Dvorak: Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 (B166) 'Dumky'

'A vital ingredient in the Smetana Trio’s success is the quality of their string sound, its variety of tone and the handling of vibrato. Certainly, there are many details to admire in these performances, but in the end it is the Trio’s unrivalled feeling of ensemble that generates results unmatched in the catalogue.' Jan Smaczny - BBC Music Magazine

“…the Smetana Trio, excellently recorded, deliver landmark performances of both trios. The developmental intensity of the F minor Trio's first movement has rarely seemed more incandescent or the slow movement more winningly lyrical… it is the Trio's unrivalled feeling of ensemble that generate results unmatched in the catalogue.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2006 *****

“Not surprisingly, the performance by the Smetana Trio is thoroughly idiomatic, with the many dumka speed-changes sounding totally natural and spontaneous. What instantly strikes the ear is the delicacy, the piano relatively light to bring out the filigree textures of much of the writing.
They also play with a hushed concentration, keeping the different sections tautly woven together. In the fifth of the six movements, there is a delightful pay-off at the end, and the finale is taken at a thrillingly fast tempo, though light textures bring complete clarity.
In No 3 there is an apt if subtle shift in the recording balance, with the piano weightier, reflecting the Brahmsian quality of much of the writing. Though in the conventional four movements instead of the six of No 4, it is a work on a bigger scale. Not surprisingly, the Czech flavours are brought out strikingly. The Supraphon sound is excellent.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Not surprisingly, the performance by the Smetana Trio - cellist Jan Páleníček is the son of the original Smetana Trio pianist, Josef - is thoroughly idiomatic, with the many dumka speed-changes sounding totally natural and spontaneous. In No. 3 there is an apt if subtle shift in the recording balance, with the piano weightier, reflecting the Brahmsian quality of much of the writing. Not surprisingly, the Czech flavours are brought out more strikingly than with the Florestan Trio. It is also a rather warmer, more passionate reading...” Gramophone Magazine, Awards 2006

“The accompanying performance of the Dumky Trio is completely captivating; indeed their rendition of the four middle movements is among the finest available” BBC Music Magazine

“what really makes this disc a winner is a thoroughly exciting reading of the Dumky Trio… There's a clarity and intelligence in this performance that puts it up with the very best.” The Independent on Sunday (Outstanding)

'An enchanting disc’ (Gramophone)

“A favourite and appropriate pairing – Dvorák's most passionate chamber work in harness with one of his most genial. The F minor Piano Trio (1883) was contemporaneous with the death of Dvorák's mother; it anticipates something of the storm and stress that characterises the great D minor Seventh Symphony (1884-5) and the Florestan Trio serves it well. All three players allow themselves plenty of expressive leeway and yet the musical line is neither distorted nor stretched too far. The second movement Allegretto is truly grazioso and the qualifying menomosso perfectly judged. The finale is buoyant rather than especially rustic, whereas the more overtly colourful Dumky Trio inspires a sense of play and a vivid suggestion of local colour.
Throughout the performance, the manifest 'song and dance' elements of the score (heartfelt melodies alternating with folk-style faster music) are keenly projected. The recordings are first rate, as are the insert-notes. If you're after a subtle, musically perceptive coupling of these two works, then you could hardly do better.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“This performance [of the Dumky Trio] is perhaps the finest that I have heard. It has the proper Czech lilt...The Beethoven Trio was also well played … Overall, it is one of the finest performances of this work that I know...The Martinů is the encore. It’s too bad that the whole trio wasn’t performed as it, too, is very well played” American Record Guide, July/August 2010

“the Czech Trio (including legendary pianist Josef Palanicek) are at their most spontaneously joyful in the Ghost Trio and emotionally arresting in the Dumky.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2012 ****

“The Czech Trio […] was a formidable ensemble live: fearless but superbly controlled, committed and stylish. These characteristics come through impressively in the two trios recorded at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in October 1972: Beethoven’s ‘Ghost’ and Dvořák’s ‘Dumky’. The Beethoven is excellent, but the Dvořák is the highlight: a performance of remarkable eloquence and understanding” International Record Review, June 2012

“There is potency and vivid pleasure throughout the performance … This [recording] fills a real need and catches [The Czech Trio] on the wing, on tour, and on splendid form. The recording is equally vivid and allows one to hear considerable detail without detracting in any way from the ensemble sureties on show. It goes to show how immediate, and yet sympathetic, good microphone placement can be. This excellent disc earns my warm admiration” MusicWeb International, January 2010

“The audience is commendably silent, and the playing remarkably poised and assured” The Strad, July 2012