Enrique Granados - Chamber Music with Piano (Trio Rodin)

Information

Composer: Enrique Granados

• Piano Trio in C Major, Op. 50, H. 140
• Madrigal for Cello & Piano, H. 80
• Danza Gallega for Cello & Piano, H. 42
• Trova for Cello & Piano, H. 141
• Romanza for Violin & Piano, H. 115
• 3 Preludios for Violin & Piano, H. 135
• Violin Sonata, H. 127

Trio Rodin

    Carles Puig, violin

    Esther García, cello

    Jorge Mengotti, piano

Date: 2015

Label: Aevea

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Review

I first encountered the Granados trio in a Naxos recording by the LOM Trio, coupled with his quintet from the same year. At the time, I commented on the “seemingly simple, but quite breathtakingly lovely piano melody” that opens the work. It recurs through the first movement, and there are hints in some of the string passages as well. It brings to mind music from a particular TV show, but I can’t remember which. Jorge Mengotti gives it an even greater sense of serene beauty here. While I certainly enjoyed the Naxos version, it is put in the shade by this new recording. Trio Rodin, which consists of three young Spanish performers, give a far more nuanced performance, and for three movements, persuade the listener that the work is more than just pleasingly melodious. It is not their fault that the finale is significantly less inspired, and more salon in its nature, than the first three.

The violin sonata is the other major work presented here. New to me, it seems on first inspection to be very unbalanced, with a first movement exceeding ten minutes, and the final two movements accounting for a total of only four. However, on reading the notes, it turns out that it was not finished, and this is the first recording of the second movement and the incomplete third and fourth. The first movement is slow, seething with restrained emotions; quite beautiful and making one seriously regret that the work was was never completed. As with the Trio, the Spanish characteristics are relatively muted.

The smaller pieces are certainly more than just space fillers in terms of quality. They are mostly slow in tempo, but ordered to give sufficient variation. Trova and Danza gallega are arrangements by Granados of excerpts from orchestral works, Elisenda and Suite sobre cantos gallegos respectively. The Romanza, with some of the same atmosphere pervading the opening of the trio, is lovely in its simplicity.

Last year I reviewed another release from this newish Italian label – chamber music by Taneyev – which was so poor in so many ways, I felt it shouldn’t have been released. Fortunately, I have no such concerns about this. All three performers here produce a beautifully refined sound – I’m very impressed by pianist Mengotti – and the audio quality is excellent. The notes are informative, though the English translation is not entirely idiomatic.

I loved this recording - the music deserves to be better known, and I look forward to more offerings from Trio Rodin.

— David Barker

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Enrique Granados (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916) was a Spanish composer and pianist from Catalonia. A student of Felipe Pedrell, he rose to prominence with his Danzas españolas and soon established himself as one of Spain's foremost pianists. In addition to his celebrated piano works, Granados also composed several operas and founded a piano academy in Barcelona. Deeply influenced by 18th-century and Spanish artistic traditions, he created the renowned Goyescas, inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya. Granados's life ended tragically when the Sussex was torpedoed during his return voyage from New York.

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Founded in 2011 in Utrecht, Trio Rodin has given over 300 concerts and is recognized as one of Spain’s leading chamber ensembles of its generation. Praised for their expressive and communicative performances, they have earned numerous awards, including first prize at the Montserrat Alavedra Competition and distinctions in the Netherlands and Spain. The trio performs a wide range of repertoire, from classical to contemporary, and has appeared in major European venues and festivals. Their acclaimed debut recording, Enrique Granados: Chamber Music with Piano, won a Global Music Award and NAXOS recognition.

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