July 5: GRAMMY®-Nominated Neave Trio Announces New Chandos Records Album: Rooted – Featuring the Music of Bedřich Smetana, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Josef Suk, and Frank Martin
GRAMMY®-Nominated Neave Trio Announces
New Chandos Records Album: Rooted
Featuring the Music of Bedřich Smetana,
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Josef Suk, and Frank Martin
Worldwide Release: July 5, 2024
Downloads and CDs available to press on request
“[T]he Neave Trio delivers perceptively characterised interpretations that are by turns individual and blended, supported by a pleasingly warm recording.” – The Strad
www.neavetrio.com | www.chandos.net
The GRAMMY®-nominated Neave Trio (violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura), announces its latest album, Rooted, which will be released worldwide on July 5, 2024. The Neave Trio’s sixth album for Chandos Records, Rooted will feature Piano Trio, Op. 15 in G minor (1855, revised 1857) by Bedřich Smetana; Five Negro Melodies from Twenty-four Negro Melodies, Op. 59 No. 1, for Solo Piano (c. 1905) by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; Petit Trio, Op. 2 in C minor (1889, revised 1890 – 91) by Josef Suk; and Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises (on Popular Irish Melodies) (1925) by Frank Martin.
Rooted follows A Room of Her Own, the Neave Trio’s fifth from Chandos released earlier this year to high praise and wide international acclaim. The Times, which called the recording “a richly rewarding disc,” also included the record in its roundup of ”the best albums of 2024 so far.” The Strad praised the disc’s “illustrious performances,” while Stereophile called the album “a must,” for those wanting to “spread your wings beyond the giant [composers] of the [canon].” Prior to A Room of Her Own, in 2022, the Neave Trio released their album Musical Remembrances, which was nominated for a GRAMMY® in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble category.
Rooted features a range of works centered around folk music. Smetana’s distinctive nationalistic style was largely based on the inclusion of bohemian rhythmic and melodic elements, and he was acclaimed in his native Bohemia as the father of Czech music. His Trio in G minor was composed in 1855 as a response to the death of his four-year-old daughter and shows the influence of Liszt. Josef Suk was a favorite pupil of Antonin Dvořák’s, and his early Piano Trio, while shorter in length and less intense than Smetana’s, is embedded in that Czech tradition. Also deeply influenced by Dvořák, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was inspired by his African heritage, and his Twenty-Four Negro Melodies for Piano was a prime example of his research. He subsequently arranged five of these pieces into the suite for piano trio that we hear on this album. The album concludes with Frank Martin’s Trio from 1925, which is based on several well-known traditional Irish melodies.
Of the new album, the Neave Trio writes:
“We are thrilled to introduce Rooted, our new album featuring trios by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Bedřich Smetana, Joseph Suk, and Frank Martin. Each composer drew deeply from their personal lives and cultural roots, creating musical stories that are both universal and intimate. Working on these pieces has inspired us to reflect on our own stories and how our roots shape us artistically and beyond.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's trio reflects his journey of navigating and embracing his dual heritage. Bedřich Smetana's trio is a passionate response to personal tragedy and his deep love for his homeland. Joseph Suk's music is intimately tied to his personal relationships and the broader Romantic tradition. Frank Martin's Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises (on Popular Irish Melodies) captures the essence of Irish melodies, showcasing his fascination with folk music and its timeless appeal.
We would like to dedicate the performance of Martin’s Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises to the memory of Ms. Mary Brosnan and Mr. Brian O’Donovan, two individuals who shared a deep appreciation for Irish music and culture. Their passion and support have profoundly influenced our understanding and interpretation of these melodies, and this dedication is a heartfelt tribute to their enduring legacy.
Through Rooted, we aim to honor the personal stories and emotions that shaped these remarkable compositions. We hope this album allows listeners to connect with the profound human experiences embedded within the music. We all come from somewhere, shaped by our backgrounds, influences and significant experiences. This album seeks to explore and celebrate that very human journey, revealing the unique insights our roots provide.”
