Jennifer Frautschi, violin Johannes Brahms | Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40 Eric Ruske, horn Théodore Dubois | Trio Cantabile Stephen Prutsman, piano Josef Holbrooke | Trio in D, Op. 28

Music by Three Music by Three Romantic Repertoire for violin, horn and piano Romantic Repertoire for violin, horn and piano

Jennifer Frautschi, violin Johannes Brahms | Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40 Eric Ruske, horn Théodore Dubois | Trio Cantabile Stephen Prutsman, piano Josef Holbrooke | Trio in D, Op. 28

WWW.ALBANYRECORDS.COM TROY1228 ALBANY RECORDS U.S. 915 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12207 TEL: 518.436.8814 FAX: 518.436.0643 ALBANY RECORDS U.K. BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD TEL: 01539 824008 © 2010 ALBANY RECORDS MADE IN THE USA DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. The last few decades have provided us with a trio, many composers realized that this variation written in 1860. The combination of string, brass period; the violin strung with gut strings, the gen- wealth of repertoire (a cornucopia, if you will) of the traditional piano trio (substituting horn for and piano would seem to make issues of blend tler pianoforte of the day, and the Waldhorn would for the chamber music ensemble that combines the standard ’cello) had myriad possibilities and and balance problematic, but his predilection for have blended artfully in a way that modern instru- violin, horn and piano. While still not a standard perhaps even a wider tonal palette than the pair- the natural or hand horn, as opposed to the more ments often have a difficult time in replicating. on the concert stage, composers have recently ing of two strings with keyboard. As many of the modern valved instrument that was becoming In the life of the then 32-year-old begun to exploit the seemingly disparate voices compositions from the turn of the last century increasingly more popular, made these issues Johannes, 1865 was a singular and pivotal from these three diverse musical families. have been virtually ignored, this recording will much less pronounced. His insistence that each of year. In February, he received a telegram from Contemporary luminaries such as John Harbison, feature two rarely performed (and previously the hornists with whom he performed this trio use his brother advising him to return to Hamburg, György Ligeti, Poul Ruders, George Tsontakis, unrecorded) horn trios from the beginning of the the natural horn was indicative of the debate of if he wished to see his mother before she died. and Charles Wourinen have composed techni- last century, as well the piece that most likely his time. While a complete discussion of the natu- Unfortunately, he was too late, and she died cally complex and musically satisfying horn trios. inspired them all. ral vs. valved horn is not possible here, I believe from a stroke while he was en route. Although What inspired these composers to write for this Unlike many of the composers who a brief explanation is necessary. The natural horn she had certainly had a long and eventful life, particular group of instruments? Searching the have written for the horn trio, it is worth noting (that relied upon the assortment of different length her passing affected him deeply and in addi- music of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, that Johannes could play each of these three ‘crooks’ to change keys) would have blended the tion to Ein deutsches Requiem, the Trio must one encounters a complete absence of works for instruments and the sound of the horn certainly ‘open’ sounds of the natural harmonics with the certainly have been one of the products of this this combination, and yet each of these prolific occupied a special place in his childhood audi- ‘stopped’ sounds that were produced when the emotion, as the third movement was the first masters made considerable and outstanding tory memory. His father was a professional performer inserted his hand into the bell to obtain piece of music written after her death. Even his contributions to chamber music of almost all bass player in the Hamburg Philharmonic, but the notes not available on the harmonic series. Opus 41/1 chorus for male voices, Ich schwing’ other configurations. The Trio in E-flat Major, Jakob Brahms also played horn in the Hamburg In an effort to minimize the differences between mein Horn in’s Jammerthal (I blow my horn to Op. 40 by Johannes Brahms reigns as one of the Bürgerwehr (town militia band) for over 36 years. the ‘open’ and ‘stopped’ notes, performers of the Sorrow’s Vale), which closely followed the Trio, supreme works of chamber music that include The horn would come to occupy a prominent role natural horn would often closely cover the bell Op. 40, would seem to indicate that his choice the horn, and it is often thought of as the model in Johannes’ symphonic output, and the piano with their hand, resulting in a more muted and of the horn to express these profound feelings for all of the succeeding works composed for this concerti also have important