Pianist
Yuja Wang gets top billing on this album of chamber pieces by
Brahms and
Rachmaninov, which is unusual on a program of works for a solo instrument with piano accompaniment, or for a trio with piano. Presumably, she is considered to be the strongest draw in the
Deutsche Grammophon label's stable right now. Whatever the case and however flamboyant
Wang may be in some ways, the fact is that she is an impressive chamber music player whose talents set the tone for this release. Not that her playing is dominant -- far from it. Instead,
Wang realizes that less is often more in textures like those in these works. In the difficult balances of cello-and-piano music, she brings out the lines of cellist
Gautier Capucon beautifully, stepping into the light only in interjections. Hear her entrancing opening to the slow movement of the
Brahms Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38, leading naturally into
Capucon's entrance. The long association between
Wang and
Capucon perhaps reaches its peak here; the two players seem in total sync. The complex lines of
Brahms' late
Clarinet Trio, Op. 114, have absolute clarity, and clarinetist
Andreas Ottensamer also benefits from
Wang's exquisite sense of balance. Her restraint colors all of the performances, and the
Rachmaninov Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19, may seem under-emotional to those who have grown up with the likes of
Mstislav Rostropovich. However,
Capucon's lines are warm, and this is purely a matter of taste. The only real complaint here is
Deutsche Grammophon's over-intimate sound, not needed in performances of this caliber. A wonderful chamber release from some top players of the day. ~ James Manheim