Acclaim
Truly high-quality piano trio - Flourishes CD
08 July 2010
NZTrio are a truly high-quality piano trio whose concerts are a mixture of the established classics from a rich repertoire and new music, much of which they commission themselves. But I'm not sure they always get the mix right in concert; in their eagerness to create a more progressive image they often offer a musical mish-mash. But make no mistake they are superb musicians and this new CD shows this in spades. But does a mix of Mozart, Ravel, Arvo Part and two New Zealand domiciled composers make a satisfactory release? The works by Wellington-based Indonesian composer I Wayan Gde Yudane and Aucklander Eve de Castro Robinson are both fascinating pieces, but they may find a divided market for those wanting the established classics. Whatever, those deciding to purchase will be rewarded by superb playing and rich recording, highlighted by a stunning assumption of Ravel's wonderful Piano Trio - a performance that would be reason enough to buy the disc.
John Button - Dominion Post, Wellington