The Transformation of Music – Trans-Formation II

One and the same piece of music can adopt two entirely different characters! This definitely holds true for Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 1 – a composition that started its life as a youthful endeavor but, four decades later, underwent an absolute transformation. In a letter dated September 3, 1889, Brahms wrote to Clara Schumann: “You wouldn’t guess the childlike amusement I indulged in on beautiful summer days. I rewrote my B major Trio and can now label it, Op. 108 instead of, Op. 8.” Gathering for this “new” trio and Antonín Dvořák’s enchanting “Dumky” are artists who, in their previous Festival appearances, left indelible memories: violinist Sayaka Shoji, pianist Beatrice Rana (2nd prize winner of the Van Cliburn Competition 2013), and cellist Kian Soltani, who performed alongside Sol Gabetta in Gstaad in 2016.