Pantoum Trio: Modern Times

The Strad Issue: May 2025

Description: A fearless recording debut from an exciting young trio

Musicians: Pantoum Trio

Works: Arensky: Piano Trio no.1. Ravel: Piano Trio. Srnka: Emojis, Likes and Ringtones

Catalogue number: LA DOLCE VOLTA LDV145

The Pantoum Trio neatly catches the halting quality of the opening motif of Ravel’s Piano Trio. Its playing is at times achingly tender, gentle, barely a whisper, only to be replaced by muscular ferocity, made more immediate by the close recording, the piano bass frequently prominent. The second-movement ‘Pantoum’ (from which the trio takes its name) is nervy, unsettled, with a constant feeling of anxiety and some exaggerated phrasing, suddenly giving way to exultant grandeur. The third-movement passacaglia is, from its mysterious ground bass heard deep in the piano, skilfully, satisfyingly shaped, and the Animé finale is mostly light and airy, its textures transparent, offset by some mighty climaxes, rich and saturated with colour.

In the opening of Arensky’s First Piano Trio, Hugo Meder’s violin melody is so veiled it could almost be muted. From here, the reading develops into a performance of theatrical, almost orchestral grandeur, with bold forte playing; the moments where the string players swap their skipping motif in the development are delightful. The second-movement Scherzo has a nonchalant gaiety, contrasting with warm legato in the Trio. The first part of the slow movement has hushed, almost vocal expression, and there is sensitive lyrical playing in the finale.

Miroslav Srnka’s 2018 Emojis, Likes and Ringtones is a seven-minute piece of gnomic fragments using all manner of techniques, from plucked piano strings to bowing on the tailpiece. Like everything else here, it is played with panache.

TIM HOMFRAY