Trio Bohemo

We are delighted to welcome back Trio Bohemo to Flamstead for their third visit to Music at St Leonard's - and what a programme they have chosen for us!Still a young ensemble, but already earning an outstanding international reputation, this remarkable Czech trio have appeared at prestigious venues including London's Wigmore Hall and Vienna's Musikverein, and have received major international competition prizes. Their musical partnership combines youthful energy with a remarkable command of the chamber music repertoire. Their recent recordings have also attracted considerable critical acclaim.
For this concert, they bring us three works that span more than a century of musical imagination, each with its own distinctive character and challenges.Anton Reicha: Piano Trio No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 101Reicha was a fascinating contemporary of Beethoven, yet his music remains far less familiar to concert audiences. A composer of extraordinary inventiveness, he delighted in unexpected harmonic turns, rhythmic surprises and playful exchanges between instruments. His piano trios are now receiving renewed attention, not least through Trio Bohemo's recent recording of the complete set of six Op. 101 trios. What a pleasure to hear this adventurous music championed by musicians who have made it something of a speciality!Bohuslav Martinu: Bergerettes for violin, cello and pianoFrom the Classical world of Reicha, we move into the distinctive sound world of Martinu, one of the great Czech composers of the twentieth century. The title Bergerettes evokes little pastoral songs or dances, and the music draws on the rhythms and melodic character of Czech and Bohemian folk traditions. Expect irresistible rhythmic vitality, fleeting lyricism and sparkling interplay between the three instruments - music that is both sophisticated and wonderfully alive.Maurice Ravel: Piano Trio in A minorThe culmination of the programme is one of the towering masterpieces of the piano-trio repertoire. Written in 1914, just before Ravel departed for military service in the First World War, this extraordinary work combines crystalline precision with sumptuous sonorities, intricate rhythms and an almost orchestral range of colour.
It is tempting to call Ravel's Trio the most demanding piano trio ever written - and certainly its technical and musical demands are formidable. The pianist must negotiate passages of astonishing complexity, while violin and cello are asked to match the piano's virtuosity and navigate some extraordinarily delicate, exposed writing. Yet the work is much more than a virtuoso challenge: its Basque-inspired rhythms, shimmering textures and haunting slow movement create a sound world of extraordinary beauty. Its finale, with its dazzling cross-rhythms and explosive energy, is a thrilling conclusion to any concert.
Three composers, three very different musical personalities, and one exceptional ensemble to bring them together. We can look forward to an evening of discovery, virtuosity and sheer musical pleasure.We very much hope you will join us in welcoming Trio Bohemo back to St Leonard's. It is a privilege to follow the progress of such a fine young ensemble, and we are delighted that they are returning to share their music with us once again.
Do join us for this fabulous evening sponsored by Jan Telensky.