András Keller, Miklós Perényi & Mihály Berecz Chamber Recital Presented by Liszt Academy

This concert brings together some of the finest gems of the piano trio repertoire, including one of Franz Schubert’s works composed in 1827 – a piece the composer himself lived to hear performed. The four-movement composition is among Schubert’s longest chamber works, and its Adagio has since become one of the most beloved slow movements in all piano trio literature. It’s no wonder, even though each movement distills Schubert’s lyricism, sensitivity, and drama into their purest form. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, however, did not always share this affection for the piano trio form. When first invited to compose one, he reportedly replied: “I simply cannot endure the combination of piano, violin, and cello. To me, their timbres just don’t blend …” Yet, following the sudden death of his close friend and mentor Nikolai Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky turned to this very ensemble to express his grief. The resulting Piano Trio in A minor, completed in 1882, ultimately won the composer’s own approval after several revisions. Its subtitle, À la mémoire d’un grand artiste (“In memory of a great artist”), remains a moving tribute to his dear friend.