The Puella Trio has already established a reputation for
excellence in previous releases for the ArcoDiva label, and this
release, which commemorates the 80
th anniversary of
the birth of Petr Eben, will most certainly reinforce their profile.
Other than their common Czech nationality, the choice of composers
sharing this disc with Eben doesn't seem to have any specific
theme. Each work has its own power and fascination however, and
the selection creates a very worthwhile programme indeed. Petr
Fiala's
Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano opens with
an
Allegro giocoso which owes a little to Shostakovich
in its thematic shapes and nervily playful character.
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The second movement is an
Andante cantabile which is led
by a mournfully melodic cello, with a recurring chorale and harp-like
glissandi in the piano. Once again, the ghost of Shostakovich
holds a certain spell over the music, calling the funereal atmosphere
of the slow movement of his op.67 trio to mind.
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The violin leads in the following energetic
Presto feroce
which extends in to contrasting
Largo sections of a more
introspective nature. The virtuoso playing of the trio is tested
at places here, and comes up like the best and most aromatic of
roses.
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The piano has its turn to lead in the final
Vivace con
brio,
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a potent rhythmic statement which again has something of Shostakovich
in the contrapuntal treatment of the material, possibly with a
dusting of Messiaen in some of the parallel chords in the upper
range of the piano. Material from the slow second movement is
brought back as a kind of 'closure coda'. This is a very
satisfying piece of music indeed.
Sylvie Bodorová's
Megiddo piano trio owes its
title to an eponymous location in Israel, 'where I realised
how human everything was - compared with the long breath of history
- how small, irrevocable, mortal.' The piece was written in
2001 as a commission from the Leamington Festival in England.
The piece has at once a kind of monumental strength, established
in the powerful opening statement, as well as a fragility expressed
in atmospheric and soulful tonalities and a sense of freedom between
the players.
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There are some 'variable elements' introduced in the second
movement, but in comparison with Fiala's works there is in
any case a sense of greater space between the instrument, or between
strings and piano. Even where unity drives the music, special
resonant sustain effects in the piano separates the power of the
notes from a kind of silent non-silence.
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The composer states that 'the work concentrates on peculiarities
of texture', but there is also a great deal of emotive expression
going on in the second movement, and the final
Armagedon launches
itself with punishing, rhythms which build to an apocalyptic climax.
With a return to the mournful sensations earlier in the piece,
the work concludes in softly treading mystery.
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Petr Eben has been one of the best known Czech composers in the
20
th century, and his work has been recorded widely.
As with Petr Filia's piece, the 1986
Piano Trio was
premièred by the New Prague Trio. The longest of the three
pieces here, the opening is a confident
Drammatico which
strides along with unstoppable drive, pushing aside all irrelevancies
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up to the gentle conclusion which serves to introduce an
Andante
con espressione.There are some gorgeous effects and shapes
in this movement, despite the sometimes 'ragged melodies'
which are created by open textures and wide intervallic relationships.
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The penultimate
Lento is an intriguingly enigmatic procession
in the piano, interrupted and over-layered with an argumentative
waltz from the strings.
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The final movement is a high-impact
Agitato out of which
some folk-like dance rhythms emerge. I seem to be hearing Shostakovich
in everything today, and this might have something to do with
the piano-trio 'sound', but I do hear plenty of Slavic
accent and energy in this movement.
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At about 3 minutes in this material moves into more of a perpetuum-mobile,
with at times equal rhythmic contribution from strings and piano,
then off and flying with some remarkable melodic/harmonic statements:
a very powerful conclusion.
Don't be put off by the relatively short playing time on this
disc, and don't be misled by the frilly sexiness of the Puella
Trio as dressed by Gabina Paralova and photographed by Dušan
Martinček. If you don't come away from this feeling as
if you've been given a thorough workout, physically and emotionally,
then you haven't been listening properly. With a fascinating
and original programme, superb recording and performances to match,
this has to be one of the chamber music recordings of the year.
Dominy Clements