Ries: Piano Trio & Sextets

The Nash Ensemble can always be relied on to achieve stellar results, whether the repertory is familiar or, like the works heard here, somewhat off the beaten track. Ferdinand Ries (1784–1838) is best known today as a student and associate of Beethoven. And learn from Beethoven he did! While the works on this recording don’t quite sound like Beethoven—they’re more easy-going, lyrically more generous—they are intelligently and masterfully shaped. They include the Grand Sextet in C, Op. 100, which gives Schubert’s Trout Quintet a run for its money—actually does it one (violin) better—and matches its variation movement with a wonderful set on “The Last Rose of Summer.” The recording boasts a fabulous pickup on Graham Mitchell’s double bass, along with superb pianism from Simon Crawford-Phillips. Also on offer, the Introduction and a Russian Dance, Op. 113, No. 1 for cello and piano; the Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 143; and the Sextet in G Minor, Op. 142, for piano, harp, clarinet, bassoon, horn, and string bass. Wonderful music, and performances that quicken the pulse. What more could one ask for? Great sound? This recording fills that bill as well.