CD 1
Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor Op 25
Piano Quartet No 3 in C minor Op 60
CD 2
Piano Quartet No 2 in A major Op 26
Three Intermezzi Op 117 for solo piano
‘A delight from start to finish: this is such cultivated and characterized playing, which becomes quite exultant in the finale. It's also beautifully recorded by Hyperion. Given that, this new set can take a well–earned place at the top of recommendations of these three works’
International Record Review
‘The G minor Quartet (No 1) opens simply, with Hamelin shaping the line beautifully but unaffectedly, the Leopold players gradually entering, their playing filled with ardour. The Zigeuner–finale is irresistibly ebullient, with a jaw–dropping ending… The other aspect that is so impressive about these readings is the sense of absolute precision, which lightens the textures and keeps edges crisp… Hamelin and the Leopold get to the heart of the matter in the soulful Poco Adagio and while they in no way lack heft when it's needed, particularly in the opening movement, there's always a dancing quality to their playing which does much to illuminate textures’
Gramophone
‘I doubt we will ever hear better recorded performances of the three piano quartets than we have here…Kate Gould's cello in the moving slow movements of Nos 2 and 3 is breathtakingly beautiful, while in No 1, Marc–André Hamelin's verve and articulation will make you smile and scratch your head in wonder’
Classic FM Magazine
‘A typically lucid, expressive performance’
The Sunday Times
String Trio in B flat major D471
Piano Quintet in A major (‘Trout’)
String Trio in B flat major D581
INSTRUMENTAL DISC OF THE MONTH (CLASSIC FM MAGAZINE)
‘one of the finest modern Trouts available. As with their Mozart, their Schubert benefits from scrupulous attention to detail, a keen sense of the music's drama and a deeply rewarding expressive response to this imperishable masterpiece … exquisitely played’
The Sunday Times
‘beautifully recorded, with excellent balance and a warm, intimate sound. High spirits and poetry are given equal attention’
Gramophone
‘Their interpretation is compelling for its spontaneity and compelling detail. It shows them to be completely within the Schubertian sensibility and encompasses the piece's mood changes with subtlety, capturing its lyricism with true Schubertian bonhomie’
The Strad
‘This is a fresh, lively recording, in excellent sound, that is hard to better. Schubert's eternally singing lines are deceptively simple sounding, but are full of subtleties; similarly, while the Leopold Trio et al are always spot–on technically, they also sound like a group of friends revelling in making music for themselves. the enjoyment is catching’
HMV Choice
‘The Leopold String Trio have no fear of the competition. Theirs is a very impressive achievement and the coupling of these three works is, I think, unique. Enterprising lovers of chamber music should not hesitate. Strongly recommended’
International Record Review
‘This warmly engineered recording from the Leopold String Trio must rank amongst the finest ever commited to disc, the players relishing every opportunity to demonstrate their individual virtuosity whilst at the same time ensuring that subtlety of nuance and variety of texture are the order of the day…’
BBC Music Magazine
‘the Leopold Trio have their own strengths, not least a warm, pooled tone, a relaxed demeanour and an ability to search out the subtler aspects of the score. The sound is consistently excellent; you have a confident recommendation’
Gramophone
‘This is a beautifully played and recorded program. Their performances here are superb. This new CD is a most desirable release. That's a ‘buy’ recommendation’
Fanfare, USA
‘The most sensitive reportage that these works have enjoyed since the advent of digital recording’
The Independent