A Grand Journey: Works For Piano Trio & Solo Piano
Navona, 2021
8/10
Listen to A Grand Journey: Works For Piano Trio & Solo Piano
The Trio Casals return with another exceptional body of work, as they turn in pieces by Richard E Brown, Ovidiu Marinescu, and Mark G. Simon that land in contemporary chamber sounds, and are as diverse as they are distinct.
“The Journey For Piano Trio” starts the listen with Alexandr Kislitsyn’s violin, Ovidiu Marinescu’s cello and Anna Kislitsyna’s piano interacting with a busy, dynamic appeal where all the instruments emit much beauty and playfulness, and “Trio No. 1- Koreana” follows with the three displaying much emotion as the moody strings and firm keys dance around each other amid incredible fluidity.
The back half of the listen offers the poetic and stirring “Trio No. 2- Pastoral”, where the cello is particularly absorbing, although the eloquent keys won’t disappoint either, and “Caucasus Sonata” finishes the listen with just Kislitsyna’s dizzying piano prowess that’s capable of intimate moments as well as swift, complicated bouts of fascinating playing.
A very technically proficient affair that explores melodic Korean folk patterns, Greek mythological icons, Irish fiddling, tango, and gestures towards the Black Sea and English countryside, there’s many good reason why Trio Casals are internationally adored, and this body of work offers plenty more of those reasons.
Travels well with: Carl Vollrath- Old & New Poetry; Anne Neikirk- Spring Shadows