Smetana's Piano Trio in G minor initially failed at its 1855 Prague premiere, receiving dismissive reviews, but was later praised by Liszt.
Instruments
The violin on this recording is a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini from Milan, 1753, and the cello is a Matteo Goffriller 'Leonard Rose' from Venice, 1693, both on private loan.
Composition History
Bedřich Smetana, composer of the Piano Trio in G minor, was deeply affected by the death of his eldest daughter, Bedřiška, at age 4½, which inspired this trio.
Composition History
All three works on this album by Dvořák, Smetana, and Suk were inspired by the deaths of loved ones.
Composer Biography
Josef Suk, composer of the Elegy, was Dvořák's student and later his son-in-law, and also a founding member and second violinist of the Bohemian Quartet.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The three composers on this album—Dvořák, Smetana, and Suk—were all part of a nationalist movement in 19th-century music, particularly strong in Bohemia and Moravia.
Composer Biography
Antonín Dvořák, composer of the Piano Trio No.3, stopped including the words 'Bohu díky' ('Thanks be to God') in his manuscripts after 1862, a surprising absence in this work.
You might also enjoy...
Brahms - Liszt - Schönberg
Rachmaninov: Trio elegiaque No. 1 - Glinka: Trio pathétique in D Minor - Debussy: Piano Trio No. 1
