Berkeley, Brahms, Leshnoff: Horn Trios

The viability of the horn trio was definitively established by Brahms in 1865. He had learned the natural horn as a child and infused his Trio with a range of moods, including a deeply felt slow movement in honour of his mother who had died earlier in the year and a carefree finale which explores the horn’s hunting legacy. Inspired by this precedent, Lennox Berkeley’s Trio is lively and characterful with a sequence of ingenious and playful variations. GRAMMY-nominated Jonathan Leshnoff is one of America’s leading contemporary composers and his 2016 Trio moves from darkness to light, and is full of pointed syncopations, before arriving at a joyous conclusion. This recording is very timely, as 2023 marks the 190th anniversary of Brahms’ birth, as well as 120th anniversary of Berkeley’s birth and Leshnoff’s 50th birthday.