CSMF 2019 presents Amatis Piano Trio

Lea Hausmann violin

Samuel Shepherd cello

Mengjie Han piano

 

Haydn Piano Trio No.44 in E major XV:28

Brahms Piano Trio No.2

Tarrodi Moorlands (composed 2018)

Mendelssohn Piano Trio No.1

 

The Amatis piano trio is a truly international ensemble. Formed in Amsterdam in 2014, its players are German, British and Dutch/Chinese, and they have performed to critical acclaim throughout the UK, Europe and Asia – with upcoming engagements in China, Australia and North America.

 

In keeping with the Festival theme of women composers, their programme tonight includes Moorlands by Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi, which they premiered at the Barbican Centre last September. They begin with Haydn’s Piano Trio No. 44 (1797), the second movement of which evokes the second movement of Bach’s Italian Concerto for harpsichord – nodding to our other theme of JS Bach.

 

The Brahms and Mendelssohn trios are deservedly popular standards of the repertoire. Brahms’ second piano trio was composed in the early 1880s at a time of great creativity, alongside the great Tragic and Academic Festival overtures, while Mendelssohn’s sparkling first piano trio (1839) was praised by his contemporary Schumann as “the master trio of our age”.