Clara & Robert Schumann - Rihm : Trios pour piano (Trio Boulanger)

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It can be so satisfying when an album's program actually has a thought-out purpose and direction rather than merely an unrelated smattering of works that happen to fit into the time allotted on a CD. German-based Boulanger Trio has put together just such a program for its debut on the Ars Produktion label. Clara Schumann's magnificent and underperformed G minor Piano Trio is first on the program. An absolute model of the form, Clara's trio is filled with an ideal balance between the three instruments, each of which are given ample opportunity to come to the fore. Clara's work is naturally followed by Robert's Piano Trio, also in G minor, which followed Clara's by only five years. Despite this short gap, Robert's trio is much more formally nebulous and finds the three musicians working more independently and sometimes at odds with one another. The final work on the program provides contrast to the two trios while still maintaining a sense of unity. Wolfgang Rihm's Fremde Szene III (Strange Scene, third movement) takes its inspiration from Schumann despite containing an entirely different compositional and tonal language; hints of the original can be heard upon careful listening. The Boulanger Trio, which only got its start in 2006, handles both old and new with equal aplomb. Clara's trio is played with warmth, elegance, and refinement, while Robert's accentuates the rapidly and continuously changing moods and musical ideas. Boulanger also handles the technical and tonal challenges found in the Rihm with attention to detail and precision, allowing listeners to focus on the music at hand rather than its execution. Together with its pleasing, full sound, the Boulanger and its first album are worth checking out.
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