Trio Parnassus

Nineteenth century contemporaries ranked Gade with Mendelssohn, but it is only recently that this Danish composer’s music has once again returned to the concert halls. His Trio in F major was his most masterful composition and it gives these musicians a great opportunity to display the skills that have earned them a long list of prizes.

Peteris Vasks, studied at the Riga College of Music. He studied violin and double bass until 1970, and then studied composition from 1973 to 1978. In 1996 he was named the “main composer“ at the Stockholm Festival of New Music and awarded the Herder Music Prize. Since 1994 he has been an honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. With over 30 recordings for MDG the Trio Parnassus is one of the worlds leading instrumental ensembles.

Organist, composer, author, critic, teacher – Charles-Marie Widor was a man of many talents and extremely successful in all of these endeavors throughout his life. His organ works, especially the magnificently virtuosic toccata from the fifth sonata continue to enjoy the greatest popularity. On their latest release the musical discoverers of the Trio Parnassus introduce us to the superb quality of his chamber music, which today is almost entirely forgotten.

Best known for his Suite Gothiqyue, Boëllmann died young and many of his works are unknown.

Trio Parnassus present three chamber works by this French late romantic composer.

These are fascinating discoveries for all lovers of chamber music.

Trio Parnassus specialise in presenting little-known works and this CD is a compendium of the French repertoire at the turn of the century. Trios by Chausson and Fauré are complimented by an arrangement by Mouton of music from Debussy’s opera Peléas et Mélisande. Debussy himself was very enthusiastic about Mouton’s arrangements.

This recording features yet another magnificent musical trove and rediscovery by the Trio Parnassus; French late-romanticist Benjamin Godard. This composer’s trios were extremely popular and in high demand in European salons at the beginning of the 20th C. A hundred years ago, the English chamber music authority, Cobbett described the works as “enchanting and recommendable without hesitation.”