bits for the pairs of veiled sound. Brahms preferred this timbre and of loss was intentional. The third movement of trio. The instrumentation of this trio is certainly orchestral hand horns. In his first attempt to use felt that the new Ventil-horn (valved instrument) this trio, marked Adagio mesto (mesto meaning unique, as there were no precedents of note in the horn in chamber music (excluding the orches- sacrificed the true sound of the instrument in mournful or sad) is one of the rare movements the major chamber music oeuvre. In the years tral serenades), he combined a pair of horns with favor of a more facile technique. Indeed, all three in which Brahms used this weighty tempo immediately following the completion of Brahms’ harp in the Opus 17 Vier Gesänge für Frauenchor, of the instruments that were in use during this indication. Both the first and final movements certainly pay homage to the roots of the horn as also the Director of the Conservatoire for one of his peers, Arnold Bax, and Holbrooke was As a performer, I find myself drawn to and an instrument of the forest, the true Waldhorn, almost a decade and counted among his pupils at one time dubbed “the Cockney Wagner.” His fascinated by the stories behind the recordings and the inspiration for the first movement was Paul Dukas and Florent Schmitt. His major influ- fascination with the literature of Edgar Allen Poe we hear. Because I believe that music is about said to have come to him during one of his many ence was as a teacher, having authored several inspired two works for chorus and orchestra, as the deep and lasting connections that are made walks in his beloved Schwarzwald. Prior to this treatises on counterpoint and harmony. His com- well as a ballet. His popularity peaked around the before and after the concert (as well as during), trio, the horn was not a major participant in the positional output includes three symphonies and turn of the twentieth century and, owing to the a brief bit of background on the participants: chamber music catalogues of most compos- two piano trios but is focused on vocal works. sheer length of and considerable forces needed Stephen Prutsman and I began playing concerts ers, and Brahms’ attention to the horn, coupled The 1867 oratorio, Les Sept Paroles du Christ, for the performance of his works, his composi- featuring the Brahms Trio in the 1980’s under with the increased possibilities brought about and a small number of his organ compositions tions have faded into relative obscurity. The Trio the auspices of that wonderful organization, by development of the chromatic valved instru- are among the few compositions that are still in D, Op. 28 was dedicated to Adolf Bersdorf, Young Concert Artists, and have since performed ment, certainly seemed to fuel the imaginations known to modern audiences. Very little is known the hornist who performed the premiere during together in cities from Bogotá to Chattanooga. of composers that followed him. Indeed, this about the brief and charming Trio Cantabile, a Holbrooke chamber music concert on July 4th, Jennifer Frautschi and I performed for the first work stands out as one of the seminal and most other than its 1903 publication date. 1904. In Josef Holbrooke and His Work, a 1920 time together at a chamber music concert in highly-revered works in the career and life of ————— biography, George Lowe, wrote: Boston in 1997, and have since regularly col- every hornist. The premiere of the trio took place Joseph Holbrooke, who changed his name This Trio, for the unusual combination laborated both professionally and personally, as on November 28th, 1865 in Zürich with Brahms to Josef later in life, is the most contemporary of of violin, horn and pianoforte, is one we are now married. Producer Gregg Squires and at the keyboard and was performed again soon the three composers featured on this disc. Born of the brightest and most genial of I made our first recording together for Musical after on December 5th in Karlsruhe Germany, in the English town (now borough) of Holbrooke’s works. It is also uniformly Heritage Society almost exactly 20 years ago (on again with Brahms at the keyboard, Strauss on Croydon in 1878, he began his piano studies at melodious, and, in its middle move- April 1st, 1990) and have since made five other violin and Segisser on the horn. age twelve and later attended the Royal Academy ment, attains to a considerable dignity recordings. I approached Susan Bush at Albany ————— of Music in London. While he devoted his primary and beauty of expression. Its sentiment Records in 2000 with a recording for horn and Théodore Dubois (née François-Clément- energies to composition, his enviable day job has, to a large extent, been suggested piano and no takers, and here I am, 10 years Théodore Dubois) spent his entire professional found him as the conductor of a spa orchestra. by lines from Byron’s Don Juan – and four projects later, still thrilled to hear her life in his native France. An organist who suc- His catalogue is sizeable and includes eight sym- “There’s music in the sighing of