Josef Bohuslav Foerster - Complete Piano Trios (Foerster Trio)

Information

Composer: Josef Bohuslav Foerster

• Piano Trio No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 8
• Piano Trio No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38
• Piano Trio No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 105

Foerster Trio

    Aleš Bílek, piano

    Stanislav Srp, violin (Nos. 1 & 2)

    František Pospíšil, violin (No. 3)

    Václav Jírovec, cello

Date: 2002

Label: Supraphon

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Josef Bohuslav Foerster (30 December 1859 – 29 May 1951) was a Czech composer educated at the Prague Conservatory, where he later became a professor and director. He served as an organist and music critic in Prague, Hamburg, and Vienna. From 1893 to 1903, he lived in Hamburg, befriending Gustav Mahler and teaching at the conservatory. Foerster composed primarily for chorus and solo voice, often using religious texts. His works include five symphonies and operas such as Nepřemoženi, Srdce, and Bloud. While influenced by Mahler's Romanticism, his lyrical style reflects the legacy of Dvořák and Smetana.

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The Foerster Trio was originally formed as the Academy Students Trio at Prague's Academy of Music in 1955. The founding members were František Pospíšil, Václav Jírovec and Aleš Bílek. In 1957, they adopted the name Foerster Trio with permission from Olga Foersterová (J.B. Foerster's second wife). The ensemble performed extensively both in Czechoslovakia and abroad, building a broad repertoire from Classical to 20th-century, centered on Foerster's piano trios. Stanislav Srp replaced Pospíšil in 1969. The trio continued performing until 2000, when Jírovec’s death brought its activities to an end.

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