Pianist William Wolfram and cellist David Requiro join violinist Frank Almond for three emotionally charged Russian chamber pieces. Sergei Rachmaninov’s Trio Élégiaque No. 1 in G Minor (1892) is a compact, single-movement lento lugubre work of Slavic melancholy.
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67 (1944) is essentially a lament for Holocaust victims—a musical tribute that includes traditionally Jewish scales, rhythms and folk music. Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 80 (1946) is one of his finest works in any genre—tormented, ominous, despairing and exceedingly profound. (John Jahn)
