Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 1 Trio con Brio Copenhagen

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Piano Trio No. 1 in E-Flat Major, Op. 1 No. 1:
• 1 I. Allegro 09:40
• 2 II. Adagio cantabile 08:23
• 3 III. Scherzo. Allegro assai 04:49
• 4 IV. Finale. Presto 07:13
• Piano Trio No. 5 in D Major, Op. 70 No. 1 "Ghost":
• 5 I. Allegro vivace e con brio 06:28
• 6 II. Largo assai ed espressivo 11:50
• 7 III. Presto 07:41
• 10 Variations on Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu in G Major, Op. 121a "Piano Trio No. 11":
• 8 Introduzione. Adagio assai 05:52
• 9 Thema. Allegretto 00:40
• 10 Var. 1 00:41
• 11 Var. 2 00:41
• 12 Var. 3 00:47
• 13 Var. 4 00:41
• 14 Var. 5 00:43
• 15 Var. 6 00:38
• 16 Var. 7 00:53
• 17 Var. 8 00:39
• 18 Var. 9, Adagio espressivo 02:13
• 19 Var. 10, Presto - Allegretto 03:24
• Allegretto for Piano Trio in B-Flat Major, WoO 39:
• 20 Allegretto for Piano Trio in B-Flat Major, WoO 39 05:26
• Total Runtime 01:19:22

Info for Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 1

Trio con Brio Copenhagen have played a central role in Scandinavia’s vibrant contemporary music scene for almost twenty years, and are celebrating this milestone anniversary by recording the complete piano trios of Beethoven for Orchid Classics, of which this is the much-anticipated first volume. A recipient of Denmark’s prestigious ‘P2 Artists Prize’ amongst many other awards, the Trio enjoys an intensive worldwide touring schedule as well as regular collaborations with many of the world’s most respected composers. Their recent recording for Orchid of trios by Tchaikovsky and Smetana was hailed by The Guardian (UK): “… Trio con Brio Copenhagen scale the Tchaikovsky’s heights with the verve their name suggests…” Founded in Vienna in 1999 with the concept of pairs coming together, the two Korean sisters, and Soo Kyung and Jens (who are now married), have since then been exploring the piano trio repertoire with freshness and curiosity as well as with respect and reflection.

Trio con Brio Copenhagen

Trio con Brio Copenhagen
There are times when two plus two can equal three. Trio con Brio Copenhagen is one such instance, where family ties, cultural blending, and musical connections all converge to color, shape and energize the concerts they present worldwide. Korean sisters Soo-Jin and Soo-Kyung Hong and Danish pianist Jens Elvekjaer created the Trio in Vienna in 1999 with the concept of pairs coming together. The sisters had played together since childhood, and Jens Elvekjaer and Soo-Kyung Hong (who are now married) had played piano and cello duos together for years. According to Mr. Elvekjaer, "We have always felt that this ‘two and two equals three' dynamic provides a uniqueness and intensity to all of our performances.

"The strong personal bonds among the three of us greatly affect the way we conceive music together. We can be one hundred percent honest with each other in rehearsal and performance, and our different cultural backgrounds have provided an unusual perspective that shapes all that we do. It is a process of thinking without boundaries, cultural or otherwise, while staying within the great traditions that the music needs."

This high quality has been recognized not only by audiences and critics, but by some of the most important and renowned musicians of our time. In 2005, Trio con Brio Copenhagen was the recipient of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson International Trio Award, one of the most coveted in the world of chamber music. This biennial award, with a panel of prominent musicians as judges, carried with it appearances on twenty major concert series across the United States, including at New York City's Carnegie Hall, thereby introducing an extraordinarily accomplished "rising" piano trio to American audiences.

The Trio was praised from the time of its inception. About the Trio's debut CD, the American Record Guide wrote: "One of the greatest performances of chamber music I've ever encountered...What stands out from this ensemble is the range of tone and sound...They command an amazing range of timbres. Melodies sing with an aching sweetness, or seduce with wild eroticism, or haunt with impenetrable mystery." Gramophone magazine wrote: "It's easy to see what so impressed the judges...[the] performances can compete with the best available...airtight ensemble...a superb, greatly gifted chamber group."

The Trio first commanded international attention with a performance that took the highest prize at Germany's prestigious ARD-Munich Competition in 2002. Since then, it has won First Prize in additional competitions: Italy's Premio Vittorio Gui (Florence), Norway's Trondheim Chamber Music Competition, and the Danish Radio Competition. The ensemble also won the "Allianz Prize" for Best Ensemble in Germany's Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Second Prize in the Vienna Haydn Competition, and the Premio Trio di Trieste in Italy. Critics have praised the Trio for its "sparkling joie de vivre" and "magic dialogue"; a review of its performance at the Salzburg Mozarteum stated, "They cast a spell over their audience...so alive, so musical...ravishing."

Trio con Brio Copenhagen's busy schedule includes major concert halls in the U.S., Europe and Asia, such as Tivoli Concert Hall (Copenhagen), the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Carnegie Hall (New York City), Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall (Mostly Mozart Festival, twice in 2009), the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Mozart-Saal (Vienna), Herkulessaal (Munich), Beethoven-Haus (Bonn), the Musikhalle (Hamburg), the Mozarteum (Salzburg), the Seoul and Sejong Arts Centers (Korea), Bunka Kaikan (Tokyo), Teatro Olimpico (Vicenza, Italy), the Båstad Chamber Music Festival (Sweden), and the Bergen and Trondheim Chamber Music Festivals (Norway).

Booklet for Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 1