Brahms & Ligeti: Trios for Violin, Horn & Piano

Album review

The pairing of horn trios by Brahms and Ligeti seems risky because admirers of the former may look askance at the latter, or else feel the gulf between these composers is too great to bring them together on one disc. It may be argued that Ligeti's Trio, "Hommage à Brahms" is a suitable companion piece for Brahms' Trio in E flat major, not only because of the tribute, or because the instrumentation is identical, but also because Ligeti's music seems at times more neo-Romantic and conventionally expressive than avant-garde or experimental. However, some will still find Ligeti's Trio too disjointed and angular to sit comfortably with Brahms, and miss the extremely subtle connections between the works, even with the aid of the explanatory liner notes. William Purvis, the horn soloist in both works, has come to grips with the stylistic rift, and his performances are appropriate and idiomatic, as well as skillful and deeply felt. His partners, violinist Daniel Philips and pianist Richard Goode, are rock-solid in the Brahms, and their convivial playing makes this an enjoyable rendition. Violinist Rolf Schulte and pianist Alan Feinberg seem to have been chosen for their specialization in modern music, and their playing is fine in Ligeti's Trio, though a little detached and sometimes too muted. Bridge's sound is decent.

© TiVo