It was in 1842, his 'year of chamber music' that Robert Schumann took on the combination of violin, cello and piano for the first time. He seems to have decided against releasing the resulting FantasiestÃ¼cke as a fully-fledged piano trio, however, but later returned to the work, revising it for publication in 1850. The model here is not the large-scale, quasi-symphonic trios of Beethoven or Schubert - instead Haydn's characteristic trio textures spring to mind, especially in the first two movements where the cello largely follows the piano's left-hand bass line. By the time the FantasiestÃ¼cke was published, Schumann had already written two 'proper' piano trios, No. 1 in D minor and No. 2 in F major. According to the composer the second of these 'makes a friendlier and more immediate impression' but it is in fact the D minor trio that has long been the more popular: passionate, mainly extrovert and bursting with fine thematic material it is the easiest to grasp on one hearing. Both works are filled to capacity with imitative writing, sometimes conspicuously so but often subtly as if on a subconscious level - an aspect that the members of the Kungsbacka Piano Trio, with more than 20 years of playing together, are able to make the most of.

Tracklist:

Piano Trio No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 63: I. Mit Energie Und Leidenschaft
Piano Trio No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 63: II. Lebhaft, Doch Nicht Zu Rasch - Trio
Piano Trio No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 63: III. Langsam, Mit Inniger Empfindung - Bewegter - Tempo I
Piano Trio No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 63: IV. Mit Feuer - Nach Und Nach Schneller
Fantasiestücke, Op. 88: I. Romanze
Fantasiestücke, Op. 88: II. Humoreske
Fantasiestücke, Op. 88: III. Duett
Fantasiestücke, Op. 88: IV. Finale
Piano Trio No. 2 In F Major, Op. 80: I. Sehr Lebhaft
Piano Trio No. 2 In F Major, Op. 80: II. Mit Innigem Ausdruck - Lebhaft
Piano Trio No. 2 In F Major, Op. 80: III. In Mäßiger Bewegung
Piano Trio No. 2 In F Major, Op. 80: IV. Nicht Zu Rasch

UPC: 7318599924373
Label: Bis
Release Date: 2.7.20
Format: CD

Schumann / Kungsbacka Piano Trio - Piano Trios 1 (CD)