Grieg Trio - Beethoven/Thoresen (2007)

Tracklist

01. Piano Trio In B Flat, Op. 07 "Archduke", 1 Allegro Moderato
02. Piano Trio In B Flat, Op. 07 "Archduke", Ii Scherzo. Allegro
03. Piano Trio In B Flat, Op. 07 "Archduke", Iii Andante Cantabile, Ma Peró Con Moto
04. Piano Trio In B Flat, Op. 07 "Archduke", Iv Allegro Moderato
05. The Descent Of Luminous Waters

"Beethoven+" is a unique project instigated by one of the world's foremost chamber ensembles, the Grieg Trio. All of Beethoven's piano trios are performed alongside works newly written for the ensemble. The season 2002-03 saw the series performed in Wigmore Hall and Konzerthaus Berlin in 2005. Since 2004 the Grieg Trio has been Artistic Director of the Stavanger International Chamber Music Festival, and the same year they where awarded the Norwegian Grammy for the complete recording of the Dvorak trios.

This new recording, which brings a powerful conclusion to this remarkable series, features Beethoven's last piano trio, the one in B flat known as the "Archduke". His opus 97 was written in 1811, and took its title from the dedicatee Rudolph Johann Joseph Rainer von Hapsburg, Archduke of Austria. It is as the title would suggest one of the grandest and most eloquent of the composer's pieces for small ensemble and has become one of the key works in the repertoire.

The contemporary composer whose own piano trio is set alongside the Beethoven work is himself a devoted admirer of Beethoven's genius. Lasse Thoresen has received much praise for his music all over the world, both through concerts, festivals (composer in residence 2004-2007 Festival Presences) and recordings. His second piano trio "The Descent of Luminous Waters" was premiered by Grieg Trio and has been performed in Amsterdam, Berlin and London.

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