Gutman Trio - Brahms: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 3 (2013)

Heres an opportunity to hear two cornerstones of the chamber repertoire performed by one of todays leading ensembles, the Gutman Trio. The music in question: Brahms First and Third Piano Trios, works which, separated by 33 years, effectively date from the extremes of the composers career. A chronological gap such as this automatically invites judgement on stylistic development, and indeed No.1 in B major is a youthful work, one which succeeds in capturing the brave, witty and passionate nature of its fictional dedicatee, E.T.A Hoffmanns Kapellmeister Kreisler. Its evident sophistication, however, is the fruit of a more mature composer, for Brahms dissatisfied with the trio he had composed as a 20yearold decided to rework the music some 40 years later, seven years after writing his final effort in the form. As a result, this release offers a fascinating juxtaposition of Brahms the young composer and Brahms the master, one that isnt just limited to a comparison of the two works contained on the CD. Founded in 2000 by Natalia Gutman, a former pupil of Mstislav Rostropovich and who often performed with the piano titan Sviatoslav Richter, the Gutman Trio made its highly successful debut in the international Oleg Kagan Music Festival in Kreuth, Bavaria, and has been thrilling audiences across the world ever since. The group has appeared at such prestigious venues at Genevas Victoria Hall and the concert halls of the Moscow Conservatory and St Petersburg Philharmonic. This release marks their first recording for Brilliant Classics.