The first movement of Ravel's Piano Trio is heavily influenced by folk music from his native Basque region, using the rhythmic pattern of a Basque dance called a Zortziko.
Compositional Technique
The second movement of Ravel's Piano Trio, titled 'Pantoum', adopts the Malaysian verse form pantun, popular with 19th-century French writers like Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire.
Performer Biography
The Amatis Trio, founded in Amsterdam in 2014, has performed in 34 countries and won numerous awards, including the Audience Prize at the Grachtenfestival-Concours and the International Parkhouse Award.
Interpretation
The Amatis Trio chose the Enescu and Britten trios for this album because they are seldom recorded or performed, allowing the trio to develop an individual approach.
Composition History
Ravel's Piano Trio in A minor was completed in just five weeks in 1914, spurred by his desire to serve in the army at the outbreak of World War I.
Composer Biography
George Enescu, a Romanian composer, was a versatile musician known as one of the 20th century's most outstanding violinists, as well as a pianist, conductor, composer, and teacher.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ravel's music was a profound source of inspiration for both Enescu and Britten, which led the Amatis Trio to include Ravel's Piano Trio in A minor on this album.
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