Schubert: Piano Trio no.1 op.99 / Piano Trio no.2 op.100

"The sense of sparkling, intimate exchange between the three players is as vital and at times as sophisticated as in Haydn. There's a tremendous sense of fun in the finales of both trios. Pure delight is conveyed, with barely a hint of nostalgia…As it is, Trio Wanderer convince that this is a fully valid view of Schubert, brilliantly and feelingly executed." - Chamber Recording of the Month BBC Music (March 2008)

"This is an exceptional release of some exceptional music-indeed possibly the two greatest piano trios ever written. No. 1, which might have actually been composed later, was never heard performed during the composer's lifetime. It's broad, magnificent opening, which seems to engulf the whole world in its cause, is one of the most magnificent moments in all of music, and the Trio Wanderer makes it suitably sublime in its insistent and unrelenting attention-grabbing power. The rest of this perfectly-balanced work is played expertly with an enthusiastic revelry that almost belies the trouble Schubert was going through at the time." (AudAud.com)

The Trio Wanderer celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2007! To mark the occasion, these two CDs offer a chance to rediscover the group's recording of Schubert's complete music for piano trio, which was enthusiastically received by the critics on its release in 2000. The set closely follows the composer's evolution from his beginnings as a gifted schoolboy to his maturity, illustrating the gradual emancipation of his style through constant struggle with the masters of the past - Mozart, Haydn, and of course Beethoven. These trios enjoyed a new lease of life in the 1970s thanks to the success of the film Barry Lyndon.