Hans Gál and Dmitri Shostakovich- Piano Trios on Avie Records (Briggs Piano Trio

Continuing AVIE’s acclaimed and influential series of recordings of the music of Austrian émigré Hans Gál, this latest release brings together two of today’s most eminent Gál interpreters, Sarah Beth Briggs and Kenneth Woods with violin virtuoso David Juritz for a recording of Gál’s breathtakingly lyrical Piano Trio in E major and his witty Variations on a Popular Viennese Tune. Gál’s music and destiny was shaped by war and political upheaval, as was that of Dmitri Shostakovich, whose Piano Trio in E minor, one of the monuments of 20th century chamber music, is a harrowing souvenir of the times in which it was written.

TRACKLIST:

Hans Gál (1890 – 1987)
Piano Trio in E, Op. 18 (28.41)
1. I. Tranquillo ma con moto (11.58)
2. II. Allegro violento (5.42)
3. III. Adagio mesto (11.01)

4.Variationen über eine Wiener Heurigenmelodie, Op. 9 (7.10)
(Variations on a Popular Viennese Tune)

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975)
Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 (27.08)
5. I. Andante (7.36)
6. II. Allegro con brio (3.05)
7. III. Largo (5.15) – Hans Gál Concerto for Piano & Orchestra
8. IV. Allegretto (11.12) Mozart Piano Concerto No. 22, K482

Total time: 63.05

Recording: 11–13 March 2018, Wyastone Leys, Monmouth, UK
Recording produced, engineered and edited by Simon Fox-Gál

REVIEWS

Editor’s Choice, Gramophone Magazine. “This is a powerful and measured interpretation of arguably the greatest piano trio of modern times…. Recommended with all possible enthusiasm.” Guy Rickards – Gramophone Magazine  

“The Briggs Trio responds to the style with enormous affection, following the mood changes from passionate to witty with eagle ears, and it sounds as if they have been living with the music for a long time. For capturing their wide tonal and dynamic palette in the recording, Simon Fox-Gal – the composer’s grandson – deserves special mention. Five stars.”Martin Cotton – BBC Music Magazine

Recording of the Week, EuropaDisc “…this is an unusually interesting and involving disc that should be on the shelves of anyone with an interest in 20th-century chamber music…From the pained intensity of the opening and the memorial stillness of the Largo to the sardonic humour of the scherzo and the emotional highs and lows of the ‘Dance of Death’ finale with its Jewish-flavoured melodies, David Juritz, Kenneth Woods, conductor and Sarah Beth Briggs don’t miss a trick. This, as much as the two Gál pieces, is a performance of huge dedication and expressive honesty… Gál weaves a movement of considerable interest, with some beautifully crafted textures in the development and coda…he Briggs Piano Trio are excellent advocates of this music, preserving its essential charm, never over-forcing the livelier passages, and achieving an impeccably judged balance between parts.”

“For Gál enthusiasts, like myself, this release will be self-recommending. The Briggs Piano Trio’s immaculately tailored performances, enhanced by superb sound quality, get my warm-hearted recommendation.” Stephen Greenbank – MusicWeb International

“… of a qualifying merit to make this performance of Shostakovich’s E-Minor Piano Trio a top contender. Add to that the two compelling Gál works, and the case for this release just went from “strongly” to “urgently” recommended.” Jerry Dubins – Fanfare