Trios Brasileiros (2010)

From the wealth of literature that Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos produced, his set of three piano trios are among the least frequently performed and recorded. Even the liner notes of this Claves album admit that these youthful works represent a young composer still searching for his true identity. Listeners familiar with Villa-Lobos will have a difficult time finding his trademark folk influence and highly individual panache in these three trios that sound like they came from a second-rate European composer. With a ... Read More

From the wealth of literature that Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos produced, his set of three piano trios are among the least frequently performed and recorded. Even the liner notes of this Claves album admit that these youthful works represent a young composer still searching for his true identity. Listeners familiar with Villa-Lobos will have a difficult time finding his trademark folk influence and highly individual panache in these three trios that sound like they came from a second-rate European composer. With a score that searches for an identity, the difficulty for performers likewise increases. The Damocles Trio, heard here, struggles somewhat with these oddities. While there is no shortage of passion, excitement, or earnest attempt to draw the listeners in, there are some issues that detract from the performers' zeal. Overall sound quality is a bit blurred, masking some of the music's rhythmic interest in what occasionally comes across as an indistinct wash of sound. The young trio's... Read Less