Cheryl Frances-Hoad's The Forgiveness Machine for Piano Cello and Violin. 'The Forgiveness Machine was commissioned by the Phoenix Piano Trio as part of their Beyond Beethoven Project. My work is very closely modeled on the second movement of Beethoven’s Archduke Trio and comprises a set of loosely structured variations many of which are motivically very similar to Beethoven's. This work is dedicated to the memory of my grandmother Christina Hoad. I received this commission in the last months of her life and would often sit in the room listening to the Archduke on my headphones while she rested. Beethoven’s music to me atthat time had an almost transcendental quality to it temporarily permitting an escape from the reality and inevitability of my Nan’s illness. It was this quality of serenity beauty and dignity that I tried to emulate in my work. The title is taken from an art work by Karen Green: the Forgiveness Machine was made after the death of her husband David Foster Wallace and encourages members of the public to write down on a piece of paper what they want to forgive/be forgiven for before feeding it to the machine which sucks up the piece of paper and shreds it (the artwork is some seven foot long). Whilst in my case there is nothing to forgive it was the feeling of catharsis that many people reported after interaction with this artwork that struck a chord with me and had tremendous relevance to this work.' - Cheryl Frances-Hoad

The Piano Trio Two is inspired by three Zen koans which have lent their titles to the movements ‘How Grass and Trees Become Enlightened ’ ‘Your Light May Go Out ’ and ‘Open Your Own Treasure House.’ Yet themusic is drawn from English folk tune and Weir’s own songs and imaginary ragas. Judith Weir is one of Britain’s most prolific and successful composers widely known for her operas like The Vanishing Bridegroomand A Night At The Chinese Opera and her many Choral works as well as her pieces for Strings and Piano. She was Artistic Director of the Spitalfields Festival and is a professor at Cardiff University. Her work is often inspiredby narrative folklore and theatre.

Par DVORAK ANTONIN. For several years following composition of his first piano quartet, Dvorák?s publisher Simrock pushed him to compose a follow-up piece in the genre. The work, written during a few short weeks in summer 1889, fulfilled Simrock?s wishes. With his op. 87, Dvorák delivered a challenging and mature work in which a mastery of form is combined with memorable themes and surprising harmonic turns, leading it quickly to conquer the hearts of both performers and audiences. The engraver?s model for the first edition is lost; but together with the first edition the autograph survives as a second source for our critical edition, with which Henle continues its series of Urtext editions of this composer. / Date parution : 2023-05-06/ Répertoire / Quatuor avec Piano

Piano/cello/violin sheet of The Piano Guys' arrangement of this hit from the blockbuster movie hit The Greatest Showman

Score and Parts.Commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre. First performance 19 May 1998 Merkin Concert Hall New York City.Quoting Weir: 'In my previous work I have often enjoyed inventing titles whichattempt to encapsulate the particular world of each composition but this fifteen minutes piece for violin cello and piano is simply entitled Piano Trio . What is the reason for this unusually abstract description? I thinkperhaps that in this piece the many external impressions which habitually make up my musical world have become too numerous and too personal to be pinned down in the space of few words that a composition title allows.The firstmovement began in my mind with impressions of Venice as relayed in Schubert's song Gondelfahrer; the crisp midnight air the dark choppy water the bells tolling the gondolier alone in emotional turmoil. Schubert's world is aplace where I can find constant inspiration and strength.The second movement recalls a time when I was called from a phone box in Africa. At one moment I was alone in my room the next (or so it seemed in my imagination)surrounded by light heat and sudden energy and activity. The movement is not however an evocation of African music; it takes the form of a scherzo and trio which collide with each other at the movement's conclusion.Thethird movement formed in my mind whilst I was reading some Gaelic poetry from the Hebridean island of Lewis on Scotland 's far flung Atlantic fringe. I was thinking of the bleached white beaches in that part of the world whereevery object lying on the sand - a washed-up bottle or a bird's skeleton - is a major event in a deserted landscape. The same might be said of this short set of musical variations where melodic fragments are laid out with plentyof space around them clear and plain for everyone to hear.

This piece was written as a tribute to the people of Fair Isle a remote community that lies between Orkney and Shetland which is also the home of the composer. The work was composed for the Grieg Trio of Norway and reflect theensemble's virtuosity with striking cadenzas that showcase the performers. The music is rugged ever-changing and full of the energy of this unique landscape.