A Schubert Worth Investigating

The young talent on display here is truly deserving of wider audience.

Composer: Schubert
Repertoire: Piano Trio No.2; Piano Quintet in A minor, ‘Trout’
Artists: Trio Chausson, Noriko Inoue (viola), Penelope Poincheval (double bass) 

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Instrumental
Label: Mirare MIR052

Schubert’s much-recorded chamber repertoire can prove a challenge for those who search to bring something innovative to their performance, but on this recording from a vibrant and ambitious French group, the beautifully balanced, sensitive playing is enough to grab your ears. There’s a crispness and clarity to the recording that creates the same effect as looking through freshly cleaned glasses, and when the Trio Chausson turns into the quintet for the ‘Trout’ (with Penelope Poincheval on double bass and Noriko Inoue on viola), the relationship between these award-winning young players is enhanced. Delicate yet precise, thrilling but warm, it’s a CD which deserves to bring them further international recognition.