Trios pour piano n°6, 9 & 10 (Volume 1) (Julius Röntgen)

Album review

Born into an accomplished musical family in the heart of German musical society, it is no surprise that Dutch composer Julius Röntgen should flourish and follow in the footsteps of his parents. After a distinguished musical education in Leipzig, Röntgen was called back to the Netherlands for a post in Amsterdam at the age of 23. Although he accepted the position hesitantly, he spent some five decades in the city that, upon his arrival, had a woefully underdeveloped cultural scene. Röntgen was instrumental in improving the musical landscape in Amsterdam by programming not only the works of the great masters, but also his own numerous compositions. Röntgen's output was vast and varied, although his chamber music works tended to be much more intimate and appeared at times of great personal highs and lows. Like Brahms, however, Röntgen was not a progressive and as such, his music was not looked upon favorably until the last decade or so. This Ars Produktion [sic] album is the first volume of what will hopefully be a complete set of Röntgen's piano trios. Performed by the Storioni Trio, Röntgen's Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth piano trios are given a new lease on life. Composed squarely in the German Romantic tradition, the three trios are filled with long, flowing melodies; rich and varied harmonies; and balanced interplay between the three musicians. The Storioni Trio's playing is warm, pleasantly nuanced, technically solid, and musically satisfying. Whether listening in standard stereo or in SACD multichannel sound, the sound quality of the album is quite clear and resonate. Listeners who are seeking to expand their chamber music libraries are not likely to be disappointed by this addition.

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