Piano Trio No. 2 In E Flat Major Florestan Trio

This Hyperion release (catalogue CDA67347, released July 2002) presents the Florestan Trio’s recording of Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat major,. The disc was recorded at Henry Wood Hall (December 2001), produced by Andrew Keener and runs about 58 minutes. It offers both the standard finale and Schubert’s longer first version of the finale.

The recording attracted generally positive critical response on release, with particular praise for ensemble clarity, balance and the decision to include the original first-version finale alongside the edited finale.

Pros:

• Performance: widely praised ensemble playing with clear balance between piano and strings and detailed chamber interplay.
• Program detail: includes both the published (cut) finale and the original first-version finale, allowing comparison of the two endings.
• Recording quality: studio capture at Henry Wood Hall with professional engineering and production.
• Focused presentation: single-work disc gives a complete, uninterrupted reading of.

Cons:

• Programme scope: the disc contains only a single large-scale work (two versions of the finale), so listeners seeking varied repertoire on one disc may find the programme limited.
• Physical format note: label information indicates some physical copies sold via the label are provided as CD-R rather than factory-pressed CDs.
• Interpretation: specific tempo and phrasing choices (., deliberate tempi and pacing) may divide listeners who prefer alternate interpretative approaches.