Charlotte Gardner visits London’s Wigmore Hall on 7 July 2025 for the recital of Ravel and Korngold piano trios
Few young artist programmes can draw on such a roster of internationally fêted laureates as the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist scheme has been able to do for this year’s 20th-anniversary celebrations. This was again demonstrated at this Wigmore lunchtime with Johan Dalene (2019–21), Andreas Brantelid (2008–10) and Christian Ihle Hadland (2011–13), who paired Ravel’s Piano Trio with Korngold’s Piano Trio op.1.
Korngold’s potently expressive Piano Trio, completed in 1910 when he was only 12, received its 1911 Vienna premiere from none other than Vienna Philharmonic leader Arnold Rosé, cellist Adolf Buxbaum and Bruno Walter at the piano.
At Wigmore Hall, its unison strings passages shone especially brightly through the superb tonal matching of Dalene and Brantelid. The latter also brought an unforgettable lyricism and glow to the Larghetto’s opening cello solo. Then for the finale, fiery drama melded with flowing romance – a delicious mere shimmy away from Korngold’s later Hollywood voice.
On to the Ravel, composed in 1914 and dedicated to his counterpoint teacher André Gédalge, in which the second-movement ‘Pantoum’ ended with such high-octane power that the audience instinctively roused themselves to applaud, before equally quickly checking themselves.
The dark Passacaille saw Brantelid’s hollow, no-vibrato entry atmospherically counterpointed by the fast vibrato of Dalene. The Trio’s finale concluded with a theatrical flourish – this time joyously applauded.
CHARLOTTE GARDNER
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