Christian Sinding - Piano Trios; Six Pieces for Cello and Piano (Hyperion Trio)

Information

Composer: Christian Sinding

CD1

• Piano Trio No. 1 in D Major, Op. 23
• Piano Trio No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 64

CD2

• Piano Trio No. 3 in C Major, Op. 87
• Six Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 66

Hyperion Trio

    Oliver Kipp, violin

    Katharina Troe, cello

    Hagen Schwarzrock, piano

Date: 2024

Label: CPO

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Review

Christian Sinding was well known beyond his native Norway at the turn from the 19th to the 20th century but was dropped from the repertory due to various pressures, including his having joined the Norwegian Nazi party early in World War II. Further research has shown that he didn't sign the party membership card and was, moreover, largely senile at the time. He is often thought of as a successor to Grieg. The Norwegian element shows up lightly in his music, notably in a Hardanger fiddle evocation in the first movement of the Piano Trio No. 3 in C major, Op. 87, but he lived in Germany for much of his life, and the Norwegian-ness of Grieg is largely missing. The outer movements of the three piano trios heard here have more of Brahms than Grieg, with fairly complex harmonic-motivic structures that are flexible enough to admit a range of influences that are traced out in the excellent booklet note by Jürgen Schaarwächter (the physical album is recommended here). Best of all (and, perhaps, closest to Grieg) are the slow movements of the three trios, which reveal a considerable melodic gift. The performances by the Hyperion Trio, a group that has done much to reveal neglected Romantic and late Romantic music, are idiomatic and confident, and the ensemble also includes some cello sonatas of Sinding that are all but unknown. These also reveal a French academic influence, and they're nicely constructed works. Anyone who enjoys Romantic-era chamber music should hear this release, which features clear studio sound from Deutschlandfunk, recorded over several occasions but all hanging together.

— James Manheim

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Christian Sinding (1856–1941) was a Norwegian composer. He studied in Oslo and later at the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany under Salomon Jadassohn. Best remembered today for his lyrical piano work Frühlingsrauschen (1896), his works include over 130 opus numbers: four symphonies, three violin concertos, a piano concerto, an opera, and about 250 songs. Sinding's music combines the chromaticism of Liszt and Wagner with Nordic lyricism. Though celebrated in his time, his legacy was tarnished by a late-life affiliation with the Nazi Party. Modern scholarship and recordings are helping to revive interest in his music.

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Founded in 1999, the Hyperion Trio has earned an international reputation for its extraordinarily broad repertoire. The ensemble has performed over 200 works, including numerous premieres. Winners of the International Johannes Brahms Chamber Music Competition in 2001, the musicians have been featured at major festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein and Accademia Chigiana. In addition to performing, the Trio's members teach at top German music academies and serve on international competition juries. Their recordings recordings span from Schubert and Brahms to lesser-known composers like Atli Heimir Sveinsson.

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