La Mer – French Works for Piano Trio (CD Review)

 by Karl Nehring

Saint Saëns: Trio No. 2, Op. 92; Mel [Mélanie Hélène Domange, née] Bonis: Soir-Matin, Op. 76; Debussy (arranged by Sally Beamish): La Mer. Neave Trio (Anna Williams, violin; Mikhail Veselov, cello; Eri Nakamura, piano). CHANDOS CHAN 20337

It was about a year ago that we last reviewed a release by the Neave Trio, A Room of Her Own, which featured works by women composers who have been largely overlooked by classical music fans (you can read that review here). On this latest release, the ensemble, whose members originate from the USA, Russia, and Japan, present music both familiar and unfamiliar by French composers both familiar and unfamiliar. The album starts off with a relatively familiar work by a highly familiar French composer, the second of the two piano trios by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). Although La Mer gets title billing for the CD, it is this five-movement work, lasting nearly 33 minutes, that is the longest of the three compositions featured on the program. Comprising three briefer inner movements contained between two longer outer movements, this is a work grand in scale, but with its five movements offering a range of musical textures and colors to keep listeners engaged. 

Next up is the delightful Soir-Matin (“Evening-Morning”) by a composer whom I suspect will be as unfamiliar to most readers as she was to me, Mel Bonis (1858-1937). She was encouraged as a teenager by Franck and was a fellow student with Debussy at the Paris Conservatoire. Following the dramatic finale of the Saint Saëns, the lighter, more transparent sound and atmosphere created by Bonis serves as a pleasant contrast, a sonic and emotional palette cleanser of sorts, bound to bring a smile. Hearing this brief piece by this previously unknown composer may well whet your appetite – as it did mine – to hear more.

 

Then on to the featured work, a familiar composition for orchestra presented in an unfamiliar way – by a piano trio. Interestingly enough, this is not the first time we have reviewed recordings of well-known orchestral compositions performed by piano trios. Back in 2022, we reviewed a recording of Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5 by Beethoven by the all-star trio of Kavakos, Ma, and Ax, a release for which we could not work up much enthusiasm (you can find that review here). However, we found their later release of a trio arrangement of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony to be an utter delight (you can read that review here). Perhaps the reason the “Pastoral” reduction seemed to work so much better is that the symphony is so essentially tuneful that reducing the instrumental forces in some respects increases rather than reduces the tuneful appeal of the music. But what about La Mer, where the melodies are less defined and the overall musical colors more hazy? What we end up with in this trio arrangement comes across as an X-ray view of the body of the beast. It is fascinating to listen to, it offers insight into the structure of La Mer, and it can stand on its own as a piano trio. 

The CD booklet offers informative liner notes, and the engineering is first-class. The Neave Trio has once again delivered a release well worth seeking out in every respect, from the originality of the program to the excellence of the playing and production. Enthusiastically recommended!