven the musical expression, most notably in the finale, and they find the most appropriate bright, sparkling sonorities for this most carefree of Schubert’s chamber works.
The degree of control and organisation does perhaps leave little room for the individuality and spontaneity that makes the 1957 Curzon/ Vienna Octet recording, or the more recent version with Brendel and Zehetmair, so life-enhancing. But this would still be high on my Trout list, and the CD’s appeal is increased by the Hummel, a powerfully dramatic work, played with terrific energy and imagination. Vincent Coq relishes Hummel’s beautiful cantabile writing, half way between Mozart and Chopin, and Christophe Gaugué makes the most of some memorable, melancholy viola solos. Altogether, the performance is most impressive in the way that its verve is matched with such a strong sense of integration and balance. (Duncan Druce /Gramophone)