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     Piano Trios

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
(1895-1960)

Piano Trio #1, Op. 49 (1928)
Piano Quintet No 1, Op. 69 (1934)

The Arman Ensemble
Albany Records TROY191

These chamber works are like a big box of imported chocolates. Every movement seems different in character yet each of the works are perfectly integrated. There is clear influence of the fertile 1920's with strong suggestions of French and Spanish color. Each work is a fine example of chamber music that is both accessible immediately and worth many repeated hearings.

Castelnuovo-Tedesco studied with Pizzetti, who with several other Italian composers (Martucci, Casella, Malipiero, Respighi and others) founded societies for the propagation of modern Italian instrumental music. In Italy, Castelnuovo-Tedesco was in demand as a composer and as a critic and essayist. However, when the situation for Jews got much too dangerous, Italy's loss was America's gain. Castelnuovo-Tedesco left Italy in 1939 and became an American Citizen in 1946. He wrote over 200 film music projects, and for many years taught some of the brightest film composers including Henry Mancini, André Previn, Nelson Riddle and John Williams.

The Arman Ensemble members performing the trio are: Deniz Arman Gelenbe, piano; Fritz Gearhart, violin; Brian Manker, cello. The Quintet personnel are Deniz Arman Gelenbe, piano; Eric Prichard, violin; Hsiao-mei Ku, violin; Jonathan Bagg, viola; Fred Raimi, cello.

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com
   Score for the trio at Eastman School of Music, Sibley Library
   Score for the quintet at Michigan State University Library ]

Heinrich Marschner
(1795-1861)

Piano Trio #2 in G Minor, Op. 111 (1841)
Piano Trio #5 in D Minor, Op. 138 (1848)

Beethoven Trio Ravensburg
CPO 999721-2 70:51

Much better known as a composer of operas, Marschner also left considerable quantities of orchestral and chamber music among which are seven piano trios. The two under consideration are quite extended works which owe more than a little to better-known composers of the period, not least Mendelssohn.

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Édouard Lalo
(1823-1892)

Piano Trio #1 in C minor, Op. 7
Piano Trio #2 in B minor
Piano Trio #3 in A minor, Op. 26

Trio Parnassus
Dabringhaus & Grimm MDG3030482-2 77:59

Lalo performed with a professional string quartet first as a violist, and then as a violinist, so it is no wonder that his chamber music compositions are totally idiomatic for strings. The first two trios were written in the early 1850's and the third was written in 1880. The clear influence of Schumann and Mendelssohn is heard in all three, but the third trio also has the very exciting cross-rhythms reminiscent of Lalo's more famous works for violin and cello. These are very fine performances by the Trio Parnassus (Chia Chou, piano; Wolf-Dieter Streicher, violin; Michael Gross, violoncello)!

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[ Sheet Music for Trio #2 is available at Edition Silvertrust
More sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Josef Bohuslav Foerster
(1859-1951)

Piano Trio #1 in F minor, Op. 8 (26:33)
Piano Trio #2 in B Flat Major, Op. 38 (25:30)
Piano Trio #3 in A minor, Op. 105 (24:11)

Foerster Trio
Supraphon SU3603-2

If you are interested in hearing how a Romantic composer develops his "voice" over a period of almost forty years, this is the CD for you. The early trios (1882 & 1894) are very much in the tradition of Antonín Dvořák's chamber music, and the last movement of Op.38 has the emotional tension and lyrical beauty of Dvořák's own Piano Quartet Op. 23, second movement. The first two Foerster trios also make fine use of the folk-like rhythms and melodies that many other Czech composers of the period explored.

But the third piano trio (1919/21) is a subtle leap into the later Romantic period. It is still very melodious, it is still very tonal, and it is still beautiful, but there is an added depth of emotion. This is the finest of the three trios, and it can be all the more appreciated when heard after the other two.

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Albert Roussel
(1869-1937)

Complete Chamber Music

Partial list of works:
String Quartet; String Trio Op. 58; Piano Trio Op. 2; Violin Sonatas Opp. 11 & 28; Serenade for Flute, String Trio & Harp Op. 30; Divertissement Op. 6; Trio for Flute, Viola & Cello, etc.

Performers: Jet Roeling, piano; Jean-Jacque Kantorow, violin; Herre-Jan Stegenga, cello; Hans Roerade, oboe; Paul Verhey, flute; Frank van den Brink, clarinet; Herman Jeurissen, horn; Jos de Lang, bassoon; Irene Maessen, soprano; Erika Waardenburg, harp; Jan Goudswaard, guitar; Quirijan van Regteren Altena, double bass; Janneke van der Meer, violin; Wim de Jong, violin; Henk Guittart, viola; Viola de Hoog, cello.

