Fritz Kauffmann was a composer who never fully realised his natural potential because he “suffered” from so many different talents. Specifically, this son of a Berlin businessman, after completing his studies and spending some time as a private tutor, worked to reform musical life in Magdeburg from 1889 onwards, performing there as a conductor and pianist while neglecting his own creative work. The regret expressed by some contemporaries is easy to understand when listening to the two piano trios from the 1880s recorded here. He was a powerful romantic who expressed subtle originality within familiar forms. His expression and creativity range from dramatic force to subtle humour, and – as can be heard in the Barcaruola from Opus 20 – he was not above the use of catchy tunes.