Impressions of Iberia
Enrique Fernández Arbós (1863-1939)
Tres Piezas Originales en Estilo Español, Op. 1
Joaquín Turina (1882-1949)
Piano Trio No. 2 in B minor, Op. 76
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Piano Trio in A minor
Cygnus Trio
Recording details not supplied
Reviewed as lossless download
Da Vinci Classics C00890 [61]
This is a well-thought out programme of Spanish-influenced works which certainly won’t duplicate any single recording in your collection. The two more often recorded works here have only been placed together on a recording once as far as I can tell (and that a long out-of-print one). In addition, the Arbós is a fine work that deserves more recordings. If one was to be greedy, one might suggest that a runtime of 61 minutes leaves space for another work of a similar nature.
Enrique Arbós’s compositional output is relatively small, due to his successful career as a conductor, and on the basis of his first published work, we may have been denied some quality music. The three movements of his trio are inspired by Spanish dances, and are thoroughly enjoyable. I have two other recordings – the Devich Trio (Challenge Classics – review) and the Hermitage Piano Trio (Reference Recordings – review) – and my preference has been for the former. This new recording provides a challenge for that favouritism, though I feel that the slower tempo of the second movement Habanera adopted by the Devich Trio captures the sultry atmosphere better. In the outer movements, the Cygnus Trio is a clear winner.
Turina’s B minor trio is a product of his maturity, and deserves more exposure than its twenty or so recordings would suggest. Earlier this year I reviewed a recording of all Turina’s trios on the IBS label, which totally swept the field. The Cygnus Trio give it a good go, but come up short; no disgrace, given how exceptional the performance of the Mata brothers and Patricia Arauzo is.
The bar is raised even higher with the Ravel, given the competition already in the catalogue. You will have your own favourite; mine is the Sitkovetsky Trio’s on BIS (review), a very intense and dramatic reading. The Cygnus Trio takes a rather less emotional view of the work, an approach made very clear in the opening movement. The great Passacaille is quite gentle, not as draining as I would normally expect. There is more intensity in the finale, but still consistent with the cooler atmosphere overall. I wasn’t as convinced by this reading as the other two, well played as it is, but if you feel that the Sitkovetskys overdo the emotion, you may well find this very much to your liking.
As you will have gathered by now, I have been quite impressed by the Cygnus Trio. Violinist Javier Montañana and pianist Cesar Saura played as a duo in their native Spain, and met cellist Hannah Lewis in 2012 when all three were students at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where the group is now based. This is their first recording, having won a competition prize which entitled them to a record contract with Da Vinci. The sound quality is as good as I’ve heard; wonderfully detailed, but with few of the extraneous sounds that are frequently picked up if too closely miked. The booklet notes are very good as well.
I hope that the Cygnus Trio doesn’t have to wait for another competition prize to be able to record a second album, because the programming and performances here are very impressive.
David Barker
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