Grief and anguish unite these lyrically expressive trios. Tchaikovsky subtitled his “In memory of a great artist”, his friend and mentor Nikolai Rubinstein, while poor Smetana wrote his after the death from scarlet fever of his four-year-old daughter Bedřiška. But that’s where their similarity ends. Tchaikovsky’s trio is monumental, unique in the repertoire; Trio con Brio Copenhagen scale its heights with the verve their name suggests, pianist Jens Elvekjaer sparkling in the brilliant set of 11 variations central to the piece. In contrast, the Smetana is brief but deeply heartfelt, the beauty of its bleak majesty perfectly captured by the Danish players. Recommended.
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