Classical and Modern Music
Format: CD
Code: 111525
EAN: 3838898111525
Foreign platforms:
Music for voice and piano trio
TRIO LORENZ
PRIMOŽ LORENZ, piano
TOMAŽ LORENZ, violin
MATIJA LORENZ, cello
Singers
MARJANA LIPOVŠEK, mezzo-soprano,
EVA NOVŠAK HOUŠKA, mezzo-soprano,
OLGA GRACELJ, soprano
MITJA GREGORAČ, tenor
The Lorenz Trio holds a special place in Slovenian music; it represents a different chapter in our interpretation of music, a special phenomenon in the Slovenian music, in our chamber music. The first distinguishing characteristic that is obvious also to non-musicians is their family connection, which meant both an advantage and a burden: The advantage perhaps mostly from the point of view of the mutual harmony interwoven with familial ties, beneficial for their music activity as well as
their human relationship, at least in the years of becoming personally and artistically mature. Another advantage was that from an early age they had pursued the right path to what later became very successful and diverse artistic careers. Yet belonging to the same family, knowing one another almost perfectly, knowing each others’ feelings and emotions can also be a burden. Too great familiarity, constant confrontation of three different temperaments and personalities, and a family
responsibility burdened with artistic efforts can easily intensify both human and artistic demands.
The Lorenz Trio and its music are characterized by two additional, often un- noticed features. By this, it is not meant only their typical performance by heart, so rare in chamber music, but also their proverbial musical curiosity that, in spite of the rich repertoire for the piano trio, spiced the concerts of the Lorenz brothers with less known and less played pieces, especially by Slovenian composers, many written for the trio. They found a lasting possibility to
enrich their repertoire in the vocal literature which connects a trio with a singer.
Such a choice of programme is also presented on this record, i.e. music for voice and piano trio, and offers an opportunity for further discussion. The music on this record corresponds to the basic tendencies of the trio, namely to link the classical literature with contemporary Slovenian music. In addition, it connects the trio with four important names of Slovenian vocal music interpretation.
Beethoven, who represented a step away from the Vienna Classics into a different emotional world, also found its place on the concert programmes of the Lorenz Trio. The selection of Beethoven’s folk song settings from various countries, recorded with the tenor Mitja Gregorač, reveals the composer’s Romantic cosmopolitism and his recent interest for folk music in the broadest, Euro Romantic sense.
The music for voice and piano trio can also be found in the era of High Romanticism. While in Beethoven’s songs the piano trio mostly provides an accompaniment, in Rachmaninoff ’s arrangements of lyric poetry, recorded with Olga Gracelj, it plays an equally important and full blooded role as it imbues the music with the magnificent breadth of Slavic Romanticism.
Both Slovenian composers presented on this record, Marijan Lipovšek and Pavel Šivic, were in close contact with vocal music all their varied careers, although their styles, evident from the both pieces, require completely different approaches to interpretation. Pavel Šivic became familiar with vocal music as a choirmaster and a skilful accompanist for singers; as a composer he respected the wishes of mezzo-soprano Eva Novšak Houška. For Marijan Lipovšek,a pianist
dedicated to chamber music, vocal music was not only a part of his family life, as he often accompanied his daughter Marjana, but also a source of his artistic powers.
COMPOSITIONS:
1. – 6. Ludwig van Beethoven: Narodne pesmi - Folk songs - za tenor in klavirski trio (Mitja Gregorač) - 1. Zdravstvuj, čarodejka - Enchantress, Farewell (Scottish)(listen!)
7. – 10. Pavel Šivic: Jutra – Mornings - ciklus pesmi za mezzosopran in klavirski trio (Eva Novšak Houška) - 7. Morning (listen!)
11. Marijan Lipovšek: Trije fragmenti -Three fragments - za mezzosopran in klavirski trio (Marjana Lipovšek)
12. – 18. Sergej Rahmaninov: Romance - Romances - za visoki glas in klavirski trio (Olga Gracelj)
