This first instalment in the Gould Piano Trio's complete Beethoven cycle has much to recommend it...[the Variations in E flat major op. 44 are] players with a delicate touch that makes each of the variations a pleasure to listen to individually.

Presumably because it comes from a concert, the Gould have chosen a varied programme rather than a chronological approach, which makes for compelling listening. They strike a fine balance, offering playing that is characterful but not unduly interventionist...The Gould judge the extraordinary build-up in the slow movement of the Ghost very finely...taken as a whole, this is a fine and musicianly start to the Gould's Beethoven cycle.

This first volume in the Goulds' series proves utterly successful, deftly contrasting a lively account of the early trio with a vigorous, very much flesh-and-blood version of the Ghost. A most promising start.