The premiere of Ravel's Trio in A minor in Paris on January 28, 1915, passed virtually unnoticed due to World War I, but it is now considered a major work in the piano trio repertoire.
Instruments
The violin used in this recording is the 1679 'Parera' Antonio Stradivari, kindly loaned through the Beare's International Violin Society.
Composer Biography
Camille Saint-Saëns, one of the composers on this album, was not only a composer but also a virtuoso pianist, organist, teacher, publisher, writer, critic, philosopher, archaeologist, astronomer, zoology enthusiast, and painter.
Composition History
Ravel completed his Trio in A minor in five weeks during the outbreak of World War I, confiding to a friend, "I have never worked as hard, nor as quickly as this summer, especially since the mobilization."
Composition History
Ravel's Trio in A minor was composed between April and August 1914 in Saint-Jean de Luz, in the Basque country, which he loved.
Compositional Technique
The theme opening Ravel's Trio in A minor displays what Ravel called "a Basque colour" and adopts the rhythm of the five-beat zortziko, a traditional Basque dance.
Composer Biography
Maurice Ravel, one of the composers on this album, admired Camille Saint-Saëns, also featured on this album, throughout his life, stating in 1933, "Believe me, this man knew how to compose."
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