Young Beethoven
Beethoven String Trio in C Minor Opus 9, No. 3
I. Allegro con spirito
II. Adagio con espressione
III. Scherzo – Allegro molto e vivace
IV. Finale – Presto
Janaki’s debut album was one of the first I mastered for Yarlung Records at AcousTech in Camarillo.
People still want to talk about it at audiophile shows, usually with sharpie pen in hand, asking for my autograph on the original CD.
This has become one of Yarlung’s iconic recordings, an “out of the ballpark” home run because it combines lifelike sound with hair raising, inspired performances.
The 3D presentation, the “you are there” tonality and perfect acoustic decay in Zipper Hall where this was recorded, reveal three living breathing musicians playing just for us; it doesn’t get any better than this.
In the the early days, before Yarlung had the state of the art SonoruS tape recorders they use now.
Bob used a creaky old Revox A700 transport with customised electronics, stuck under a homemade styrofoam box to keep the reels quiet on stage.
I guess the styrofoam worked.
Once Yarlung releases this music on vinyl I will get out a fresh sharpie for those autographs.
–Steve Hoffman
Beethoven’s Trios — he wrote four in all — are early works, but already in the C Minor work on this LP the tread of the dramatic master is apparent.
Just the opening, a dark, menacing melody that shows up again in the great Opus 131 Quartet of many years later, tells us that.
C Minor was Beethoven’s most dramatic tonality throughout his lifetime; even though this early trio tends to slither into happier C Major tones rather readily, the dark shadows are never completely out of earshot.
–Alan Rich
Janaki String Trio “won the Coleman Chamber Music Competition and the Concert Artists Guild International Competition.” And writing about Janaki’s Carnegie debut, Allan Kozinn wrote the Janaki musicians were “fresh and energetic in Beethoven’s Trio”
–Allan Kozinn, New York Times
I love strings. I especially love the cello. I play it a little. Hearing Arnold and his mastery over this magnificent Tononi makes me especially happy. I hope you enjoy Serena, Katie and Arnold as much as Haydee and I do.
–Carlos Mollura, executive producer of Young Beethoven
This music sounds fresh and energising just as it must have for Beethoven and his first lucky audiences.
They dedicate this pressing to their friends at the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society.
Society president Mike Wechsberg and chairman Bob Levi asked that we brand this release with the society logo, an honour they appreciate enormously.
Thank you to our friends at LAOCAS for your generous listening support and encouragement.
–Bob Attiyeh, producer
Janaki String Trio:
Serena McKinney, violin
Katie Kadarauch, viola
Arnold Choi, cello
