Béla Bartók's Contrasts, commissioned by Benny Goodman, allowed the composer to incorporate jazz elements, celebrating a 'blending of cultures' in response to rising racist ideologies.
Compositional Technique
Paul Schoenfield's Trio incorporates Klezmer music, a tradition of Yiddish-speaking Jews from Eastern Europe, which evolved in the United States by assimilating American jazz rhythms and styles.
Composer Biography
Béla Bartók, the Hungarian composer, finished his work Contrasts on September 24, 1938, the same day Hitler was threatening to ignite a European war over the Sudetenland.
Composer Biography
Francis Poulenc, a French composer, considered himself a 'third-rate composer' despite creating musical worlds that significantly influenced music history.
Recording & Production
The album was recorded in November 2020 at Radio SRF, Studio Zürich, Switzerland.
Album & Artwork
The album's basic idea was to experiment with playing together as a trio, which then led to the selection of works by Bartók, Schoenfield, and Poulenc.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Paul Schoenfield's Trio aims to create entertaining music suitable for both Hasidic gatherings and concert halls, with each movement based on an Eastern European Hasidic melody.
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Walker, G.: New World Dances / Craftsbury Trio / Touch the Sky / Fantasy Etudes / A Vision of Hills
Brahms / Joachim: Hungarian Dances
Johann Sebastian Bach: Six Sonatas For Violin And Piano
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Bartók: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2; Romanian Folk Dances; Rhapsody No. 1
