There is no shortage of great recordings of these works, both by dedicated string trios and by superstar pickup groups, but the Jacques Thibaud Trio of Berlin strives for something of a higher magnitude. Signaled by violinist Burkhard Maiss' magnificent sweep into the Allegro of No. 1, the Trio's awesome musical equipment (its technique is beyond reproach), whether it's the use of startlingly wide dynamic contrasts to set off sections later in the same movement, or the rhetorical breadth of the slow movement of No. 2 (as just a few examples), shows signs of a commitment to explore rarely heard dimensions of the music's power and reach. Unfortunately, the side is let down by the rough sound of the recording.