Ravel & Shostakovich: Piano Trios Busch Trio

• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937): Piano Trio, M. 67:
• 1Ravel: Piano Trio, M. 67: I. Modéré09:25
• 2Ravel: Piano Trio, M. 67: II. Pantoum. Assez vif04:13
• 3Ravel: Piano Trio, M. 67: III. Passacaille. Très large08:02
• 4Ravel: Piano Trio, M. 67: IV. Final. Animé05:30
• Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975): Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67:
• 5Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67: I. Andante. Moderato06:45
• 6Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67: II. Allegro con brio02:46
• 7Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67: III. Largo04:53
• 8Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67: IV. Allegretto - Adagio10:12
• Total Runtime51:46

Info for Ravel & Shostakovich: Piano Trios

Ravel composed his Piano Trio M67 j ust before enlisting voluntarily in the First World War. Inspired by the Basque country and its zortziko dance, the Trio ends with a sombre, almost anguished fourth movement. A mood inspired by the impending war? In his Piano Trio No.2 , op.67 , Shostakovich too is affected by the horrors of war and the death of a close friend. For the first time in the Russian composer’s output, we hear a Jewish theme, a danse macabre echoing the terrible events of the time. Another point in common between the two works is that both include a passacaglia. For the Busch Trio, it was self-evident that these two heart-rending works should be brought together on the same album.

Busch Trio

Busch Trio
Named after the legendary violinist Adolf Busch, this young piano trio has emerged as one of the leading piano trios among the new generation, receiving enthusiastic responses from audiences and critics across the UK and Europe. Winners of the 2012 Royal Overseas League Competition, the trio went on to win several prizes including 2nd prize at the 2012 Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition and the 3rd prize at the 2013 Pinerolo International Chamber Music Competition in Italy as well as the 2nd prize at the International Schumann Chamber Music Award in Frankfurt.

Since its formation in 2012 highlights of the Trio’s performances in the UK have included the Wigmore Hall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Sage Gateshead, and they have also given concerts in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and Denmark. Their recent Wigmore Hall appearance was received to critical acclaim, The Times commenting: “…what impressed most was the group’s effortless musicianship and unity of thought and attack. The threesome even seemed to be breathing in synch.” Recent and forthcoming seasons include a tour of China, collaborations with Michael Collins and Bruno Giuranna, and recitals in the Wigmore Hall, King’s Place, Brussels’s Bozar and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. They are frequent visitors to BBC Radio 3 InTune programme and have been broadcasted live on Belgium’s Musiq’3.

As three soloists in their own right, Omri Epstein “the group’s marvellously sensitive pianist”, Mathieu van Bellen, whose “silvery gleam darted eloquently”, and Ori Epstein, with whom “you felt in the grip of a warm hug”, have all won prizes in solo international competitions. Brought together by a shared deep passion for chamber music and inspired by Mathieu’s possession of the “ex-Adolf Busch” J.B. Guadagnini violin (Turin, 1783), they have been recognized for their achievements and their playing with “incredible verve”. The trio enjoyed the support of the Tunnell Trust, the Kirckman Concert Society, the Park Lane Group and the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust, as well as being awarded the MMSF Philharmonia Orchestra Ensemble Award. Most recently they have completed the prestigious ChamberStudio Mentorship Programme, which has offered them teaching from some of the world’s leading musicians. They are currently receiving guidance from members of the Artemis Quartet at the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel in Brussels.

In 2015 French record label Alpha Classics, engaged the trio to record the complete chamber works for Piano and Strings by A. Dvorák. The 4 CD project will see the trio collaborate with violist Miguel da Silva and will be released over the next 3 years.

This album contains no booklet.