Rooted: Smetana, Suk, Martin & Coleridge-Taylor – Neave Trio

The Neave Trio’s programme Rooted features a range of works based on folk music. Smetana’s distinctive nationalistic style was largely based on the inclusion of bohemian rhythmic and melodic elements, and he was acclaimed in his native Bohemia as the father of Czech music. His Trio in G minor was composed in 1855 as a response to the death of his four-year old daughter and shows the influence of Liszt.

Josef Suk was a favourite pupil of Dvorák’s, and his early Piano Trio, whilst shorter in length and less intense than Smetana’s, is embedded in that Czech tradition. Also deeply influenced by Dvorák, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was inspired by his African heritage, as well, and his Twenty-Four Negro Melodies for Piano was a prime example of his research. He subsequently arranged five of these pieces into the suite for piano trio that we hear on this album. The programme concludes with Frank Martin’s Trio from 1925, which is based on traditional Irish melodies.

Reviews

BBC Music Magazine September 2024

“It’s a characteristically eclectic mix that nurtures the Neaves’ wellupholstered warmth, attention to detail and compelling rapport. – 4 out of 5 stars (Performance) / 5 out of 5 stars (Recording)

Gramophone Magazine September 2024

“The power of the Coleridge-Taylor is enhanced by its company here…A collection well worth experiencing.

The Strad August 2024

“A typically unorthodox programme from an exploratory trio … Each player gets a chance to shine on the disc, and the engineering is first-rate.

Audiophile Audition June 2024

…these four chamber works explore music of a definitive national identity … The members of the ensemble – Anna Williams, violin; Mikhail Veselov, cello; Eri Nakamura, piano – brandish their considerable skills in the service of otherwise neglected composers and scores, with astonishing brilliance in their recorded sound, courtesy of Recording Producer Jonathan Cooper… 5/5