Hummel Piano Trios, Vol. 2 Gould Piano Trio

• Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837): Piano Trio No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 12
• 1 I. Allegro agitato 09:08
• 2 II. Andante 05:30
• 3 III. Finale: Presto 04:34
• Piano Trio No. 4 in G major, Op. 65
• 4 I. Allegro con spirito 08:15
• 5 II. Andante grazioso 04:10
• 6 III. Rondo: Vivace assai e scherzando 03:53
• Piano Trio No. 5 in E major, ‘Grand Trio Concertante’, Op. 83
• 7 I. Allegro 13:50
• 8 II. Andante 04:13
• 9 III. Rondo 07:56
• Total Runtime 01:01:29

Info for Hummel Piano Trios, Vol. 2

Trained by Mozart and Haydn, Johann Nepomuk Hummel enjoyed the highest reputation as a composer and virtuoso performer of his day. His piano trios are characterised by their richness of sonority, good humour and flowing melodic inventiveness. While the influence of Beethoven can be heard, Hummel’s own creative voice is highly distinctive. The early Piano Trio, Op. 12 exudes the atmosphere of Vienna at the turn of the 19th century, and the Grand Trio is a concerto in all but name, the demands on the pianist expressly designed for its dedicatee Johann Baptist Cramer.

Gould Piano Trio

The Gould Piano Trio
directly compared to the great Beaux Arts Trio for their ‘musical fire’ and ‘dedicaon to the genre’ in the Washington Post, have remained at the forefront of the international chamber music scene for a quarter of a century. Launched by their first prize at the Melbourne Chamber Music Compeon, they were ‘ECHO Rising Stars’, making a highly successful debut at the Weill Recital Hall in New York’s Carnegie Hall, and described by The Strad magazine as ‘Pure Gould’.

Their many appearances at London’s Wigmore Hall have included the complete piano trios of Dvorak, Mendelssohn and Schubert – plus in the 2017–18 season, a Beethoven cycle, to celebrate twenty-five years since their first appearance at this iconic venue.

Commissioning and performing new works is an important part of the trio’s philosophy of staying creative and freshly inspired. Sir James MacMillan’s second Piano Trio was written for them in 2014 and premiered at the Bath International Fesval that season. 2017 featured the Goulds in the Hull ‘City of Culture’ celebration, performing former BBC Young Musician, Mark Simpson’s After Avedon The annual Corbridge Chamber Music Fesval, presented by the trio together with clarinetist Robert Plane, celebrated its tweneth anniversary with a commission from Huw Watkins – his Four Fables. It is scored for clarinet and piano trio, an instrumentation made famous by Messiaen in his Quartet for the End of Time which also forms part of their discography with Plane.

The Gould Trio’s extensive tours of North America, the Far East, New Zealand, and Europe are interspersed with masterclasses to nurture the next generaon, at instuons such as the Guildhall School in London, the Brien-Pears Young Arst Programme at Snape and Darington Summer School.

In addition to their highly praised recordings of the standard works, the trio have thrown light on neglected gems from the late romanc Brish repertoire with recordings for Naxos and Chandos, including C.V. Stanford’s and John Ireland’s piano trios, plus works by Bax, Milford, York Bowen and Cyril Sco. Just released is a recording entitled Stolen Airs of music by Northumbrian composer John Casken, including his piano trio and Shadowed Pieces for violin and piano.

Booklet for Hummel Piano Trios, Vol. 2