Certainly, there have been several tremendous recordings of
Ravel's A minor Piano Trio over the years --
Richter,
Kagan, and
Gutman's heroic performance and
Heifetz,
Piatigorsky, and
Rubinstein's sentimental performance come immediately to mind -- and, certainly, there have been a couple of tremendous recordings of
Chausson's G minor Piano Trio over the years --
Pasquier,
Pasquier, and
Pennetier's virtuosic performance and
Devoyon,
Graffin, and Hoffman's emotional performance likewise come to mind, if less immediately. But while there have been two recordings coupling
Ravel and
Chausson's piano trios, neither has been tremendous: the
Beaux Arts Trio's performances were highly polished but too introverted, while the
Trio Wanderer's performances were deeply passionate but too extroverted. This 2005 recording of
Ravel and
Chausson's piano trios with pianists
Pascal Rogé, violinist
Mie Kobayashi, and cellist
Yoko Hasegawa is very, very close to tremendous.
Rogé, of course, is an internationally acknowledged first-class French pianist whose readings are as polished as they are passionate, and with
Kobayashi and
Hasegawa, he has found partners who ideally match his approach. In the
Ravel, they are ardent but correctly a tad ironic. In the
Chausson, they are fervent but appropriately a bit reserved. And in both works, they are completely on top of the notes. For listeners looking for the two key works in the French piano trio repertoire coupled on a single disc, the
Rogé,
Kobayashi, and
Hasegawa recording is a first choice. Onyx's sound is near but not too near and big but not too big.