Resonance has a reputation for issuing recordings of interesting
works that lie at the edge of the mainstream, in addition to
more
standard repertoire. Performed by the London-based Angell
Trio this recording contains works that span the last
thirty years of Martinu’s life. They were recorded at Bavarian
Radio and it seems that these recordings have been issued
previously on ASV Quicksilva in 1999.
It is widely known that Martinů was a prolific composer.
He was extremely active in the field of chamber music and especially
productive with works that featured the cello. According
to the booklet notes he also composed nine works for trio
that contained a piano part. Of these works four could be
described as containing the standard instrumentation of piano,
violin and cello. There are three numbered Piano trios plus
a fourth from 1939 known as the Bergerettes which
is not included here.
The Piano trio No.1 was completed in 1930 taking just
a couple of days. There are noticeable traces of the composer’s developing
neo-classical approach including his neo-baroque style. The
five movement score was awarded a chamber music prize and
also won the approval of Stravinsky.
Swiftly composed in 1950 in New York the three movement Piano Trio
No.2 was premiered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The No.3 was
also composed in New York a year later for the influential
Leopold Mannes. It is cast in three substantial movements.
Martinů composed his Duo No. 2 in 1958 in Switzerland
just over a year before he died. A shortish score in three
movements the music is less aggressive in character than
his first Duo from thirty years earlier.
The Angell Trio prove themselves a highly proficient ensemble with
an excellent unity and seem particularly suited to these
scores. In the Five Short Pieces their energy and
drive in the opening allegro is impressive and they
convincingly convey a bleak and icy character in the adagio.
I enjoyed their spiky, machine-like rhythms, fused with the
jazzy episodes of the concluding movement. In the Piano
trio No.2 their interpretation is robust in the probing
and bristly rhythms of the allegro moderato and then
drops effortlessly away to a mere whisper. They provide a
tender reading of the andante supplying an unrelenting
drive of forward propulsion in the closing allegro.
The markedly contrasting moods of the Piano Trio No.3 are interpreted
with an impressive steadfastness. The players bring a desolate
almost sinister feel to the andante and the high spirits
of the closing allegro are conveyed with buoyancy
and panache. In the Duo No. 2 the varying character
of the opening movement is convincingly interpreted and the adagio is
played with yearning reflectivity. Their interpretation of
the closing movement poco allegro is rather tentative
and I yearned for increased weight and bite.
There are surprisingly few recordings of these Piano trios in
the catalogues which is surprising against the background
of the quality of these scores. These are excellent performances
and when combined with the clear and well balanced sound
quality the disc makes a welcome reappearance.
Michael
Cookson
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Angell Trio