Ilona Then-Bergh - Sabaneev: Piano Trios (2012)

The sweeping epic piano trios of Leonid Sabaneev (1881–1968) are electrifying – on the dividing line between the Romantic and the Modern, between exalted feelings and the oppression of Stalinist terror. Echoes of Rachmaninoff, then a Shostakovich – and yet Sabaneev surprises us again and again. This is due not least, of course, to the fabulous performance of Ilona Then-Bergh (violin), Michael Schäfer (piano) and Wen-Sinn Yang (cello). This is already the sixth GENUIN production for the first two recording artists: These world premiere recordings are also un!erhört (never before heard)! New valuable additions to the repertoire, played with burning intensity – a must for chamber music fans!

'...without a doubt the most bizarre pieces I have ever heard by any composer before John Cage and his ilk...' (Fanfare)

'The ensemble as a whole manages to swell, soar, and fade as a unit, and their molding of tempo to suit musical gestures is one pivotal quality that makes this recording a success.' (David Pearson)

Michael Schäfer, Piano
Ilona Then-Bergh, Violin
Wen-Sinn Yang, Cello