Publisher: EMI Records (1999)

Artists: Daniel Barenboim, Jacquelin du Pre and Pinchas Zukerman

Even in the digital age, the classical audiophile has a hard life. The acknowledged, tried-and-true virtuosos have retired, or died, and their lasting legacy consists of intangible memories of concert-goers and a scratchy records which can never be perfectly remastered. Of the many who aspire to greatness today, it is difficult to judge from a low-quality YouTube clip, or a thirty-second sound bite, the true quality of their recordings. In the long run, many who have promoted themselves successfully, and seemed to hold much promise, lose their sparkle and charm. So one makes assumptions based on past recordings and reputation as a guide.

We recently purchased a recording of the Beethoven Violin Sonatas and Tchaikovsky Piano Trio, featuring the above three artists. The sound quality is reasonable, although sometimes not as crisp and clear as we might desire. If one listens closely, it sounds as though the violin is placed closer to the left, and the piano is opposite, on the right. The Violin Sonatas have been amply recorded in the past, but each has its own character and flavour. This recording has more of the feel of chamber music, with violin and piano supporting and assisting each other, rather than violin dominating over the piano accompaniment. There is good reason for this, given the long shared history of these musicians, and Barenboim’s piano is clean and articulate, and a pleasure to listen to. While decent, Zukerman’s violin is sometimes faint and less stellar, lacking the engaging energy exhibited in other interpretations (compare with the Perlman/Ashkenazy recordings, 1974). As a result, this is a merely pleasant and somewhat surprising recording, but by no means a definitive interpretation.

The Tchaikosky piano trio is also somewhat disappointing. The audio quality is again quite reasonable. Both the violin and cello suit each other superbly, but in this instance, there is an indistinct quality to the piano, and quite possibly wrong notes. The fault does not lie solely on the performers, however; the composition’s quality and purpose fades markedly in the middle portion of the second movement, to the point where, more than once, your humble reviewers have simply turned off the track and listened to something better developed.

Finally comes the calculation of value. This collection was offered at 256kbps from iTunes, at a price of $25 (or somewhere in that vicinity). While pleasant, we do not listen to these recordings on a daily basis, and it is perhaps best streamed occasionally rather than purchased for closer study and inclusion into a permanent collection.

Recently iTunes released a compilation of Mozart’s piano concertos, as performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia Orchestra. It seemed like a good idea at the time — a good pianist leading a good orchestra. And it was Mozart — how bad could it be?

For a start, it is not really possible to sit down and listen to this collection all at once. In fact, the editorial team recommends against this feat. After the first hour or two, initial delight turns into boredom, then mild irritation as the unending trills and scales continue. This problem is more marked in the later concertos, which, unfortunately, all sound identical. The earlier concertos have a fresher feel, as if they were more carefully constructed. The later ones are frenetic, as though some disaster would happen if the cascade of notes halted. Not until now did I understand the Emperor’s comment in the 1984 movie Amadeus: “There are too many notes!”

One wonders why this collection of Mozart generates such boredom. Certainly Mozart was a musical prodigy, and he was capable of revolutionary ideas (the Dissonance string quartet, for instance). But maybe music was a little too easy: it is easier to write to a well-known formula than to innovate and face the inevitable criticism for something new and different. Certainly it is pretty at first, but it is not possible to listen to the these concertos and wonder why such a genius could generate such trite compositions.