de Frumerie and Stravinsky

Bengt Forsberg travels around the world, particularly as a sought-after chamber musician and sensitive interpreter of romantic piano music. He is also a regular guest at the Konserthuset, where he performs with a trio consisting of clarinet, violin, and cello from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Together, they present fantastic but also unusual music, such as the piano trio by French composer Charlotte Sohy (1887–1955). She lived during the "La belle époque," strongly associated with Paris, where she was born. Her extensive production includes a symphony and several orchestral works, an opera, a lyrical drama, masses, songs, piano pieces, and other chamber music – including this sparkling piano trio.

Also rare on the repertoire is the Austrian composer Walter Rabl. He stopped composing in his thirties to focus on conducting and coaching singers – which is regrettable because this attractive piano quartet, reminiscent of Brahms, contains sweeping romanticism and inviting melodies. As a fine contrast, we hear Stravinsky's entertaining Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet.

The concert opens with music by Gunnar de Frumerie, who, along with Lars-Erik Larsson and Dag Wirén, is usually described as a neoclassicist. As we can hear in the sonata for cello and piano, he was also a romantic and influenced by the Baroque as well. Emma de Frumerie, from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, who participates as a violinist, is the great-niece of Gunnar de Frumerie.