The Neave Trio’s fourth album with Chandos Records –– includes Rachmaninoff’s Trio élégiaque No. 1; Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 8; and Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 67. The album presents music connected by the theme of remembrance. Rachmaninoff’s early first piano trio was inspired by Tchaikovsky’s trio in A minor, and shows illuminating(is glimpses of the mature composer to come. The elegiac mood of Rachmaninoff’s work is matched by that of Brahms’s first trio – again an early composition – which was inspired by the composer’s (unrequited) feelings for Clara Schumann. Ravel’s only piano trio was composed in 1914, as France was being drawn into the horrors of the first world war. Ravel draws extensively on the rhythms and forms of his native Basque musical traditions, while the title of the second movement, "Pantoum," refers to a form of traditional Malaysian poetry which typically deals with two separate themes in alternation, a feature to which Ravel responds with a series of contrasting themes and textures.
Musical Remembrances
Chandos Records
Release Date: May 6, 2022
Her Voice
Chandos Records
Release Date: October 4, 2019
Neave Trio's third album for UK label Chandos Records, Her Voice, celebrates the trailblazing work of three distinguished female composers. One of her most prominent pieces, Rebecca Clarke’s Piano Trio showcases her unique harmonic language, influenced by both the French and British styles of the early 20th century, as well as by folk music. Amy Beach’s trio was composed late in her career, and incorporates lush romantic melodies over impressionistic tones and colors. A prominent concert pianist and teacher, Louise Farrenc also achieved success as a composer. Her trio conveys inspiration from both the Classical and Romantic eras, but is widely regarded as a notable representation of early Romantic chamber music
Composer Eric Nathan will release the world premiere recording of Missing Words (2014-2021) on January 21, 2022 on New Focus Recordings. Performed by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, American Brass Quintet, cellist Parry Karp and pianist Christopher Karp, International Contemporary Ensemble, Neave Trio, and Hub New Music, this 84-minute magnum opus is a six-part series inspired by German words invented by writer Ben Schott in his book Schottenfreude (2013) that describe ineffable experiences of contemporary life. The musical works speak to intimate yet shared experiences that range from the tragic and beautiful to the comic and commonplace. With Missing Words, Nathan finds meaning in the phenomena that add color to everyday life. Schott has contributed a foreword for the album and Robert Kirzinger wrote the liner notes.
Musically, Missing Words is a stark departure from Nathan's other works. In order to convey the subtlety and complexity of Schott's precisely constructed portmanteau words, Nathan has invented new sonorities and forms that are surprising and delightful. He expresses, with exactitude and humor, shared human experiences that bring us closer together. These Schumann-esque character pieces take the listener through sound worlds that are widely disparate.
Missing Words
New Focus Records
Release Date: January 21, 2022
On this recording, the Neave Trio captures Piazzolla’s rich legacy through arrangements by one of Piazzolla’s long time colleagues, José Bragato (Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas) and by a younger protégé, Leonardo Suárez Paz (select songs). Mezzo-soprano Carla Jablonski joins the trio for the Piazzolla songs as well as an original work by Paz. Celebrating Piazzolla was produced by Alan Bise, mastered by Bruce Egre, and recorded at Sauder Hall, Goshen College.
Piazzolla’s original score for Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas matched his quintet: bandoneón, piano, guitar, bass, and violin. José Bragato, who worked with Piazzolla for many years and arranged many of his works, created this stylish version for piano trio, true to the Argentine tango spirit. In the tradition of tango spontaneity and flexibility, he takes liberties with textures, ornamentation, and other details of Piazzolla’s themes.
Celebrating Piazzolla
Azica Records
Release Date: November 16, 2018
French Moments
Chandos Records
Release Date: June 1, 2018
French Moments features the only known piano trios written by the French masters Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, and Albert Roussel, and was produced by Jonathan Cooper and recorded at Potton Hall in Suffolk, England.
This program highlights the only known piano trios written by French Impressionist masters Debussy, Roussel, and Fauré. Debussy composed his piano trio when he was 18 years old. The work was thought to be lost until it was discovered by one of
Debussy’s pupils, and was published over 100 years after it was composed. Though Roussel did not begin composing until his late twenties, his piano trio in E-flat Major is one of his earliest known works. Juxtaposed with these early works is Fauré’s piano trio in D minor, which he composed one year before his death, when he was most likely completely deaf.
Neave Trio’s debut album, American Moments, was released in fall 2016 on Chandos Records. The album is a collection of works which celebrates music written by composers of such different backgrounds, all of whom were celebrated in the U.S. for their unique voices and talents, including Korngold, Foote, and Bernstein. Because Neave’s members come from Japan, Russia, and the U.S., the trio is compelled to express their pride as Americans through three 20th century works by these prominent composers.
Korngold: Piano Trio, Op. 1 Bernstein: Piano Trio, Foote: Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 65
Chandos Record Label Debut 2016
American Moments
Chandos Records
Release Date: November 4, 2016