Brilliant Classics 8413 3CDs 67:43, 64:44, 66:31

Roussel's chamber music is filled with delightfully strange and interesting tonality that shifts all over the place but almost always returns "home" for the final chord. Roussel also uses insistent rhythmic accompaniments in many of his works. It's as if there is a motor humming away most of the time, and it gives an active, restless quality to the music.

The second CD contains the Serenade Op. 30 for flute, string trio and harp, and it would serve as an excellent introduction to the chamber music of Roussel. Also not to be missed is the short waltz: Aria #2 for oboe and piano. The third CD contains the charming, immediately accessible Trio for Flute, Viola and Cello. This is a chamber music set to treasure. Brilliant Classics has once again provided us with beautiful performances of fine music at budget prices.

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Francis Edward Bache
(1833-1858)

Piano Trio, Op. 25
Romance for Cello & Piano, Op. 21
Duo Brillante for Violin & Piano
Six Songs, Op. 16

Yvonne Howard, mezzo-soprano
The English Piano Trio
Dutton CDXL7145 64:29

Bache's melodies have the subtle beauty of a Schubert or Mendelssohn (or like those of his teacher, William Sterndale Bennett) and his piano parts at times flow into the "string of pearls" style of Bellini-inspired Chopin. This can be heard in the Trio during the accompaniments to re-statements of themes in the strings, especially in the second movement. It can also be heard in the first of the songs, and in the Duo. This is one of the most delightful and memorable features of Bache's compositions.

This is another "what-if" composer. He died at the age of 24.

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[ Sheet music for the Piano Trio: Editions Silvertrust ]

Cécile Chaminade
(1857-1944)

Trio #1 in G minor, Op. 11 (1881)
Trio #2 in A minor, Op. 34 (1887)
Ritournelle (arr. Marcus)
Sérénade, Op. 29 (arr. Cottin/Marcus)
Pastorale Enfante, Op. 12 (arr. Marcus)
Serenade Espagñole (arr. Kreisler)

Tzigane Piano Trio
Academy Sound & Vision CDDCA965 57:28

Chaminade, as a young girl, was called "a little Mozart" by George Bizet. She was most known for her popular "salon and parlor" pieces which she performed and published. She wrote over 400 compositions, among them a ballet, an opera, songs, concerti, and chamber music, but she was forgotten in her own lifetime, and belittled by contemporary critics because she was a woman, and because she didn't take part in the French musical revolution of the times. A complete catalog of her works was not made until 1988! At last we can enjoy her charming music on CD and much of it is accessible to amateur music-makers.

This CD has a little sampling of her songs (Pastorale Enfantine) and piano pieces, both presented here in arrangements, but the chamber music is the real meat of the recording. Chaminade, in her trios, wrote deceptively simple melodies and close harmonies for the strings while her piano parts sparkle with light scale passages and arpeggios and overall rhythmic interest. The third movement of the first Piano Trio has captured me! I can listen to it over and over. It is reminiscent of the Arensky First Piano Trio, second movement, another ear-worm with amazing sense of movement in the piano part! Chaminade's overall compositional style also evokes another elegant and charming work: the first Piano Trio of Camille Saint-Saëns.

If you enjoy these works, you will no doubt enjoy the numerous recordings of Chaminade's piano works, and I can also highly recommend the Deutsche Grammophon release of Anne Sofie von Otter and Bengt Forsberg presenting Chaminade's songs, three pieces for violin and piano and three two-piano works (DGG 471331-2)

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[ Sheet music by this composer: Sheet Music Plus - Musicnotes.com ]

Ferdinand Ries
(1784-1838)

Piano Trio in E Flat Major, Op. 2
Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 143

Mendelssohn Trio Berlin
cpo 777053-2 54:53

As with much of Ries' music, the influence of Beethoven is strong and in these two trios Mendelssohn also hovers. Nothing unusual here – just enjoyable, well-crafted music.

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François-Clément Théodore Dubois
(1837-1924)

Trio for Piano & Strings #1 in C minor
Trio for Piano & Strings #2 in E Major
Promenade sentimentale
Canon
Cantilène

Trio Hochelaga
Atma Classique ACD2-2362

The elegance of Camille Saint-Saëns and the expansive and immediately accessible emotional content of Gabriel Fauré are heard throughout this recent CD (2005). Slow movements are full of polite, almost restrained passion, and faster movements are usually very light and bubbly, reminding me of similar movements in Maurice Ravel's chamber music.

It is ironic that Dubois fell out of favor when he refused to join the impressionist "revolution"; after being influential and popular both as composer and teacher, he spent his last twenty years of life in obscurity. He is known now mostly for his "Seven Last Words of Christ" although he was a prolific composer. Also highly recommended is the companion CD: Works for Piano and Strings Vol. II (Atma Classique ACD2-2385) to be discussed in the future.

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[ Buy the sheet music: Edition Silvertrust ]