Sergei Rachmaninov, a composer, pianist, and conductor, was known for his exceptionally large hands, capable of spanning twelve inches, which may have been aided by Marfan Syndrome.
Composer Biography
Lawrence Rose, a composer born in England, pursued a career in law before leaving it in 2001 to focus on composition, completing most of his 29 pieces after emigrating to Chicago.
Composition History
Lawrence Rose's Piano Trio Op. 26 includes three elegiac movements composed in response to mass shootings in the USA and war crimes in Syria in 2019.
Composer Biography
Bedřich Smetana, a composer born in Bohemia, showed great musical promise from an early age but his parents initially discouraged a formal music education.
Album & Artwork
All three piano trios on this disc are either first or only forays into the medium for their respective composers and are elegiac in character.
Composition History
Rachmaninov's Trio Élégiaque No. 1, a student piece, was inspired by the first elegiac movement of a piano trio by his mentor, Tchaikovsky, and was composed in three days.
Composition History
Smetana's Piano Trio Op. 15 was written as a memorial to his eldest daughter, Bedřiška, who died of scarlet fever at age four.
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Masterpieces Among Peers
Arensky: Trio in D Minor, Op. 32 - Shostakovitch: Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67
