Brahms’ trio for French horn, violin, and piano was the direct inspiration for György Ligeti’s composition for the same ensemble, written in commemoration of Brahms’ 150th birthday celebration. So presenting these two works back-to-back makes a great deal of sense. The overlaps between the two composers are striking, as are their more easily apparent differences–after all, Brahms was devoted to Hungarian music and its Gypsy legacy, and although the Hungarian-Romanian Ligeti invokes some of the same spirit, he does it in a much more angular manner.
Accordingly, violinist Christina Åstrand, horn player Jakob Keiding, and pianist Per Salo play a Brahms informed by Ligeti just as much as they play a Ligeti informed by Brahms. The Brahms isn’t sticky or sentimental; rather, Keiding plays cleanly, with a full tone and sure footing, and his colleagues match the tone he sets. The Ligeti trio, written in 1982, blends energetic rhythms with deftly textured writing and sharply contrasting harmonies. The last movement, a dirgelike Lamento, is impressive not for its force of movement, but for its affecting stillness. The Danish Horn Trio, captured with realistic, well-balanced sound, is an exceptional ensemble. Their playing is not of three but of one–a difficult balance to strike given the colors of their instruments. Here’s to the players, and to the repertoire that sustains them.