Hailed by BBC Music Magazine for its "generous and warm-hearted, utterly beguiling playing, the Neave Trio has emerged as one of the finest young ensembles of its generation. It has been praised by WQXR Radio in New York City, with the station noting the alignment of the trio’s unique name and exemplary musicality: “'Neave' is actually a Gaelic name meaning 'bright' and 'radiant', both of which certainly apply to this trio's music making." The trio is also described by The Strad as having "elegant phrasing and deft control of textures," and praised by The New York Times for its "excellent performances."
Previous albums include Musical Remembrances (Chandos, 2022), which features Rachmaninoff’s Trio élégiaque No. 1, Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 8, and Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 67; the highly celebrated Her Voice (Chandos, 2019), which features the works of women composers Louise Farrenc, Amy Beach, and Rebecca Clarke; French Moments (Chandos, 2018), which includes the only known piano trios by Debussy, Fauré, and Roussel; and Neave’s Chandos debut, American Moments (2016), featuring works by Korngold, Foote, and Bernstein. In 2018, Neave Trio also released its critically acclaimed album, Celebrating Piazzolla (Azica Records, 2018), featuring mezzo-soprano Carla Jablonski.
Formed in 2010, the Neave Trio – currently the inaugural Ensemble-in-Residence at Virginia Commonwealth University for the 2023-24 season – strives to champion new works by living composers, regularly collaborating with artists of all mediums. These collaborations include the premiere of Robert Paterson’s Triple Concerto with the Mostly Modern Orchestra under the direction of JoAnn Falletta; D-Cell: an Exhibition & Durational Performance, conceived and directed by multi-disciplinary visual artist David Michalek; as well as performances with the Blythe Barton Dance Company; with dance collective BodySonnet; with projection designer Ryan Brady; in the interactive concert series “STEIN2.0,” with composer Amanuel Zarzowski; in the premiere of Klee Musings by acclaimed American composer Augusta Read Thomas; in the premiere of Eric Nathan’s Missing Words V, sponsored by Coretet; in Leah Reid’s Cloud Burst for piano trio and electronics; in Dale Trumbore’s Another Chance; and in a music video by filmmaker Amanda Alvarez Díaz of Astor Piazzolla’s "Otoño Porteño.” During the 2024-25 season, the Neave Trio will collaborate with Pigeonwing Dance, composer Robert Sirota, and choreographer Gabrielle Lamb to perform Rising, an evening-length work which meditates not only on rising temperatures and sea levels, but also on humanity’s rising awareness of our connection to and dependence on the Earth’s oceans.
For more information, visit www.neavetrio.com.
Rooted | Neave Trio | Chandos Records
Release Date: July 5, 2024 (Worldwide)
Recorded May 8-10, 2023 at Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk, England
Bedřich Smetana (1824 – 1884): Piano Trio, Op. 15 in G minor (1855, revised 1857) [27:40]
[1] Moderato assai [11:18]
[2] Allegro, ma non agitato [7:36]
[3] Finale. Presto [8:46]
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 – 1912): Five Negro Melodies for Piano Trio from Twenty-four Negro Melodies, Op. 59 No. 1, for Solo Piano (c. 1905) [15:55]
[4] 1. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child (No. 22) [3:58]
[5] 2. I was way down a-yonder (No. 15) [3:24]
[6] 3. Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel? (No. 11) [1:24]
[7] 4. They will not lend me a child (No. 4) [4:53]
[8] 5. My Lord delivered Daniel (No. 18) [2:14]
Josef Suk (1874 – 1935): Petit Trio, Op. 2 in C minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1889, revised 1890 – 91) [15:54]
Karlu Steckerovi
[9] I Allegro [6:24]
[10] II Andante – Adagio [3:48]
[11] III Vivace [5:41]
Frank Martin (1890 – 1974): Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises (on Popular Irish Melodies) for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1925) [16:13]
[12] Allegro moderato [4:34]
[13] Adagio [5:56]
[14] Gigue. Allegro [5:42]
Total Time: [76:04]
Recording producer: Jonathan Cooper
Sound engineer: Jonathan Cooper
Editor: Jonathan Cooper
Chandos Records Ltd, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HX, England