SUPERSONIC pizzicato
"The comparison of, for example, quartets by Beethoven with later works in order to examine the development of the genre is a well-known procedure. This is less common with piano trios. The Feininger Trio, made up of members of the Berlin Philharmonic, takes this approach with the three trios by Brahms, which set standards in this repertoire, and opposes them to younger Viennese composers. In addition to the connection to Brahms, biographical similarities between Korngold, Krenek and Zemlinsky in their early years are criteria for the selection. For the third trio by Brahms, they chose the trio by Alexander Zemlinsky. Specifically, Zemlinsky and Brahms knew each other and the younger enjoyed the older’s support, even if he was not his student. Zemlinsky’s contribution is better known as a clarinet trio that he submitted to a competition in 1896. This competition called for the use of at least one wind instrument. But even in this version there is suitable development for the violin, especially in the third movement. (...)The musicians have known each other since their student days. They now combine their long chamber music experience to make music together. The results of their playing are always a pleasure of the highest order. The romantic repertoire of Brahms and Dvorak has been familiar to them since the beginning, and so it is not surprising that they present the third trio with somnambulistic certainty. But this certainty does not mean serenity or nonchalance in dealing with this work, but rather it promotes the never-ceasing immersion in the music, in order to elicit new aspects from it again and again. With an extremely elegant approach and beautiful tone, they lay the foundation for creating dramaturgically intense music. For the Trio by Zemlinsky, which follows the style of Brahms, a similar realization offers itself, which they realize just as flawlessly. Here, too, they are committed to an ensemble sound that is both easy to hear and unified, putting the overall sound before the individual. Thus they show that this work is a veritable piece even with the violin instead of the clarinet. Since the technique of the recording also leaves nothing to be desired, they add another gem to their discography."
