Joaquín Turina - Piano Trios (David Mata; Aldo Mata; Patricia Arauzo)

Information

Composer: Joaquín Turina

• Piano Trio in F major
• Circulo, Op. 91
• Piano Trio No. 1 in D Major, Op. 35
• Piano Trio No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 76

David Mata, violin

Aldo Mata, cello

Patricia Arauzo, piano

Date: 2023

Label: IBS

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Review

In principle, this is a very simple review to write. If you don’t know the trios of Joaquin Turina (but appreciate the genre and era), then buy this album because you will love the music and these performances are simply stunning. If you do know this music, buy this album because it sweeps away any other version you might have. Finito, no more required … except the editors of MWI would frown upon such a short review.

This has been sitting in my to-be-reviewed pile for a couple of months, because I knew it had already been reviewed very positively by Gary Higginson and so some “first review” releases took priority. It was only when I was reviewing another disc of Spanish piano trios, which included Turina’s B minor, that I listened to this IBS recording. I was immediately bowled over by both the sound quality (far better than the one I was reviewing, which trumpeted its audio quality) and the performances, and looked forward to properly listening to it in its own right.

I already knew and enjoyed Turina’s trios, and indeed his music in general, but the clarity and verve in these performances took the four works to a new level. The unnumbered F major trio is described as a student work, but it is far better than that label would imply. The D major Trio is a simply stunning piece, and deserves to be in every trio’s repertoire. I’ve never seen any reference to Ravel’s trio in my reading about the piece, but I do hear a connection, though the Turina, good as it is, is not at that exalted level, nor is it so emotionally wracked. The B minor trio is perhaps the least Spanish of the four pieces, more broadly European, while Circulo is the most impressionistic, three movements that portray the passing of a (Andalucian) day. It is widely considered to be the finest of his four trios, but I actually would put it at the tail of the field.

I don’t intend a work-by-work comparison of these performances with their competitors, the closest being Trio Arbós (Naxos – review) which has the same four works and the Lincoln Trio (Cedille – review) which has all Turina’s chamber music for piano and strings. Simply put, this IBS recording is far superior (though I must admit the extra pieces on the Cedille recording make it an attractive proposition).

As far as I can tell, this is the first time that these performers have recorded together, which I find quite extraordinary, given how well their ensemble playing has gelled. I certainly hope it will not be the last. Pianist Patricia Arauzo and cellist Aldo Mata are part of the Alborada Trio with clarinettist Miguel Expósito, so that does at least explain some of the connection. The sound quality is as good as I’ve heard, resonant, clear and exceptionally delineated without being artificially so. The booklet notes, in their English translation, do have a few unidiomatic instances, but I have read far, far worse (some cpo booklets come to mind) and they are comprehensive and informative.

This is exceptional in every way. My only regret is that it can’t be included in my 2024 Recordings of the Year, given its release was around twelve months ago.

— David Barker

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Joaquín Turina (9 December 1882 – 14 January 1949) was a Spanish composer. He pursued his early studies in Seville and Madrid before relocating to Paris in 1905, where he trained under Moritz Moszkowski and Vincent d'Indy. Influenced by Isaac Albéniz, Turina developed a distinctly Spanish idiom that combined Andalusian folk traditions with French impressionism. His music frequently pays homage to his native Seville, like in Sinfonía sevillana and Canto a Sevilla. Known for orchestral pieces such as Danzas fantásticas and La oración del torero, Turina also composed operas, songs, piano miniatures and chamber music.

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Patricia Arauzo is a Spanish pianist. She studied at the Conservatorio Superior de Música in Salamanca, the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, and the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid. Currently a piano professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Sevilla, she has built a distinguished international career, performing in prestigious venues across Europe, including Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Flagey in Brussels, and the National Palace of the Arts in Hungary. Her discography includes Masques (Szymanowski), Complete Turina Piano Trios, and Liminal (Fauré, Poulenc, Granados and Lorca).

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