Handsomely packaged in a gold, burgundy and blue box, this is a feast of extremely classy chamber music-making . . . [the set of the Haydn trios] is one of their greatest achievements; it won them a "Gramophone" Recording of the Year Award back in 1979 and the energy, imagination and sheer style still bring a smile to the lips. It's simply a magnificent example of chamber musicianship . . . [the two Beethoven cycles, recorded 20 years apart] make for rewarding listening and the differences are fascinating . . . the Beaux Arts Trio were champions of newer or more unusual music for their line-up and this set contains splendid performances of trios by Hummel, Arensky, Clara Schumann, Turina, Korngold, Zemlinsky, Ives (a superb piece), Rochberg, Baker and Rorem . . . the Brahms piano quartets fairly crackle with excitement . . . Other fine performances with the expanded BAT include Schumann's Piano Quartet and Quintet and Schubert's "Trout" . . . [there is very little available today that is] as heart-warming, uplifting and lasting as this superb legacy.

. . . this 60-CD set, sturdily housed and sensibly packaged, with a carefully documented program booklet, provides an instant, highly distinguished chamber music library . . . the Beaux Arts brand is a reliable guarantee of polished ensemble, thoughtful interpretation, clarity, and a high level of energy . . . [their 1966 performance of the Ravel Trio is] a magical, unself-conscious performance in which Guilet's clear, subtle playing has a wonderful coolness that well suits the music . . . Pressler's precision, Greenhouse's refinement, and Guilet's finely focused sound make their Mozart and Beethoven Trios -- and I'd include the Classically oriented Schubert Sonata in B-flat, D 28, with them -- crisp, poised readings that hold considerably more than historical interest . . . The Beaux Arts was an ideal ensemble for Haydn, whose 43 trios occupy discs 1-9. Menahem Pressler's alert piano playing, with its distinctively genial feeling, is perfectly suited to these piano-dominated works. The elegance of his phrasing, his patient savoring of the slow movements, and his rhythmic snap and infectious energy in the faster ones are matched by Isidore Cohen, who plays with sweet tone and supple articulation. Cellist Bernard Greenhouse (1916-2011) doubles the piano part's bass line with relish and enhancing shape . . . the Beaux Arts is more or less perfect in these works . . . The three Brahms Piano Quartets, with violist Walter Trampler, from 1974 are superlatively good, with the A-Major being the best performance I know of that work, thanks especially to Pressler's crystalline sound and generous lyrical impulse. With Trampler again, the Beaux Arts is able to infuse an uneven work such as the Dvorak First Piano Quartet with so much grace and charm that it becomes an irresistible performance, and Pressler's scintillating contribution to the Schubert "Trout" Quintet makes theirs an outstanding version . . . this collection provides the evidence of their success in raising a piano trio's level of ensemble to that of a great string quartet. The kind of detail and refinement that they developed has become a prerequisite for the many accomplished piano trios that exist today.

. . . d'une incontestable excellence musicale. Ce coffret, très fourni et intéressant, sur l'un des ensembles majeurs du XXe siècle, embrasse quasiment tout le répertoire du trio avec piano . . . Le style du Beaux Arts Trio, en effet, c'est l'idéal pour le disque, l'exactitude et l'harmonie, la fluidité, la clarté. Une interprétation des Beaux Arts est toujours au moins excellente . . . C'est cette capacité de travail, ce style absolument naturel, ce soin des moindres détails et cette hauteur tranquille qui font de leur intégrale des trios de Haydn un classique éternel . . . Voilà une somme unique.