a reed: voice. Life is about the journey, not the destina- ceeded both César Franck at the church at phonies, two piano concerti, several tone poems, There’s music in the gushing of a rill, tion, and I am so grateful to have been able to Sainte-Clotilde in 1871 and Camille Saint-Saëns and a wide variety of chamber music works. The There’s music in all things if men had ears; share it with each one of these people. at the church of the Madeleine in 1877, he was grand scale on which he wrote was similar to Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.” —Eric Ruske ————— Avery Fisher career grant recipient violin- debut in 2004. As part of the European Concert has premiered important new works by Mason She also attended Harvard and the New England ist Jennifer Frautschi has gained acclaim as Hall Organization’s Rising Stars series, Ms. Bates, Oliver Knussen, Krzystof Penderecki, Conservatory of Music, where she studied with an adventurous performer with a wide-ranging Frautschi also made debuts that year at ten of Michael Hersch, and others, and has appeared James Buswell, and The Juilliard School, where repertoire. As the Chicago Tribune wrote, “the Europe’s most celebrated concert venues, includ- at New York’s George Crumb Festival and Stefan she was a pupil of . young violinist Jennifer Frautschi is molding ing London’s Wigmore Hall, Mozarteum, Wolpe Centenary Concerts. Formerly a member Pianist Stephen Prutsman has been a career with smart interpretations of both Concertgebouw, Vienna Konzerthaus, of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two, described as one of the most innovative musi- warhorses and rarities.” Equally at home in and La Cité de la Musique in Paris. She has also she is a frequent guest at the Chamber Music cians of his time. Moving easily from classical to the classic repertoire as well as 20th and 21st been heard in recital at the Ravinia Festival, Society of Lincoln Center. jazz to world music styles as a pianist, composer century works, in the past few seasons alone she La Jolla Chamber Music Society, Washington’s Her growing discography includes three and conductor, Prutsman continues to explore has performed the Britten Concerto, Poul Ruders’ Phillips Collection, Boston’s Gardner Museum, widely-praised CDs for Artek: an orchestral and seek common ground in the music of all cul- Concerto No. 1, Steven Mackey’s Violin Sonata, Beijing’s Imperial Garden, Monnaie Opera in debut recording of the Prokofiev concerti with tures and languages. Recently he was appointed and Mendelssohn’s rarely played Concerto in D Brussels, La Chaux des Fonds in Switzerland, Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony, and Artistic Director of the Cartagena International Minor, along with standards such as the Mozart, and San Miguel de Allende Festival in Mexico. highly-acclaimed discs of music of Ravel and Festival of Music, South America’s largest festival Tchaikovsky and Berg Concerti. As a chamber artist, Ms. Frautschi Stravinsky, and of 20th century works for solo of its kind, programming and curating concerts Ms. Frautschi has created a sensation performs often at the Boston Chamber Music violin. She has also recorded several discs for with themes ranging from Mozart celebrations, with appearances as soloist with Society, Caramoor (where she has appeared Naxos, including a Grammy-nominated recording to eclectic evenings of folk and popular music of and the Philharmonic, Christoph annually since she was first invited there at of Schoenberg’s Concerto for String Quartet and the Americas, to hybrid programs fusing art and Eschenbach and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra the age of 18 by Andre Previn), Chamber Music Orchestra, and the Stravinsky Violin Concerto dance music of multiple musical dimensions. at the Ravinia Festival, and at Wigmore Hall and Northwest (in Portland, OR), and the Santa Fe with the of London, both From 2004-2007 Stephen was Artistic Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival. She has Chamber Music Festival. She has also appeared conducted by the legendary Robert Craft, as well Partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, also soloed in recent seasons with the Chamber at the Charlottesville, La Jolla Summerfest, as the Schoenberg Third String Quartet (with the where he led in performance concertos from the Orchestra of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Symphony, La Musica (Sarasota), Moab, Music@Menlo, Fred Sherry String Quartet) and Stravinsky Duo keyboard, performed in chamber ensembles, Kansas City Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Newport, Rome, Seattle, Spoleto (Italy), and St. Concertant (with pianist Jeremy Denk). conducted works of living composers, developed Orchestra of St. Luke’s, San Diego Symphony, Barth’s (French West Indies) Chamber Music Born in Pasadena, California, Ms. and arranged collaborations for their Engine 408 Seattle Symphony, and Utah Symphony. Festivals, as well as at New York’s Metropolitan Frautschi began the violin at age three. She series of contemporary