HANS WERNER HENZE (1926-2012): Kammersonate for Piano Trio, JANNIK GIGER (b.1985): Caprice for Piano Trio, CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918): Piano Trio in G, SERGEI RACHMANINOV (1873-1943): Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G Minor, DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975): Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 8.

Description: This rather appealing concept album showcases the early works of great composers, mostly pretty well known. However, the 22-year old Henze's trio, described by the composer as combining 'youthful wildness with song-like lyricism', is also well worth a listen. The wildness is mostly in the highly dissonant first movement; much of the rest of the piece is quite Romantic. Giger wrote Caprice for the Trio Rafaele. It begins with a rather ambiguous introductory section that seems to be trying to coalesce into something elusively familiar, and little by little this is revealed as the Paganini Caprices. The work then becomes a transcription-fantasia on sections of various of those works. Trio Rafale.