Busch Trio. Ludwig van Beethoven, vol. 2 -CD Review, June 5th, 2026

Piano Trio Op. 1 No. 2 in G major; Allegretto in B-flat major.

Premiere album, released on May 8th

For the second volume devoted to the complete piano trios of Ludwig van Beethoven, the chamber ensemble Busch from the Netherlands illustrates the extraordinary sonic variety that the German composer harnessed from this ensemble of just three instruments: violin, cello and piano.

The disc, released on May 8th on the Alpha Classics label, includes Trio No. 2 Op. 1, No. 8 in E-flat major, the Variations Op. 44 on an original theme, as well as two short pieces, Allegretto in E-flat and B-flat major, for piano trio.

The most extensive work on the program is Trio No. 2 in G major from the Op. 1 set, dedicated by Ludwig van Beethoven to Prince Karl Lichnowsky, in whose home the first listening took place. The score was published in Vienna in 1795. The first movement is structured in two contrasting sections: first an Adagio, solemn and slow, followed by an Allegro vivace distinguished by verve, sparkling sonorities and an optimistic atmosphere, all fully emphasized in the Busch Trio's interpretation. The ensemble then delights us with a lyrical and deeply moving page, the second movement, Largo con espressione, followed by a Scherzo at a moderate tempo and finally a fast movement, Presto, in which we can admire the agility of the performers, the quality of the polyphonic discourse and the homogeneity of the Busch Trio - consisting of the Dutch violinist Mathieu van Bellen, the pianist Omri Epstein and his brother, the cellist Ori Epstein from Israel.

The ensemble was founded in 2012, when the three musicians were students at the Royal College of Music in London. At that time, the artists aspired to solo careers, but their passion for chamber music ultimately brought them together. The ensemble's violinist, Mathieu van Bellen, plays a valuable Guadagnini instrument made in Turin in 1783, which once belonged to the legendary German violinist Adolf Busch. Thus, the idea of the three musicians to adopt the name Busch for their ensemble was born. They frequently give chamber concerts on major stages in Europe and the United States; they are based in the Netherlands, and have a contract with Alpha Classics, a label for which they have made numerous recordings featuring works by Antonín Dvořák, Franz Schubert and Maurice Ravel. Last year they launched this new, large-scale recording project: the complete recording of Ludwig van Beethoven's works for piano trio. The first volume appeared in October 2025, and the complete collection will ultimately comprise five CDs dedicated to this prolific classical composer.