Mendelssohn Fibich Rabl: Smetana Trio [CD]

Three gems of 19th-century Romantic music played by the Smetana TrioThe Smetana Trio's new album presents three compositions that capture the diverse forms of 19th-century Romantic chamber music. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy wrote his Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66, during his artistic maturity. It combines the dramatic energy of the outer movements with the tender lyricism and delicate poetic character of the central movements. Alongside the virtuosic piano part, the work stands out for it's finely balanced dialogue among the three instruments and it's refined motivic development. The second composition on the album is Zdenek Fibich's early Piano Trio in F minor, the work of a young composer inspired by the legacy of Robert Schumann. It combines the ardour of Romanticism and lyrical warmth with a carefully conceived formal design and a sensitive interplay between the piano and the strings. The album concludes with the Fantasy Pieces by Walter Rabl, a composer who today remains on the fringes of the concert repertoire. This cycle of brief character pieces delights listeners with it's melodic freshness, tender lyricism, and cultivated, Brahmsian sound. In all three works, the Smetana Trio reaffirms it's exceptional standing among Czech chamber ensembles. Jitka Cechova, Marketa Janouskova, and Jan Palenícek offer an interpretation combining technical mastery, stylistic refinement, and profound comprehension of the Romantic musical style.