Presents
Laura Netzel
Piano Trio in d minor, Op.78
Laura Netzel (1839-1927) was born in the Finnish village of Rantasalmi to ethnic Swedish parents. While still a baby, her family moved to Stockholm. Except for composition studies with Charles Marie Widor in Paris, she lived here entire life in Sweden where she worked as a concert pianist, conductor and composer. Prior to studying in Paris, she had studied piano, voice and composition at the Royal Swedish Conservatory in Stockholm. While most of her works were for piano or voice, she did not ignore chamber music.
Her Piano Trio in d minor was completed in 1902 and published the next year by a prominent Parisian publisher through the auspices of her teacher Widor. The opening movement, Allegro moderato, is quite romantic and moody. Like her teacher, who did not join the Impressionists, Netzel's music owes nothing to French Impressionism but has more of a Central European feel. The lovely second movement, Andante, is closer to an adagio. It lingers lovingly over its gorgeous main subject. Sandwiched in the middle section is a scherzo episode cleverly inserted. The finale, Allegro deciso, opens in a heavy, somewhat plodding fashion, but as the music progresses the tempo increases and the emotional pitch rises to several climaxes.
This is a work that might well have entered the repertoire if it had been written by a German or Austrian male composer. But it had two strikes against it be composed by a Swedish woman composer. Long out of print, we are pleased to reintroduce it once again and warmly recommend it to both amateurs and professionals..
Parts: $29.95