and world music, and Selected by Carnegie Hall for its Distinctive and Guggenheim Museums of Art, the 92nd was a student of Robert Lipsett at the Colburn wrote several new works for the orchestra. Debuts series, she made her New York recital Street Y, and Mainly Mozart in San Diego. She School for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles. In the early 90’s Stephen was a medal during those years a solo jazz pianist playing in musical outreach program, bringing free concerts Diego Symphony, Boston Pops Orchestra, Kansas winner at the Tchaikovsky and Queen Elisabeth many southern California clubs and lounges and and classes to outlying areas of the city. Stephen City Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic and a tour Piano Competitions, and received the Avery was the music arranger for a nationally syndi- lives in San Francisco. with the Israel Chamber Orchestra throughout Fisher Career Grant. He has since performed cated televangelist program. A former student of Horn soloist Eric Ruske has estab- Israel. His recitals have been presented in venues the classical concerto repertoire as soloist Aube Tzerko and Leon Fleisher, Stephen studied lished himself as an artist of international such as the Louvre in Paris, the 92nd Street Y with many of the world’s leading orchestras at the University of California at Los Angeles and acclaim. Named Associate Principal Horn of in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington including the , the the Peabody Conservatory of Music. The Cleveland Orchestra at the age of 20, he D.C., Dukes Hall in London, and the Central Symphony Orchestras of San Francisco, As a composer, Stephen’s long collabora- also toured and recorded extensively during Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Baltimore, Detroit, Indianapolis, Seattle, Dallas, tion with Grammy Award winning Kronos Quartet his six-year tenure as hornist of the Empire An active chamber musician, he has Houston, WDR Radio Orchestra Cologne, Prague has resulted in more than 40 arrangements and Brass Quintet. His impressive solo career began appeared with the Lincoln Center Chamber Radio Symphony and the Orchestre National compositions for them. Other leading artists and when he won the 1986 Young Concert Artists Music Society, Santa Fe Chamber Music d’Île de France. His classical discography ensembles who have performed Stephen’s com- International Auditions, First Prize in the 1987 Festival, Festival de Música de Santa Catarina includes acclaimed recordings of the Barber positions and arrangements include Leon Fleisher, American Horn Competition, and in 1988, the in Brazil, Moab Music Festival, Newport Music and McDowell concerti with the B.B.C. Scottish Dawn Upshaw, the St. Lawrence Quartet, Yo-Yo highest prize in the Concours International Festival, Spoleto Festival, Festival de Musique Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Ma, Spoleto USA, and the Silk Road Project. As a d’Interprétation Musicale in Reims, France. in St. Barthlélemy, OK Mozart International Orchestra of Ireland. Committed to chamber pianist or arranger outside of the classical music Of his recording of the complete Mozart Festival, Evian Festival, La Musica in Sarasota, music, Stephen has collaborated with many of world he has collaborated with such diverse Concerti with Sir Charles Mackerras and the Bargemusic in Brooklyn, Music from Angel Fire, the world’s great string quartets and soloists and personalities as Tom Waits, Rokia Traore, Joshua Scottish Camber Orchestra, the New York Times Boston Chamber Music Society, and the Festival often performs with his trio Nobilis both in major Redman, Sigur Rós and Asha Bhosle. stated, “Mr. Ruske’s approach, firmly positioned Pablo Casals both in Puerto Rico and in France. cultural centers and in diverse locales through- In years past his dedication to the creation with the boundaries of balance, coherence Mr. Ruske is in great demand as a teacher and out the developing world. The trio has recently of new musical environments led him to create and good taste that govern the Classical Style, clinician, and in addition to having given master released a recording of the music of Tchaikovsky. music festivals in such far-flung places as the enchants by virtue of its confidence, imagina- classes at over one hundred universities and Stephen first began playing the piano by island of Guam and the border town of El Paso, tion and ebullient virtuosity”. Performances as conservatories in the United States, he has ear at age 3, before moving on to more formal Texas. Passionate about the value of music for soloist include appearances with the Baltimore taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London, music studies. In his teens and early 20s he was all, Stephen is active promoting music and arts Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Shanghai Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Banff the keyboard player for several art rock groups education wherever he visits, and continues to Radio Broadcast Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Centre