Album insights
The repertoire for string trio is significantly smaller than that for the closely related string quartet, partly due to the more demanding composition process. Adding a second violin in the quartet allows for a continuous four-part harmonic structure; in the trio, the three string instruments are more exposed and need to be carefully positioned by the composer to create a rich texture and a diverse palette of tonal colors. Nevertheless, from Mozart to Schönberg, the string trio sometimes served as a vehicle for the composer's profound thoughts. This CD showcases three significant representatives of the genre, whose composers all originated from the declining melting pot of nations and cultures, Austria-Hungary.
Erno Dohnányi emerged as a key figure in his country's music scene after Hungary gained independence following Austria's downfall in 1918. Born in Pressburg (Poszónyi, present-day Bratislava in Slovakia), the former capital of Hungary, he was internationally known as Ernst von Dohnányi. Primarily renowned as a virtuoso pianist, some of his compositions such as the Variations on a Nursery Song for piano and orchestra and the Ruralia Hungarica suite achieved global fame. Growing up in the shadow of Austrian-German musical culture embodied by Brahms, Dohnányi was also well-versed in Hungarian traditions cultivated by Liszt.
One of Dohnányi's early works that established his unique musical language distinct from late Romantic influences was his Serenade for String Trio, Op. 10. Composed in 1902 during concert tours to London and Vienna, the five-movement piece was premiered in Vienna two years later. Influenced by Brahms, who actively supported the young Dohnányi, precision and concise tonal expression characterized the work alongside hints at original Hungarian folk music, adding a modal touch to its harmonic structure.
Arnold Schönberg, although born in Vienna, had ancestors from regions later becoming Hungary and Czechoslovakia, homes to eminent composers like Dohnányi and Martinu. His String Trio, Op. 45, a late work from 1946, marked the culmination of his chamber music composing endeavors, showcasing his evolution from traditional tonality to free chromaticism and his twelve-tone technique. Living in exile in Hollywood from 1936, Schönberg faced a life-threatening heart attack in 1946, and the Trio, crafted with masterful concentration, reflects this traumatic experience.
Bohuslav Martinu, born near the Bohemian-Moravian border, spent his childhood in a church tower, absorbing the Czech landscape. His Parisian years in the 1920s and 1930s, alongside studies under Roussel, led to the composition of his two string trios. The second trio, from 1934, a work of early maturity, exudes adorned melodic styles rooted in Czech folk music and late Baroque influences, embodying a “concerto for trio without orchestra” moniker.