The 1967 performance of Schubert's "Trout" Quintet is the most fascinating offering, largely because the musicians play with great cohesion yet maintain distinctive parts without shaking the ensemble's equilibrium. Rudolf Serkin is clearly the leader, but his playing never upstages the sturdy quartet of Jaime Laredo, Philipp Naegele, Leslie Parnas, and Julius Levine, an enthusiastic group that rises to the work's challenges and Serkin's inspired promptings. Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, performed in 1968, is a little less engrossing, though it shares with the Schubert a similar balance of distinctive lines and bonded ensemble playing.
