Berkeley, Brahms, Leshnoff: Horn Trios

David Cooper (horn), Alexander Kerr (violin), Orion Weiss (piano)

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.

Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) , Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) , Jonathan Leshnoff (b. 1973)