Erich Hobarth and Christophe Coin, two bright tessellae from the Quatuor Mosaiques, have been teaming up with Patrick Cohen in a succession of fresh performances of the Haydn trios for Harmonia Mundi: now they are joined by clarinettist Wolfgang Meyer for a welcome recording of Beethoven's original version of the Trio, Op. 11.
Although Beethoven later adapted the work for the more frequently chosen violin, nothing can capture the opening movement's hiding and seeking quite like the clarinet. Meyer marks, teases and imitates with glee just as, in the measured, springing steps set up by Cohen's piano theme, he phrases and articulates with high mischief in the first variation of Beethoven's nine on Joseph Weigl's aria Pria ch'io l'impegna.
Cohen's piano here is, as the note cryptically puts it, ''Clarke d'apres Walter, 1986''. This was the Viennese Anton Walter, whose early pianos, with their hammer-heads resting directly on the keys, Mozart grew to favour. In the Op. 1 No. 3 Trio, its sweet, short metallic resonance brings a sting to the accents and raging scale passages in an uncompromising opening movement of a work Haydn much admired, but warned Beethoven not to publish.
Its dangers and disturbances, as well as the delicate patterning of its slow movement shine out anew in this entirely engaging performance. Six and-a-half minutes' worth of the single Allegretto movement of Beethoven's B flat Trio make up an hour's listening on this irresistible disc.'