The highlight of this release by the
Linos Piano Trio
will be apparent after just a few moments of sampling: the sound of the instruments is unique. This is a historically oriented recording, something that is not as strange for
Ravel
as it used to be, but this one is unique, and it made classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2023. Actually, it is not a historical performance but almost a historical reconstruction of how
might have heard his
Piano Trio in A minor
in his head; the group uses an 1882
Erard
concert grand that was similar to what
had at home, and the violinist and cellist use gut strings (with a varying ratio of wound vs. plain). The effect is magical. There is none of the sharp attack from the usual
Steinway
, overpowering the other instruments unless drastic measures are taken. Instead, the delicate piano and the instruments together offer a night scene, a gentle sky full of stars that is ideally suited to the extramusical content of the trio, its folk and Malay influences. One might raise all kinds of objections here. The need for transcriptions of
Le tombeau de Couperin
and the
Pavane pour une infante defunte
, as opposed to playing trios by other composers this way, isn't totally clear, and the meaning of the grammatically awkward title
In Search of Lost Dance
, referring to
's World War I experiences, is a bit hard to unpack; in fact,
's major composition of this period was precisely a suite of dances, but all one can say is that the proof is in the listening.
's
Piano Trio
has never sounded like this before, and the group is magnificently recorded by Germany's Suedwestrundfunk at its Baden-Baden studios. Listen and be amazed. ~ James Manheim