52 Poems

Russian Roots is the début recording of Trio Gaspard for Chandos Records, for which the group is joined by the soprano Katharina Konradi in a diverse and rewarding programme that explores the Russian influence across almost 200 years of music. A selection of Russian folksongs set by Beethoven, Shostakovich’s First Piano Trio and Seven Romances on Poems by Blok, and Weinberg’s Jewish Songs form the backbone of the recital. These are complemented by vocalises (wordless songs) by Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Gubaidulina, and Auerbach.

Edward MacDowell is best known for his Piano Concertos and his short solo piece "To a Wild Rose". This collection provides an insight into some of his nearly-forgotten solo piano music, resurrected here by the late James Barbagallo, whose obvious enthusiasm for the music infuses each track with newfound vitality and energy.

In 1904 Max Reger wrote what was to be the first in a major sequence of variations on themes by his great predecessors. The Variations and Fugue on a Theme by J.S. Bach was written for piano but its richness and virtuosity exceed the scope of the instrument. Ira Levin’s orchestration clarifies the structure, intensifies climaxes and reduces its length. The Four Tone Poems explore the paintings of the symbolist Arnold Böcklin and form symphonic mood pictures that veer from delicacy to Bacchanalian frenzy.