Coupling Dvorák’s most popular Trio, the Dumky with its predecessor offers a striking contrast. In the Dumky Dvorák had fully adopted his pure Czech style, basing the work on the traditional folk formula involving sharp changes of tempo in each movement, but in the Third Trio he is much more Brahmsian, even though there are plenty of characteristic touches that identify the composer.

Not surprisingly, the performance by the Smetana Trio – cellist Jan Pálenícek is the son of the original Smetana Trio pianist, Josef – 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 more strikingly than with the Florestan Trio. It is also a rather warmer, more passionate reading, and the contrast with the Florestans in the Allegro con brio finale finds the Smetanas more energetic. You cannot go wrong with either of the versions considered here but the new disc has clear advantages, with the Supraphon sound excellent.