Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) TRIO in E FLAT OP

Home , Sergei Taneyev

BIOGRAPHY Formed in 2012, the LEONORE TRIO brings together three internationally acclaimed artists whose CONWAY piano trio performancesas part of Ensemble 360 were met with such enthusiastic responses that they decided to form a piano trio in its own right. HALL SUNDAY The Trio has since given concerts throughout the UK, Italy and in New Zealand. Whilst in New Zealand they played to and coached a group of young musicians as part of the Sistema Aotearoa programme, CONCERTS and were adjudicators of the Royal Over- Seas League New Zealand Chamber Music Competition. Their concert in Hamilton was broadcast on Radio New Zealand.

Recent highlights include recitals at Wigmore Hall, at the Stamford Arts Centre and at the Presteigne Patrons and Little Missenden Festivals, as well as the release of the Trio’s debut recording for Hyperion of the - Stephen Hough, Prunella Scales CBE, Roderick Swanston, piano trios of Anton Arensky in March 2014. The disc received critical acclaim both nationally and Hiro Takenouchi and Timothy West CBE internationally with praise for the Trio’s “revelatory playing” (The Observer) and “impressively wide Artistic Director - Simon Callaghan range of timbres” (Limelight Magazine).

The Leonore Trio’s members are keen exponents of contemporary music: they gave the first performance of Holkham Beach, a piece written for and dedicated to the Trio by Simon Rowland-Jones; and they play the piano trios of distinguished composers including David Matthews, Harrison Birtwistle and Huw Watkins. Sunday March 20th 2016, 6:30pm

In 2015 the Trio performed the complete Beethoven Piano Trios at Kings Place and embarked on an even broader project including all the works by Beethoven for piano trio, piano and violin, and piano and cello, a selection of which they performed in a series of six concerts as part of a Martin Randall weekend in Taunton. The Trio has started the complete cycle for Music in the Round in Sheffield in Autumn 2015. Further highlights also include UK recitals in London, Nottingham, Norwich, Leicester and Cambridge at venues including Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, and the Crucible Studio in Sheffield; LEONORE and international dates at Bergen International Festival and at Oslo Concert Hall. The Leonore Trio’s second disc for Hyperion – a recording of Lalo’s piano trio - was released in December 2015. TRIO NEXT AT CONWAY HALL Sunday April 3rd 2016*, 6:30pm PIATTI QUARTET VIOLIN BENJAMIN NABARRO Ravel Quartet in F GEMMA ROSEFIELD Turnage Contusion CELLO Beethoven Quartet in F Op. 59/1 PIANO TIM HORTON

*PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO CONCERT ON MARCH 27TH.

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Conway Hall Sunday Concerts are an integral part of the charitable activities of Conway Hall. Please turn off all mobile phones and electronic devices. Conway Hall’s registered charity name is Conway Hall Ethical Society (n o . 1156033). No recording and photographing allowed at any time. PROGRAMME PROGRAMME NOTES LALO TRIO NO.1 IN C MINOR OP. 7 (1850) Édouard Lalo is perhaps a lesser-known figure in the classical music canon. A French composer of Spanish descent, his Symphonie espagnole for violin and orchestra enjoys a reputation as a favourite by many audiences and violinists. However, Lalo was no stranger to chamber music as he played the violin Édouard Lalo (1823-92) and viola, and founded the Armingaud Quartet in 1855. TRIO NO.1 IN C MINOR OP. 7 (1850) Chamber music was relatively underexplored in France at the time, and Lalo set out to expose the I. Allegro moderato audience to the wonderful sounds of this style, with pieces like this Trio No. 1 in C minor. The musical II. Romance: Andante world of this Trio speaks for the Germanic tradition of Mendelssohn and Schumann, opening with an Allegro Moderato that motors through in sonata form with flourishing figurations from the piano and III. Scherzo: Allegretto a stirring melody introduced by the cello and relayed between both string parts. The Romance drifts IV. Finale: Allegro through a serene narrative with lyrical melodies evocative of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, while the Scherzo is the rhythmic and tonal highlight of the work galloping away with cool finesse and buoyancy. Extending the drama of the first movement, the Finale weaves long melodic phrases over sumptuous piano arpeggios and harmonies. Although his own orchestral landmarks may overshadow his Piano Trio, it is a fine piece of chamber artistry that deserves greater attention.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) TRIO IN E FLAT OP. 70/2 (1808) BEETHOVEN TRIO IN E FLAT OP. 70/2 (1808) I. Poco sostenuto - Allegro ma non troppo Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Trio in E flat came at a time when practical developments had modernised II. Allegretto the sounds of all three instruments, expanding the capacity of musical expression and sonic power. III. Allegretto ma non troppo The second of his Op. 70 set of trios is equally as compelling as his “Ghost” counterpart. The first movement is a mellow and breezy affair, opening with a fugue-like mood before shifting to a fresh 6/8 IV. Finale: Allegro drive. Beethoven also infuses a touch of mystery, as the music seems to approach the second subject in the dominant key B flat, he summons back the opening theme in the rather enigmatic key of G flat. The influences of Haydn and Mozart are most pronounced in the playful melodic and rhythmic gestures of the Allegretto, yet the rich and powerful sonorities and decisive cadences retain a Romantic foreground. A soothing violin melody and shimmering piano phrases define the elegant third movement, which also displays a greater freedom in pitch and in the dynamic control at the disposal of the pianist. Beethoven INTERVAL exclaims a heroic and triumphant Finale with escalating dynamics, lively thematic ideas in G and C major (15 mins) and an exhilarating conclusion towards the final three tonic chords.

TANEYEV TRIO IN D OP. 22 (1908) Aleksandr Taneyev (1850-1918) Sergei Taneyev was a Russian composer who worked under the shadow of the nation’s greater musical TRIO IN D OP. 22 (1908) figures. Dubbed by Tchaikovsky as the “Russian Bach”, Taneyev devoted intense study into Baroque music and counterpoint. He explored the past as a technical guide for his compositions, but paid equal I. Allegro attention to his Romantic musical identity. This balance between deep intellectual and expressive minds II. Allegro molto - Tema con variazioni is the fundamental quality of Taneyev’s music, including his Trio in D. III. Andante espressivo Traces of Bach and Mozart can be found in the stately Allegro, from its classical sonata form narrative IV. Finale: Allegro con brio to the fugal piano passages in the development. A skittish Scherzo follows, scurrying in its tempo and vivacious polyphonic and dynamic locomotion, showcasing Taneyev’s textural invention at its finest. A slow and short third movement indulges in rich string sonorities, warm piano chords and a smooth melodic flow, followed by a nimble Finale stirring up flashes of rhythmic excitement, rocking tempo changes and cascading melodies until the movement accelerates towards a bold finish.