The cover offers Saint-Saëns’s complete piano trios, and that is strictly true. Yet the two numbered piano trios, one very early, one very late, fill only a fraction of the space on the two discs. The Australian Trio add to those two works the composer’s own arrangement of his Septet, one of the most popular of his chamber works, and that, more compact, is in some ways the most attractive piece in the set, defying the absence of the trumpet in an arrangement that misses little of the sparkle of the original.

Interestingly, when comparing the two numbered trios, one draws the conclusion that the early one is much more compelling than the later one, with more striking and attractive musical material. That points to an obvious moral that though Saint-Saëns was from first to last a highly skilled composer, his style never really developed. So it is that No 1, written 30 years before the longer No 2, has a delightful offbeat 3/8 Scherzo leading to a warm and urgent finale. The first two movements as well show Saint-Saëns fresh and memorable, while with its neo-classical element No 2 remains rather academic.

“The Swan” from the Carnival of the Animals makes an obvious fill-up to No 2 with Paul Rickard-Ford as cello soloist (not a member of the regular Australian Trio) while the other disc finds room not only for the first Cello Sonata but the First Violin Sonata as well. The Cello Sonata includes some offbeat themes and the Violin Sonata, a very late work, is sharp and attractive with a thoughtful Adagio slow movement and a dashing moto perpetuo Scherzo.

The recordings were made in Australia between 1999 and 2006, so that not surprisingly there is some inconsistency in the sound, with the First Trio relatively muddy with limited separation. The lively performance is enjoyable nonetheless, making this an attractive issue despite the reservations.