Beethoven: Piano Trio No. 4 in B flat major, Op. 11 'Gassenhauer', for clarinet, cello & piano

The internationally celebrated cellist Jacqueline du Pré died a tragically early death. Among her best chamber music recordings is this reading of Beethoven's Clarinet Trio made together with Daniel Barenboim and clarinettist Gervase de Peyer, who also presents great Romantic repertoire in the shape of the two clarinet sonatas by Brahms.

A stunning disc of Beethoven’s woodwind trios excellently performed by members of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, regrouping here as the Oslo Phil’s Chamber Group.

This is Ensemble Liaison’s debut CD. The group was formed in 2006 and is Monash University’s Ensemble in Residence. They have performed throughout Australia including for Musica Viva, and have appeared on ABC-TV’s Sunday Arts program.

This CD contains the two major chamber works for this instrumental combination: the youthful Beethoven Trio, written when he was just 27; the late Brahms Trio, written for clarinettist Richard Muhlfield whose inspired playing brought Brahms out of retirement and to conclude the recital the beautiful and harmonically daring Eight Pieces by Bruch.

Composed in 1798, a few years after he settled in Vienna, Beethoven’s Gassenhauer (‘popular song’) Trio gained this nickname from its set of variations on Pria ch’io l’impegno from Weigl’s comic opera Il Corsaro. It opens with a finely crafted sonata form Allegro con brio, followed by an Adagio based on his own Piano Sonata Op. 49, No. 2.

The Clarinet Trio, Op. 38, published in 1803, is Beethoven’s own stylish transcription of his extraordinarily popular Septet, Op. 20 (1799).

Volumes 1 (8557723), 2 (8557724) and 3 (8570255) are also available.

The Russian master plays music for the cello including works by Beethoven, Glazunov, Davydov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rossini, Scriabin and Prokofiev. Yuri Semenov has compiled a programme that reaches across the centuries. As well as being one of the most sought after concert cellists in the world today Yuri Semenov also finds time to teach, conducting master classes around the world.

What links the clarinettist Ronald Van Spaendonck to cellist Marie Hallynck is a common sense of musical eloquence. Both laureates of the Juventus Foundation, they made their debuts (he with Alexandre Tharaud, she with Cédric Tiberghien) on harmonia mundi's Les Nouveau Musiciens collection, and now belong to the Belgian musical elite, but also have bright international careers.

With the brilliant Turkish pianist Muhiddin Dürrüoglu-Demiriz, professor of chamber music at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, they formed a trio in 2006: they start their joint recording career with two original masterworks by Beethoven.