TOSCANINI TRIO

A trio composed of musicians with extraordinary credentials (current first chairs of the Toscanini Orchestra on violin and cello, and a Russian-trained pianist whom we have already had the pleasure of appreciating) presents an exceptionally interesting program. Awarded in 1883 at the Società del Quartetto di Milano competition, Trio op. 59 decisively contributed to the national renown of the young musician Martucci, the explicit reference to the aesthetic and stylistic horizon of German chamber music is resolved in a personal signature, evident especially in the pronounced lyrical expression, the sensual Mediterranean turn of the melodic design, and the refined, sometimes French-influenced treatment of harmony. Trio No. 2 op. 67 was composed with dedication to the memory of Ivan Sollertinsky, a man of culture and music critic who was a great friend. It is a dramatic and tense piece, alternating moments of intense lyricism with playful episodes bordering on the grotesque.