BRAHMS: Complete Piano Trios, Clarinet Trio, Horn Trio – Florestan Trio (2 CDs) Hyperion

Trio for piano, violin and cello in B major Op 8[35’57]
The Florestan Trio
CD1
1
Allegro con brio[14’55]
2
Scherzo: Allegro molto[6’22]
3
Adagio[8’05]
4
Allegro[6’35]
Trio for piano, violin and horn in E flat major Op 40[27’34]
The Florestan Trio, Stephen Stirling (horn), Anthony Marwood (violin), Susan Tomes (piano)
5
Andante – Poco più animato[7’42]
6
Scherzo: Allegro[6’42]
7
Adagio mesto[6’48]
8
Finale: Allegro con brio[6’22]
Trio for piano, violin and cello in C major Op 87[27’36]
The Florestan Trio
CD2
9
Allegro[9’30]
10
Andante con moto[7’35]
11
Scherzo: Presto[4’26]
12
Finale: Allegro giocoso[6’05]
Trio for piano, violin and cello in C minor Op 101[20’14]
The Florestan Trio
13
Allegro energico[7’09]
14
Presto non assai[3’34]
15
Andante grazioso[4’05]
16
Allegro molto[5’26]
Trio for piano, clarinet and cello in A minor Op 114[25’29]
The Florestan Trio, Richard Hosford (clarinet), Richard Lester (cello), Susan Tomes (piano)
17
Allegro[8’13]
18
Adagio[8’01]
19
Andantino grazioso[4’35]
20
Allegro[4’40]

Here are all of Brahms’s Trios assembled on one album. The three Piano Trios date from the extremes of the composer’s life—Opus 8 from 1853/4 when he was about twenty years old (though here performed in its revised version of 1889), and Opus 101 from 1886, written when he was fifty-three. The Clarinet Trio was one of his very last works, written for the clarinettist who also inspired the Clarinet Quintet and the two Opus 120 Sonatas, Richard Mühlfeld. The marvellous Horn Trio is a middle-period work, composed when the composer was in his early thirties.

The five works are presented chronologically and all are immaculately played by the acclaimed Florestan Trio.

All of the music on this album is also available as part of the specially priced box set The Complete Brahms Chamber Music: ‘In the last 25 years, Hyperion has managed to persuade some of the finest of chamber musicians to reveal their affection for Brahms in recordings of remarkably consistent quality … altogether life affirming music in life enhancing performances: surely one of the best buys of the year?’ (BBC Music Magazine).