Kjell Habbestad (b.1955)
Tres flores for Viola, Tenor Saxophone and Piano, Op. 97 (2019)
Håvard Lund (b.1970)
The Magpie & I (2016)
Helge Iberg (b.1954)
Ut å stjæle hester (2017/2020)
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Trio for Viola, Tenor Saxophone and Piano, Op. 47 (1928)
Trio Brax
rec. 2021, Sofienberg Church, Olso, Norway
First recordings except Hindemith
LAWO Classics LWC1248 [57]

So often there seems to be more pleasure in listening to these creative discs of rarely, if ever, recorded contemporary music than another production line recording of whatever great romantic symphony or concerto. All of the works on this album, bar the Hindemith, were written with this trio in mind and here receive their premiere recordings.

Kjell Habbestad’s Tres flores is an attractive, somewhat conservative work that nevertheless contains its share of interesting moments. The first movement, Saxifraga squarrosa,is a carefully shaded piece which makes the most of the differing timbres of the unusual trio, the unique blend of saxophone and viola highlighted in its many unison passages. Viola cornuta is a beautiful, subdued portrait of the delicate, pale purple flowers from which the movement takes its name and the trio aptly adopts a softer sonority for this pastel-hued music. The final movement, Digitalis grandiflora, is in a similar vein, lyrical but darker and making good use of trills for textural interest. Altogether it’s an approachable work and skilfully written though I could understand if some may want something that pushes more boundaries.

Håvard Lund’s work, The Magpie & I, stems from an encounter in which a flock of magpies wandered into the composers home. He killed one to deter other birds and was plagued by a series of accidents following the incident. Written to convey the version of events from multiple viewpoints, the work betrays Lund’s background in jazz and is an immensely creative and varied experience. You hear the business of the magpie flock, the grief for the bird’s death and comic-sinister suggestions of the accidents which followed. The full range and capability of the instruments are made good use of and everything is played with superb clarity and attention to detail.

Ut å stjæle hester (‘Out stealing horses’) by Helge Iberg is more rhythmically driven than the other works with a more playful atmosphere. There is some horse-like imitation and the exploration of the various textural possibilities of the trio is extended to having Rokkones remove the mouthpiece from his saxophone creating an airy, flute-like effect, changing the ensemble’s sonority entirely.

Hindemith’s Trio is the only work here that’s been recorded before, and a surprising number of times too, though most often with the original hecklephone rather than the also endorsed saxophone. Compared to other recordings the pianist takes a somewhat more liberamente approach to the opening measures creating a more ambiguous atmosphere. The following arioso is sensitively played with great lyricism and in the second half of the work the trio captures the slightly zany spirit of Hindemith’s writing perfectly with close attention payed to accent and rhythm. This performance is as fine as you will find on disc though various other recordings such as the clair-obscur recording on Wergo (review) are no less excellent. One advantage here is the sonics which are superb, clear and balanced but with enough warmth too.

Throughout, the ensemble works well together, quite an achievement considering the odd makeup and the possibility of having an overly dominant saxophone. Ola Asdahl Rokkones provides ample virtuosity when needed but keeps his tone carefully blended to the rest of the trio, only ever overshadowing them if the music calls for it. Julia Neher on viola and Sergej Osadchuk on piano are equally commendable and don’t put a foot wrong. The fresh choice of repertoire, superb sonics, and excellent ensemble work makes this disc well worth the listen if it intrigues you.

Morgan Burroughs

Buying this recording via a link below generates revenue for MWI, which helps the site remain free.