As great as previous releases in
Eric le Sage's survey of
Schumann's complete piano and chamber music have been -- and many of them have been as good as it gets in this world -- this ninth volume is even greater. It's not that
le Sage has gotten better; he remains the ideal combination of virtuosity and sensitivity needed for the music of the German Romantic composer, it's that his collaborators here are every bit as good as he is. Violinist
Gordan Nicolitch and cellist
Christophe Coin are revered period instrument players, and their contributions are technically unimpeachable and interpretively as one with
le Sage's. The repertoire is first-class, as well as terribly under-recorded;
Schumann's three piano trios plus Fantasiestücke for violin, cello, and piano are given compelling performances with plenty of heart and soul to go along with tight but relaxed ensemble, and opulent but pungent sonorities. As a bonus, the second disc closes with the very rare Six Pieces, Op. 56, for clarinet, cello, and piano, with
le Sage and
Coin joined by clarinetist
Paul Meyer in a performance of utmost beauty and poetry. Captured by Alpha Productions in its trademark lush but open and immediate sound, this set should be heard by anyone who enjoys
Schumann.