Phil Muse reviews the Hermitage Piano Trio’s Spanish Impressions recording in the Spring issue of Atlanta Audio: “Two years ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing the CD by the Hermitage Piano Trio of Rachmaninoff’s two Trios élégiaque and a transcription of his Vocalise. As their debut CD, it made a fine calling card for these Russian ex-patriots now living and performing in the United States, by name: Mischa Keylin, violin; Sergey Antonov, cello; and…
“This is a most interesting program, comprising four late Romantic Spanish piano trios, none well-known, with a good deal in common stylistically but with sufficient differences to avoid any sense of repetition.… I had not encountered the music of Mariano Perelló before… He was a renowned violinist and a member of the prominent ensemble Trio Barcelona. While his Tres Impresiones do not specifically reference Spanish dances, they are there throughout. Each movement begins impressively.… These are good…
Spanish Impressions is an AllMusic November Highlight with a 4.5 Star rating for the Hermitage Piano Trio! “The Hermitage Trio’s performances are impressive. All its members are of Russian background, but the deeply lyrical mode works well in this repertory, which would seem to have gems aplenty to offer.… Another major draw is the sound from the reliably strong engineering team of Reference Recordings, here working at Skywalker Sound in California; the famed Keith Johnson had a hand in…
“This is the second Reference Recordings release of the Hermitage Piano Trio. And it’s just as good as the first.… The Hermitage Piano Trio doesn’t fail to impress. Their performances are clean, clear, and precise. And more importantly, they’re musical. They internalize the essence of Spanish music. And they deliver it with the energy and attitude it requires.… Great performances impeccably recorded. What else would you expect from Reference?” —Ralph Graves, WTJU See the full…
Colin Clarke is already adding The Hermitage Piano Trio’s Spanish Impressions release to his 2024 Fanfare Want List! “There are revelations galore from this trio of musicians who, although none of them are actually from Spain, are all fascinated by the region and its music. That enthusiasm permeates this fascinating disc.… The Trois Pièces orginales dans le genre espagnol (1886) is a masterpiece. This is Arbós’ op. 1, and what a way to get going. The three…
Jason Victor Serious gives a Five Star Sonic Rating to Hermitage Piano Trio’s Spanish Impressions in the November issue of Stereophile: “Here’s a real treat: piano trios by four outstanding Spanish composers—Enrique Fernández Arbós, Joaquín Turina, Gaspar Cassadó, and Mariano Perelló. … Expertly recorded at Skywalker Sound by the family team of Sean Martin and Keith O. Johnson, the hi-rez recording stands out for its excellent dynamics, natural colors, and big, realistically spaced images that…
The Hermitage Piano Trio’s Spanish Impressions gets a marvelous review in the Gramophone Magazine Awards Issue: How savvy to begin a programme of Spanish piano trio works with Enrique Arbós’s Three Pieces, Op 1, particularly with its boisterous opening Bolero. The Hermitage Piano Trio give their all, serving up liberal doses of idiomatic rubato and heel-kicking accents. …Note, too, cellist Sergey Antonov’s almost viola-like sonority above the staff and the utter evenness of his tone…
American Record Guide Editor Donald Vroon reviewed the Hermitage Piano Trio’s Rachmaninoff recording in the Fall 2019 issue. It was also one of his recordings of the year! “I have recordings of the Rachmaninoff Trio 1 that range from 12 to 16 minutes. … Our three Russians who call themselves the Hermitage Trio… take 14-1/2 minutes, and they sound Russian and romantic; they have ardor, but they are not pushy about it. This is the…
A fantastic new review for the Hermitage Piano Trio’s GRAMMY®-nominated Rachmaninoff recording from Wisconsin Public Radio: “virtuoso performances, outstanding production quality, and a program overflowing with gorgeous music and deeply wrought emotion. … The music provides a shimmering showcase for the young musicians, enabling them to display powerful technical and interpretive chops. The program itself is profoundly moving, including a youthful work, an elegy to Tchaikovsky after his death, and a gorgeous arrangement of the “Vocalise” that will be new…
The Arts Desk‘s Graham Rickson reviews the Hermitage Piano Trio’s GRAMMY®-nominated Rachmaninoff album: “This performance, from three Russian musicians, oozes soul. Cellist Sergey Antonov has a gloriously dark tone, and he’s well matched with violinist Misha Keylin. And what a beautifully balanced recording too, pianist Ilya Kazantsev’s Steinway captured with startling fidelity. This never once sounds like a contractual meeting between three starry soloists; it’s clear that these musicians have lived with this music for…
Reference Recordings is excited to announce eleven nominations across eight categories for the 2020 GRAMMY® Awards! The Orchestral Organ 2020 GRAMMY® Award Nominee: Best Immersive Audio Album Keith O. Johnson, immersive audio engineer; Keith O. Johnson, immersive audio mastering engineer; Marina A. Ledin & Victor Ledin, immersive audio producers (Jan Kraybill) Best Classical Instrumental Solo Jan Kraybill Producer of the Year, Classical Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 2020 GRAMMY® Award Nominee:…
The Absolute Sound Magazine’s Andrew Quint gives a Five-Star Music & Sonics rating for The Hermitage Piano Trio’s Rachmaninoff recording: “It was my privilege to attend a day-long recording session for this Rachmaninoff program at Mechanics Hall in Worchester, Massachusetts. (See “Magic at Mechanics” in Issue 279.) Given the artists, repertoire, venue, and production team, I expected a good result. But I couldn’t have predicted what Reference has delivered with the final product. … The…
Gramophone Magazine features the Hermitage Piano Trio’s Rachmaninoff recording in the Awards Issue: “The Hermitage Piano Trio prove another strong contender within a catalogue of riches. The ensemble brings a darker, more brooding vantage point to the 19-year-old composer’s one-movement G minor Trio, tastefully stretching out phrases…while favouring relatively massive sonorities. … Thoroughly detailed annotations and ravishingly balanced surround-sound engineering lend further distinction to this release.” —Jed Distler, Gramophone See the full review on Gramophone.co.uk
“Now based out of the United States, the ensemble has just released their debut CD for Reference Recordings, a beautifully performed and recorded capture at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts of some of the most intricate and dynamic works of the celebrated late Romantic-era Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). … And, like the finest Western art musicians of today, the trio here handles all of this (and more) with ease, expressively and flawlessly traversing the…
Barry Forshaw reviews the Hermitage Piano Trio’s new Rachmaninoff recording for Classical CD Choice: “This absolutely unmissable disc performs a valuable service in providing the first SACD performances of his exquisite piano trios. The Hermitage Piano Trio has the full measure of this vivid and colourful music, chamber works which are not afraid to wear their heart on their sleeve – but never in a forced, sentimental manner. In fact, it is the muscle and…
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7; Bates: Resurrexit
Mark Donahue & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)