About the Pro Arte's contribution I am less happy. I, for one, rather regret that Schnabel didn't collaborate with the Budapest Quartet, whose rugged, athletic playing was a good deal closer to this pianist's interpretative outlook than the style of the Belgian group. From a technical standpoint, the string playing is good, but the Pro Arte people fail to enter into the spirit of things here. The violinist, in particular, is very indulgent with swoops and slides, and his tone is pinched and edgy. The twenty-five year old recording offers rather faded string tone, but the balance between the instruments is good and the transfer is very quiet. There is a break in continuity just before the fourth variation in the ``Forellen'' movement, and I suspect that this is due to imperfect splicing between sides of the original SPs.

Turning to the more modern versions, Curzon's (London) offers the most sophisticated keyboard work. Every detail in his interpretation has been beautifully thought out, and of these I would especially cite the delicious landler touch the pianist brings to the fifth variation (an obvious indication that he is playing with Viennese musicians), and the gossamer shading throughout. Some of Curzon's playing strikes me as finicky, however. Why, for example, does he favor two tempos, rather than one, for the third movement? The assisting musicians from the Vienna Octet are somewhat lacking in expertise, but their contribution is rustic and appealing. (Special compliments to the double bass playing of Johann Krumpp: his scrawny, tottering sound adds a delightful hilarity to the performance.)