FRENCH STRING TRIOS 1929-1939

GABRIEL PIERNÉ (1865-1937): Trois pièces en trio, GUSTAVE SAMAZEUILH (1877-1967): Suite en trio, JEAN CRAS (1879-1932): String Trio, ROBERT CASADESUS (1899-1972): Trio à cordes, HENRI TOMASI (1901-1971): Trio à cordes en forme de divertissement, ÉMILE GOUÉ (1904-1946): String Trio, JEAN FRANÇAIX (1876-1948): Trio.

Description: A double-album of stylish and often witty French treasures written between the World Wars. Tomasi’s Mediterranean roots are heard in the Provençal folk melody referenced in his Trio à cordes en forme de divertissement, noted for its colorful, kaleidoscopic finale. Casadesus’s Trio à cordes combines fine craftsmanship and poetic sincerity. Samazeuilh, a disciple of Claude Debussy, wrote his Suite en trio in the form of a Baroque dance suite. Celtic-infused folk music of his native Brittany emerges in Cras’s Trio pour violon, alto et violoncelle, as does an homage to Beethoven’s Op. 132 string quartet. Goué wrote his Trio pour violon, alto et violoncelle, energized with folk-dance elements, on the eve of his World War II army deployment. Françaix’s Trio displays his trademark textural clarity, agility, and sense of humor. Pierné’s Trois pièces en trio has even more fun with the listener with its satirical finale conjuring intoxicated, stumbling house cats out on the town. 2 CDs. Black Oak Ensemble.