Thanks to the Dutch classical music magazine “Luister” and musicologist Carine Alders, I encountered this wonderful and significative CD. Where the repertoire for string quartet is exhaustively explored, the works for string trio are far less known and recorded.
Carine Damen rewarded the playing on this CD a “10” in the luister magazine and I completely agree with her…! (below, in the illustration, is a transcript of the review in Dutch I found online)
Jean Cras (1879-1932) was a steamboat captain, naval officer and … composer, bit younger than Debussy and slightly younger than Ravel. Is that the ticking of a steamboat engine I hear in the first movement of his string trio? Whatever may inspired him on his travels, this is a very fine string trio and should be played and heard more.
German composer Max Reger (1873-1916) was more a traditionalist and used anachronistic forms as “fuga” in many of his compositions. Harmonically he went further where Wagner and even sometimes Richard Strauss went. The larghetto in his string trio in a minor is strikingly beautiful.
Ernst von Dohnanyi (1877 -1960) is the father of war hero Hans von Dohnanyi and grandfather of conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi. Also renown as a brilliant pianist, he regarded himself primarily as a composer. The early serenade for string trio (1902) is in my opinion a small masterpiece, full of memorable themes and very well written for string trio.
The small intermezzo by fellow Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly is a fine conclusion to a very spirited and rewarding record..! Hope you will enjoy it too.
Jean Cras
-Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello
Max Reger
-String Trio in A Minor, Op. 77b
Ernst von Dohnanyi
-Serenade in C Major for String Trio, Op. 10
Zoltan Kodaly
-Intermezzo for String Trio
Jacques Thibaud String Trio:
Burkhard Maiß, violin
Hannah Strijbos, viola
Bogdan Jianu, cello
