Trio Solisti

December 2, 2018, Town Hall
Haydn: Trio in C Major, Hob. XV/27
Dvorak: Trio No. 2 in G minor, Op. 26
Brahms: Trio in B Major, Op. 8 (rev. version)

I can't remember the last time I heard a full Piano Trio recital. This is one of the most difficult formations to get right, and even on record I do not find too many favorites.

So kudos to Trio Solisti for delivering a consistently polished and balanced sound. Pianist Fabio Bidini plays idiomatically, still sometimes overwhelm things, but not often. Violinist Maria Bachmann is exceptionally steady and pure in intonation, though I sometimes wish she would play with a little more abandon. Cellist Alexis Pier Gerlach wears her heart on her sleeve and is excellent, though the dark sound of her instrument sometimes buries her in the mix.

The Haydn Trio is basically a piano sonata with string obligato, quite nice and pleasant. The following Dvorak Piano Trio No. 2 is much meatier, though rarely programmed. It is a rather concise work that nonetheless harbors all of Dvorak's mature style. The Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 is much better known and received a polished performance.