Generally, the exceptional flair and creative energy of Beethoven’s Op. 9 String Trios is winningly conveyed in these eloquent accounts by the Cummings Trio. The Cummings’ keen intellectual penetration in the First Trio’s opening Allegro sounds a shade austere beside the vibrant live performance of Perlman, Zukerman and Harrell and, despite sensitive balance in the slow movement, they fail to match Mutter’s, Giuranna’s and Rostropovich’s touchingly intimate alternative. However, they come fully to life in the Scherzo – where (as with the EMI team) they include Beethoven’s discarded vigorous second trio – and their focus in the Presto finale is splendid.
The Second and Third Trios are more spaciously recorded, with more pronounced dynamic extremes as a result. Accents in the Second Trio’s opening Allegretto and Minuet have heightened emphasis and they generate compelling excitement in the finale. Speeds are generally consistent with those chosen by their EMI and DG rivals, but a much slower Adagio in the Third Trio highlights the Cummings’ atmospheric poise. Their relaxed tempo in this work’s last movement has neither the dramatic intensity of Perlman, Zukerman and Harrell nor the dry wit of Mutter, Giuranna and Rostropovich. However, such differences of tempo reflect the Cummings’ persuasive interpretative strategy: their omission of first movement repeats reinforces overall structural integrity. The Cummings Trio share many virtues with the other groups here under consideration – blending the exquisitely groomed elegance of Mutter, Giuranna and Rostropovich with the spontaneous vitality of Perlman, Zukerman and Harrell – that will ensure these recordings continue to have a long catalogue life.'