The Florestan Trio
are fast becoming the Beaux Arts of
our time – impeccable and subtle musicianship
allied to a keen virtuosity that has
ensured them an international following.
They continue their trawl through the
seemingly endless piano trio repertoire,
where so many composers have been inspired
to produce their very best. It appears
they are on to another real winner here,
with two superb pieces that are a programmer’s
delight – contrasting works from early
and late in the composer’s career that
fit neatly onto one disc.
I have to confess both
pieces were new to me, but as with so
much Saint-Saëns, once you start
listening it’s as if you’ve known them
all your life. The melodic invention
is really on an exalted level, as is
the impeccable technical craftsmanship.
The first movement of the F major
has such a breezy, open-air lyricism
that it did not surprise me at all to
learn the composer had been inspired
to write it during a holiday in the
Pyrenees. The main theme nags in the
memory for days, not least due to the
players’ natural, unforced phrasing,
which lets the lines ‘breathe’ so easily.
It really is wonderfully warm yet vital
playing and not easily achieved, as
pianist Susan Tomes’ excellent, penetrating
book ‘Beyond the Notes: Journeys with
Chamber Music’ makes abundantly clear.
They are equally persuasive in the solemn,
wistful andante that follows, with its
rustic hurdy-gurdy drone and folk-like
simplicity. Robert Philip’s thorough
liner note tells us that the indigenous
music of France’s mountain region was
probably the composer’s inspiration
here, and there is also a rustic feel
to the breezy, almost cheeky scherzo,
whose stamping syncopations have a peasant
dance quality to them. The finale opens
in a deceptively simple fashion before
building into something grander and
the Florestan’s pacing allows this growth
to happen with subtlety, whilst Tomes
in particular makes the most of the
characteristic flair and exuberance
that mark the later stages of the movement.
Nearly thirty years
separate the F major from its partner,
the Piano Trio No.2 in E minor,
and the musical climate around the composer
had changed. By the 1890s he was now
seen as rather old-fashioned and isolated,
mainly because of his opposition to
the Wagner-mania that swept Paris and
French music generally. He was determined
that none of the intense chromaticism
that epitomised this trend would invade
his own music and he stuck resolutely
to his compositional principles The
piece is certainly on a bigger scale
than the first with an impressive arch-like
five-movement structure. Philip suggests
that Saint-Saëns may have had the
massive Piano Trio of Tchaikovsky in
mind in his opening theme, and it certainly
has some of that work’s broad, sombre
grandeur, though the texture does give
way to a more typical transparency fairly
soon. Tomes is again on stirring form
here, making the most of the cascading
waves of repeated chords. The second
movement also hints at the Russian in
its use of five-time, as in the Pathétique’s
counterpart, but it ends more gently
than it began and overall has the feeling
of an irregular minuet. The following
two movements are brief, simple and
affecting, but the finale returns us
to the grander scale of the opening.
There is the almost inevitable fugue
part way through, then echoes of previous
movements before the whole thing pushes
on to a sweeping, octave-led climax.
The Florestan play
with a warmth and homogeneity that is
hard to resist, though they do not have
the field to themselves. Among recent
contenders is an excellent budget version
from the Joachim Trio on Naxos, which
I’ve sampled on the Naxos website. Musical
as it is, they seem a shade lacking
in overall intensity compared to the
Florestan. There is also a very well-received
Harmonia Mundi disc by the Wanderer
Trio which I haven’t heard, though reviews
suggest their playing is full of fire
and vigour, so may be worth seeking
out to compare if you’re undecided.
Suffice it to say that if you’re a fan
of the Florestan Trio or buy the disc
on impulse, you most certainly will
not be disappointed. The recording,
supervised as ever by Andrew Keener,
is rich and detailed and the afore-mentioned
notes by Susan Tomes’ real-life partner
Robert Philip, are a model of scholarly
enthusiasm. Recommended without reservation.
Tony Haywood
Florestan Trio (Anthony Marwood (violin),
Richard Lester (cello) Susan Tomes (piano)) 
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