Beethoven: Complete Piano Trios, Volume 4

Advantages: A work that changed the way we look at symphonies
Disadvantages: none whatsoever

...There have been (and still are) moments in every art form that have somehow broken the accepted norms and created something revolutionary, pointing a clear path towards the future and serving as an influence to a number of other people that follow. In music one of the greatest innovators of all time must be Ludwig van Beethoven. Emerging in the late 18th century as a brilliant piano virtuoso and composer who was first seen as an heir to Mozart, but who soon showed his individual and highly original character, writing music that was more openly emotional, turbulent and less decorous than people were used to. However, Beethoven's promising career seemed almost to terminate before it had even begun as he started to loose his hearing, beginning in the early 1800s. This lead to a tremendous crisis in the composer's life and he seriously... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Two outstanding peices of chamber music for an unusual combination of instruments
Disadvantages: On the surface quite contrasting works, listener must be openminded

...The work of Ligeti has been at the forefront of Western avant-garde since his escape from the oppressive communist regime of Hungary in 1956, and he is widely appreciated as one of the most outstanding contemporary composers. The Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano because it was born out of a three-year period of illness and writer's block after the completion of Le Grand Macabre in which time he laboured over a piano concerto but completed only two short harpsichord pieces (Continuum and Hungarian Rock), yet the result in 1982 was the Trio, one of the finest and most complex pieces written so far. His career up to this point had included such sucesses as his Requiem, Atmosphères and the soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick's film 2001. Tiring of his own cluster-textural techniques and the avant-garde, Ligeti refreshed his compositional... Read review

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Advantages: a true avant garde jazz trio
Disadvantages: maybe too avant garde in some instances

...When we talk about modern jazz piano trios names like brad mehldau and esbjorn svensson quickly emerge to our minds. But no matter how good the former musicians and their trios are, nevertheless they still have a strong influence by artists like bill evans, keith jarrett and even Chick Corea. In the case of the Bad plus however, we can talk about a new powerful almost punk attitude towards piano trios. Imagine the virtuosity of jazz musicians combined with avant grade innovation and high volumed tunes, all combind in one. The original compositions sound so fresh, with all the rhythmic and harmonic complexity combined in a unique way. Trashy beats and excellent piano unisons create a some kind of trancedental atmosphere. And how about a cover of Nirvana's "smells like teen spirit" for jazz trio? Really interesting.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful