A charming LP and the use of a thin-toned fortepiano results in a balance of unusual clarity; the keyboard instrument never smothers the cello line as so often happens when a modern piano is used in such music. I would question the balance only in the second subject of the E flat finale; here the scale that descends in quavers is an essential part of the theme, and the quavers are nicely audible when this tune is played by the piano or the cello; but not hen Beethoven gives them to the violin. Nevertheless, the balance is most impressive, as is the crisp playing of Linda Nicholson. She tosses off the difficult bits without any fuss and with clean accuracy. The strings are equally stylish. Did any composer write a better Op. 1 No. 1 than Beethoven? It's no criticism to say that No. 3 in C minor (I hope this group will record it soon) is even better; Beethoven's aims were very different here. But they are much the same in No. 2 in G major, and here the first movement is less impressive; I can't imagine why Beethoven gave the cello bar after bar of ineffectual Alberti bass. But the slow one is lovely. Just occasionally the group seem a little too eager to impress us with their virtuosity: I could have done with a less hectic tempo in the two finales. Nevertheless I warmly recommend this record.'