Fauré: Piano Quartet 1 - Piano Trio Kungsbacka Piano Trio

• 1I. Allegro molto moderato09:36
• 2II. Scherzo: Allegro vivo05:22
• 3III. Adagio07:07
• 4IV. Allegro molto08:02
• 5I. Allegro ma non troppo05:57
• 6II. Andantino08:32
• 7III. Allegro vivo04:27
• 8Pavane, Op. 5005:10
• 9Vocalise-Etude02:54
• 10Sicilienne, Op. 78 (version for piano)03:25
• Total Runtime01:00:32

Info for Fauré: Piano Quartet 1 - Piano Trio

Gabriel Fauré’s musical language bridges a gap between the romanticism of the 19th century and the new worlds of music which appeared in the 20th, employing subtle harmonic changes and a gift for melody to combine innovation with an entirely personal idiom. His First Piano Quartet is filled with characteristic French colour and lyricism, and the Piano Trio in D minor is a late work whose musical language is familiar from his songs. Both the Pavane and the popular Sicilienne express nostalgia for earlier times, and the short Pièce has great simplicity and charm.

„Whether you are looking to discover Fauré’s chamber music for the first time or are looking for new, dynamic and well-engineered performances to add to your collection, this album is definitely worth your consideration. This recording was my first exposure to the Kungsbacka Trio, and I’m certainly looking forward to many more great things from this exceptional ensemble.“ Albert Lam, MusicWeb International)

„This is a delectable way into Fauré’s chamber music should it be unfamiliar territory. The First Piano Quartet is Fauré at his most luscious and in this new reading, for which the Kungsbacka Trio are joined by viola player Philip Dukes, there’s warmth aplenty coupled with an ease with its technical demands and a wonderful conversational quality.“ (Harriet Smith, Gramophone)

Kungsbacka Piano Trio
Malin Broman, violin (on tracks 1–9)
Jesper Svedberg, cello (on tracks 1–8)
Simon Crawford-Phillips, piano (on tracks 1–10)
Philip Dukes, viola (on tracks 1–4)

Recorded at Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth, UK, 12–14 May 2012
Produced and edited by Andrew Walton
Engineered by Mike Clements

Kungsbacka Piano Trio
Formed in 1997, the Kungsbacka Piano Trio has gained an enviable reputation as one of the most outstanding ensembles of its kind. Having established its credentials early on by winning first prize in the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, joining the Young Classical Artists Trust and BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists scheme, and being selected as “rising stars” by the European Concert Halls Organisation with concerts including at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the trio has since appeared at numerous festivals and venues throughout Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, the trio has performed at the Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, LSO St Luke’s and the City of London, Cheltenham and Edinburgh International Festivals. Recordings for Naxos include Piano Trios by Schubert, Mozart, Chopin and Fauré, and the world première of Karen Rehnqvist’s Beginning for Piano Trio, commissioned for the Trio and released on BIS. Other commissions have included works by composers such as Daniel Bortz, Joe Duddell, Helen Grime, Paul Stanhope and Mark-Anthony Turnage. With a strong connection to Sweden through founder-member Malin Broman, the Kungsbacka Piano Trio regularly performs on tour throughout the country. Alongside numerous chamber music tours, the trio has performed as soloists in Martinů’s Triple Concerto with the Västerås Sinfonietta, and in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Andrew Manze. The Kungsbacka Piano Trio has been honoured to receive the prestigious Interpret Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, which was presented to them by Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

Booklet for Fauré: Piano Quartet 1 - Piano Trio