Friday 7th May 2010
The Appassionata Piano Trio with Sophie Stanley Viola
Anna Blackmur Violin
Yuki Ito Cello
Jun Ishimura Piano
With Sophie Stanley Viola
The Trio and the violist Sophie Stanley formed their partnership at the Royal College of Music and display a real passion and commitment to chamber music. Individually they have won prizes in international competitions as well as awards to study with acclaimed teachers and professional artists.
Bridge Phantasy Piano Quartet in F sharp minor
Schumann Piano Quartet in E flat major Op.47
Brahms Piano Trio in B major Op. 8
Frank Bridge was a student of Stanford at the Royal College of Music at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, as were Holst and Vaughan Williams. In later years, Bridge was to become both the teacher and friend of Benjamin Britten. This beautiful one movement work was composed in 1905 for a competition in which he won the first prize.
Robert Schumann wrote the Piano Quartet in 1842, soon after completing the more frequently played Piano Quintet. The Quartet is a lyrical work and more traditional in form with a structure similar to Beethoven’s Op 127 String Quartet which is featured in the final concert of the series. This performance marks the bicentenary of Schumann’s birth.
This youthful trio of Brahms was written in early 1854 whilst he was staying in Hanover. The manuscript bears the inscription ‘Kreisler Jun’, a nickname given to him by the Schumanns. The first of his three piano trios, it was much admired by Clara Schumann.
WCC brochure 2010 >>>