Rachmaninov • Tchaikovsky

Rachmaninov Trio élégiaque No 1 Tchaikovsky Piano Trio, Op 50

Lang Lang pf Vadim Repin vn Mischa Maisky vc DG 0 477 8099GH (64' • DDD)

The promotional material calls this "a summit meeting" of three musical giants - and for once that's not so wide of the mark. Temperaments don't come much bigger than Lang Lang, Repin and Maisky. But what impresses most of all about these performances is their single-mindedness. Nowhere is there even a suggestion of conflicting temperaments with their own agenda. What shines through here is the give and take, the kinship, of outstanding chamber music playing. Let's hope that this is a trio which might prevail.

Of course, the great advantage of "celebrity" partnerships such as this is the strength of the musical personalities. From out of the whispered oscillations (barely perceptible) at the start of the Rachmaninov come three distinct voices. And while a shared experience (and blend) is immediately apparent there is also added intrigue in the way they each in turn personalise the melody. And as it burgeons into something bigger and more voluble than the word appassionato can possibly convey one is also reassured that none of these wonderful musicians thinks himself bigger than the music.

The Tchaikovsky successfully balances the intimate against the symphonic nature of the piece - and while it is quite clearly a Piano Trio there is no sense in which Lang Lang is the dominant force. All three players display a palpable sense of empathy, as in knowing at any given moment what their leading or supporting role is. The theme and variations of the second movement display a fantastic range of character. I love the way Lang Lang, far from "taking centre stage" at the outset, simply presents the unremarkable theme as if at all costs to preserve its folksy naivety.

But then come the transformations. There's the tinkling "troika" variation, the balletic salon waltz of the Var 6, the imperial splendour and big chordal opulence of Var 7, or Var 9 wistfully adorned with Lang Lang's watery figurations. Repin (who displays more than a touch of the gypsy in his soul during this movement) is a perfect complement to Maisky's soulful outpourings and collective virtuosity is certainly felt in the "finale and coda" where the triumvirate really goes into overdrive - nimble, articulate, uplifting. The big return of the work's opening lament has Lang Lang thrillingly invoking the B flat minor Piano Concerto while Repin and Maisky soar heavenward. Repin is quoted as saying that Lang Lang's playing shines as though full of light - and that's the overriding spirit here, even in darkness. Edward Seckerson