Hailed by the magazine BBC Music for its ‘generous and warm-hearted, utterly beguiling playing’, the Grammy-nominated Neave Trio has emerged as one of the finest young ensembles of its generation. For this, their eighth album, they have once again selected a programme of works by female composers. Written in 1846, the Piano Trio of Clara Schumann was considered a great success by her friends and supporters (notably by Brahms) but her lack of self-confidence clouded her own view of the piece. Intellectually curious and a voracious reader from an early age, Dora Pejačević was largely self-taught as a composer. She composed her First Piano Trio (in D major) in 1905 (when she was twenty) and the Second followed in 1910, by which time Pejačević’s musical language had already evolved into its distinctive late-romantic style. Chaminade’s Piano Trio no.2 in A minor was published 1887, with a dedication to the great French cellist Jules Delsart. The successful première had been given at the Salle Érard on 4 February 1886. Chaminade went on to play the A minor Trio regularly during the 1890s, to substantial critical acclaim.

‘This shows enormous stylistic variety, from great pathos to playful mischievousness to exuberant virtuosity, and the Neave Trio help us enjoy every moment of it... the pleasure of this recital is its sheer breadth of inspiration’ – BBC Music (Her Voice, CHAN20139)

‘the case for all four composers is strengthened by these illustrious performances: the Neave Trio delivers perceptively characterised interpretations that are by turns individual and blended, supported by a pleasingly warm recording’ – The Strad (A Room of Her Own, CHAN20238)