Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67, was composed in 1944 amidst the atrocities of World War II and is dedicated to his best friend Ivan Sollertinsky, who died of a heart attack.
Composition History
Maurice Ravel began his only Piano Trio in March 1914 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a town in the Basque country where he often visited to relax.
Compositional Technique
The final movement of Shostakovich's Piano Trio No. 2 uses a Jewish theme for the first time in his career, reminiscent of klezmer music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Maurice Ravel and Dmitri Shostakovich, despite their differences, shared a common refusal to share their deepest feelings with the listener, though they appear to drop this mask at crucial moments.
Performer Biography
The Busch Trio formed from a group of school friends who met at the Royal College of Music in London over a decade ago, evolving from aspiring soloists to a leading international ensemble.
Instruments
Mathieu van Bellen, the violinist of the Busch Trio, plays the 'ex-Adolf Busch' G.B. Guadagnini violin from 1783, and the trio's choice to use gut strings reflects their appreciation for early 20th-century aesthetics.
Compositional Technique
Shostakovich's Piano Trio No. 2 uses a cello solo in harmonics at the beginning, allowing the normally low-voiced instrument to play well above the violin's range.
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