Dora Pejačević - Piano Trio; Cello Sonata (Andrej Bielow; Christian Poltéra; Oliver Triendl)

Information

Composer: Dora Pejačević

• Piano Trio in C major, Op. 29
• Cello Sonata in E minor, Op. 35

Andrej Bielow, violin

Christian Poltéra, cello

Oliver Triendl, piano

Date: 2011

Label: CPO

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Review

Like Naxos, CPO often go where other labels dare not tread for fear of losing serious money. The 19th and early 20th centuries in particular are a minefield: probably still the most recorded period, and constituting the keystone of concert and chamber repertoires - what room could there be for an obscure Croatian composer, female, short-lived, whose music must compete with Mahler, Strauss, Stravinsky and Ives?

Well, room must simply be made. Recent CPO-featured composers like Bernhard Molique, Paul Graener, Ernst Toch and Hermann Wetzler have not altered music history like the aforementioned did, but their works can often be just as aesthetically pleasing - if not more so. Such is certainly the case with Dora Pejačevic's Piano Trio op.29 and her Cello Sonata op.35 - the thought that, were it not for CPO's boldness, these radiant, passionate, supremely lyrical works might never have been recorded or even performed again, is sobering.

So immediately appealing indeed are these works that the listener will feel as if (s)he has always known them, especially the Piano Trio. Though the music is reminiscent here and there of Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Dvorák or Grieg, these are not pale imitations of the great works of the chamber repertoire: Pejačevic's ear for exquisite, complementary lines and her attention to detail are hugely impressive, central to her claim to originality.

Pejačevic followed these chamber works with some of her best orchestral music. Her substantial Symphony in F sharp minor and her Phantasie Concertante for piano and orchestra were released earlier in 2011 by CPO in the first of what is, with any luck, a long discography devoted to Pejačevic's works: CPO promise in fact to "dedicate a comprehensive edition to her".

Pejačevic's music is being promoted by the Croatian Music Information Centre, co-sponsors of this CD. The MIC has published some of her scores, as well as a detailed online biography in English, which includes poignant extracts from private correspondence, several short samples of her music and a presumably complete list of works, which sadly stops at op.58: Pejačevic died in her prime from complications arising from the birth of her first child after marrying in her mid-thirties.

Andrej Bielow, Christian Poltéra and Oliver Triendl perform Pejačevic's music with great expressiveness, self-evidently taking great pleasure from Pejačevic's almost limitless supply of beautiful melodies for all three soloists. Poltéra's tone in particular is marvellous.

As usual at SWR in Stuttgart, the studio recording is beautifully balanced and generally superb. The trilingual booklet notes are detailed and informative, albeit tending towards the academic. Though French readers are fortunate enough to benefit from a native speaker for translation purposes, English readers must once again make do with a competent but imperfect German translator - meaning that some of the phraseology is rather light-headed, with numerous sentences Teutonically stilted in register.

The circumstances of Pejačevic's death are among the most heart-breaking of any composer, but at least now this genial music can live on in the memory of all those who experience it.

— Byzantion

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Dora Pejačević (10 September 1885 – 5 March 1923) was a Croatian composer, pianist and violinist recognized as a pioneer in modern Croatian music. She introduced the orchestral song to the national repertoire, and her Symphony in F-sharp minor is regarded as the first modern Croatian symphony. Her works, particularly vocal compositions, piano miniatures, and string quartets, reflect expressionist and modernist influences. Initially rooted in Romanticism, her style evolved after serving as a paramedic during World War I, incorporating themes of nihilism, death and war's futility. She died in 1923 from childbirth complications.

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Andrej Bielow (born 1981) is a Ukrainian violinist. He studied under Michael Kusnetsov and Krzysztof Wegrzyn, with further guidance from musicians such as Gérard Poulet and Alfred Brendel. A prizewinner at major competitions like ARD and Long-Thibaud, he has also received many scholarships. Bielow has recorded over 20 albums and performed with top orchestras worldwide. He is a dedicated chamber musician and was leader of the Szymanowski Quartet during 2006–2014. Since 2014, he has taught at Kunstuniversität Graz and Robert Schumann Hochschule, and is a visiting tutor at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

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Christian Poltéra (born 1977 in Zürich) is a Swiss cellist. He studied with Nancy Chumachenco, Boris Pergamenschikow and Heinrich Schiff. As a soloist he works with eminent orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic, under such conductors as Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly and Andris Nelsons. He also devotes himself intensively to chamber music, being a founding member of the Trio Zimmermann. Poltéra teaches at the Lucerne University. He plays a Antonio Casini cello from 1675 and the famous "Mara" Stradivari from 1711.

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Oliver Triendl (born 1970 in Mallersdorf, Bavaria) is a German pianist. Trained by distinguished teachers including Gerhard Oppitz and Oleg Maisenberg, he is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions. Triendl has performed globally as a soloist and chamber musician, appearing with leading orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and Shanghai Symphony. His unique repertoire includes around 90 piano concertos and hundreds of chamber works, many of which he has premiered or recorded first. His tireless commitment is reflected in more than 100 CD recordings.

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