Description
Petteri Iivonen, violin
Juho Pohjonen, piano
Samuli Peltonen, cello
Repertoire:
Diego Schissi: Nene
David S. Lefkowitz: Ruminations
Jean Sibelius: Korppoo Trio in D Major (JS 209)
Jean Sibelius: Havträsk Trio in A Minor (JS 207)
Lotta Wennäkoski: Päärme
Kaija Saariaho: Je sens un deuxième Coeur
Jean Sibelius
Lovisa Trio in C Major (JS 208)
For more information please visit https://yarlungrecords.com/sibelius-producers-notes/
Rushton Paul –
This double album release from the Sibelius Piano Trio and Yarlung Records is an utter delight. It was recorded in 2016 to DSD256 and analog tape and released shortly thereafter on vinyl and CD in two volumes. The full content of those earlier albums is finally released in Pure DSD256, as originally recorded. A huge thank you is due to Yarlung founder, producer and principal recording engineer, Bob Attiyeh, for this release.
Now, every subtle gradation of sound and resonance and timbre is transparently present to the ear. The detail and the clarity is simply stunning. All in service to some glorious music and music-making by these three very accomplished Finnish musicians: Juho Pohjonen (piano), Petteri Iivonen (violin), and Samuli Peltonen (cello).
While the chamber music of Sibelius forms a core for this album, the twentieth century compositions by Argentine composer Diego Schissi (b. 1969) and American composer David S. Lefkowitz (b. 1964) provide even greater interest to someone like me who greatly enjoys contemporary music.
The Sibelius Trio moves easily between these contemporary works and the two trios of Jean Sibelius. As J.P. Markkanen writes in the accompanying booklet: “When they play Nene, written for them by Argentine composer Diego Schissi, you hear Latin musicians offering you South American sunlight and Argentine dance rhythms. When Sibelius Piano Trio performs Ruminations by David S. Lefkowitz, the Trio conjures Persian poetry, musical instruments including the oud, nose flute and the Eastern European Klezmer. Petteri, Juho and Samuli perform these works from the other side of the world from where they were born as fluently and seemingly effortlessly as they play celebrated Sibelius trios or modern classics by Finnish composer virtuosi Lotta Wennäkoski and Kaija Saariaho.”
These are just a delight! And for me, the highlight of the album.
The Sibelius trios are youthful works written during the summers he spent vacationing with his brothers and sisters on various islands in off the southwest coast of Finland. The Sibelius siblings formed a trio. Sibelius played the violin, his sister Linda played the piano, and his brother Christian played the cello. As much enjoyment as these works must have given the Sibelius siblings to play together, we gain even greater benefit hearing them today in these excellent performances by this trio.
Bob Attiyeh –
To Dr. David W. Robinson, editor of Positive Feedback, many thanks for allowing us to repost Rushton Paul’s article on our album page. Rush’s article “Six Marvelous Pure DSD256 Recordings” whets the appetite for sure. To see the “other five,” please see Positive Feedback at https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/music-reviews/recent-finds-22-six-pure-dsd256-recordings/#:~:text=Tak%C3%A1cs%20Assad%20Labro.%20Yarlung%20Records%202024