Lopatnikoff / Juon: History of the Russian Piano Trio [The Russian Abroad: Berlin]

Berlin is the focus of the eighth installment of the "History of the Russian Piano Trio," which introduces two Russian composers living in the city. Nikolai Lopatnikoff's symphonies were premiered by Bruno Walter and Serge Koussevitzky, and he was once considered to be on a par with Igor Stravinsky. Lopatnikoff's "Piano Trio in A minor" is an archetypal example of Russian modernism, unparalleled in its use of allusion, tonality, and form. Paul Juon's "Suite in C major" is full of elegant and lively theatrical imagery, while his "Piano Trio No. 1 in A minor" uses charming, stylized folk motifs influenced by Johannes Brahms. This is part of a planned 15-album series titled "History of the Russian Piano Trio," which has been nominated for an International Classical Music Award (ICMA) and named one of the best albums of 2021 by Gramophone and American Record Guide. Fanfare wrote of Vol. 5 of this series: "This series has prepared me to expect superb playing from the Moscow Brahms Trio, and their performances here are entirely in keeping with their outstanding track record." In 2022, the Brahms Trio was nominated for the Opus Klassik Awards in the categories of "Best Chamber Music Recording," "Ensemble of the Year," and "Outstanding Contribution to the Expansion of the Repertoire." Violinist Nikolai Sachenko and cellist Kirill Rodin are both gold medal winners at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow; pianist Natalia Rubinstein won first prize at the Joseph Joachim Chamber Music Competition in Weimar.