Here, the Damocles Trio takes on the three piano trios from Villa-Lobos.
These are all very early works from the Brazilian composer, thus there is a meandering of influences within each.
My favorite is probably Piano Trio no. 1, where the spirits of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov are ever present. Too bad this one isn't performed often, for this is high Romanticism at its best, even if there is little of Villa-Lobos in the music.
Piano Trio no. 2 sounds exceedingly French. The second movement is a prime example of Impressionist planing and extended harmonies, where the music almost becomes oddly static in the hands of Villa-Lobos. Again, not a typical setting from the composer.
With Piano Trio no. 3, the coming together of Villa-Lobos' taking in of French styles and the composer's own brand of modernism becomes apparent. Personally, I find the work rather acerbic and harsh, although as with most of his music, it is approachably so.
As I mentioned at the top, Claves is an enterprising music label, dedicated to rare repertoire and young musicians. Indeed, these early-in-life piano trios from Villa-Lobos are rarely recorded and the Damocles Trio do not have all that many recordings to their name.
Luckily, if the music isn't always to my tastes, the Damocles tackle Villa-Lobos head on. The piano part is terrifyingly difficult, and is given a virtuosic performance from Dr. Adam Kent. I really like the string harmonics in the opening and concluding trios, and if the cello is recorded a tad subdued, it is a small issue.
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