Re-releases of historical performances are frequently guilty of one crime in particular: although they do a service to listeners by restoring performances of legendary musicians, they deny them any information whatsoever in the liner notes explaining the historical significance or, in the case of
du Pré,
Barenboim, and
Zukerman, the rather significant relationships between them.
Zukerman's
Beethoven sonatas can be quite appealing. His sound is quite lean and focused. In a concerto setting, the same sound may become strident, but it works especially well in contrast with
Beethoven's rather lush and powerful piano writing. The balance and byplay between
Zukerman and
Barenboim is invigorating, and the sensitivity that both of these musicians display in slow movements is poignant.
Zukerman has occasional intonation problems, though, especially with chords and double-stops; this issue is not present in his 1992 recording of the complete cycle with pianist
Marc Neikrug. The
Tchaikovsky Trio was recorded in Tel Aviv by unknown producers and unknown sound engineers. The result suffers considerably as a result. The Trio's sound is quite thin and unsatisfying. Du Pré's playing, so often characterized by power and stoutness here sounds weak -- definitely not a representative sample of this ensemble's true abilities.