Babadjanian / Trio De Lile - Piano Trios [CD]

This is the debut album from Quebec-based Trio de l'Ile, a young ensemble of exceptional talent, comprising Uliana Drugova, Dominique Beauséjour-Ostiguy and Patil Harboyan. The group was founded in 2015, and the three members have all enjoyed success in their careers to date, as performers and teachers. The Piano Trio in F sharp minor (1952) by Armenian composer Arno Babadjanian (1921-1983) is widely considered one of the greatest masterpieces of the genre; the Andante a particularly beautiful and much-loved melody. The work is joined by another Armenian piece, the trio (1945) by Gayané Chebotaryan (1918-1998), which has stronger inspiration from the Armenian folk inflections familiar in the music of Khachaturian as well as the Russian classical tradition. As a contrast we have the 'Four Seasons of Buenos Aires' from 1960 by Argentinian legend Astor Piazzolla, the composer who revolutionized the tango, turning it from a steamy dance into a true art form. Lively, exotic and highly rhythmic, these pieces embody the Latin spirit totally. The arrangement for piano trio is by cellist José Bragato, a member of Piazzolla's own Octet.