in Canada, Royal Scottish Academy of including Cerberus and Vysion. He was also be a leader in the Cartagena Music Festival’s Jacksonville Symphony, European Camerata, San Music and Drama in Glasgow, Tokyo College of Music, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in trumpeter Miles Davis and comedian Richard Recorded April 2nd and 3rd, 2010 in the Masonic Temple in Boston, MA. Rome, the College of Music at Seoul National Pryor, Mr. Ruske was inducted into the Illinois Produced, engineered and edited by Gregory K. Squires, Squires Productions, Inc. University and most recently, at the Ionian Hall of Fame in 2007. Professor of Horn and Photo credits: Karen Snyder Photography. Academy in Corfu, Greece. member of the faculty of Boston University since On the Albany Records label, Mr. Ruske 1990, Mr. Ruske also directs the Horn Seminar I would like to dedicate this recording to Jack, Eliot, Julian has released four previous solo discs: a collec- at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. and Siena and thank them for being my constant inspiration. tion of unaccompanied horn repertoire entitled Having produced and engineered more In making this recording, I would like to thank both Stephen and Jennifer for their artistry and patience. Just me and my horn, two discs of virtuoso tran- than 5,000 recordings over the last 30 years, I would also like to thank Mr. Coleman Casey and the Saunders Foundation, Mr. Lachlan Pitcairn and scriptions for horn and piano, The Classic Horn Gregory K. Squires is the President and founder the National Philanthropic Trust, Jim Phelan, and Boston University for their generous financial support. and Virtuoso Music for Horn and Piano, and of both Squires Productions and of the MSR Ms. Frautschi performs on a 1722 Antonio Stradivarius violin known as the “ex-Cadiz,” also The Romantic Horn Concerti, a complete Classics record label. He began his musical which is on generous loan to her from a private American foundation. recording of the Strauss and Glière horn concerti. career studying the horn at the Manhattan School He has also made the world premiere recording of Music, where he received his B.M and M.M in For this recording, Mr. Prutsman played a 1988 Steinway D Artist Series Concert Grand; of the Concierto Evocativo for horn and string Horn Performance, and then continued his studies it is an American Steinway with Renner action. orchestra by Roberto Sierra, and a disc of Mozart at Yale University. He performed as Principal Mr. Ruske plays an F/B-flat horn made by S. W. Lewis Orchestral Horns. Concerti on Telarc. The numerous arrangements Horn of the Buffalo Philharmonic under Lukas and transcriptions Mr. Ruske created for these Foss and was a member of the Radio City Music For more information on the individual artists, please visit: recordings are now available from Cimarron Hall Orchestra. He served on the faculty of the www.jenniferfrautschi.com Music Press. A student of Dale Clevenger and Manhattan School of Music for nineteen years. www.stephenprutsman.com Eugene Chausow, he grew up in LaGrange, The deserved recipient of much critical acclaim, www.ericruske.com Illinois and is a graduate of Northwestern Mr. Squires has won two Grammy Awards and University. He has been the recipient of grants was a Grammy Nominee for the “Best Classical Other recordings of Eric Ruske available on Albany Records: from the National Philanthropic Institute, the Producer of the Year” in 1998. Just me and my horn (TROY903) Saunders Foundation, the National Foundation Strauss & Glière Concerti (TROY782) for Advancement in the Arts, the International Classic Horn (TROY615) Institute of Education, and Boston University. Virtuoso Horn (TROY456) Joining architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, music music by TROY1228 three

Music Three by Romantic Repertoire for violin, horn and piano JENNIFER FRAUTSCHI | ERIC RUSKE | STEPHEN PRUTSMAN

Jennifer Frautschi, violin Johannes Brahms | Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40 Eric Ruske, horn Théodore Dubois | Trio Cantabile Stephen Prutsman, piano Josef Holbrooke | Trio in D, Op. 28

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Josef Holbrooke (1878-1958) Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40 Trio in D, Op. 28* 1 Andante [8:21] 6 Larghetto sostenuto — Allegro con brio [11:23] 2 Scherzo [7:09] 7 Adagio non troppo [10:56] 3 Adagio mesto [7:48] 8 Molto vivace [8:14] 4 Finale — Allegro con brio [6:12] Total Time = 63:48

JENNIFER FRAUTSCHI | ERIC RUSKE | STEPHEN PRUTSMAN PRUTSMAN STEPHEN | RUSKE ERIC | FRAUTSCHI JENNIFER Théodore Dubois (1837-1924) 5 Trio Cantabile* [3:46] * WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING

WWW.ALBANYRECORDS.COM TROY1228 ALBANY RECORDS U.S. three 915 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12207 TROY1228 by TEL: 518.436.8814 FAX: 518.436.0643 ALBANY RECORDS U.K. BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD TEL: 01539 824008 © 2010 ALBANY RECORDS MADE IN THE USA DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. music