Bedřich Smetana - Antonín Dvořák

Bohemian Legacy

Trio 258

Label: Challenge Classics
Format: CD
Barcode: 0608917200478

Catalog number: CC 720047
Releasedate: 06-02-26

- Trio 258's (Lestari Scholtes, Eduardo Paredes Crespo, and Leonard Besseling) second album on Challenge Classics
- Three Generations of Czech Masters – A compelling journey through Smetana, Dvořák, and Suk, united by friendship, mentorship, and a shared Bohemian identity.
- Trio 258 emphasize the importance of language, nature, and folk tradition in shaping Czech music
- Trio 258 blends technical mastery with an intimate, heartfelt connection to the music.
- A fresh, vibrant reflection on the Bohemian legacy, bridging 19th-century emotion with contemporary artistry.

The album Bohemian Legacy by Trio 258 is a heartfelt tribute to three generations of Czech composers — Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, and Josef Suk — whose music embodies the soul of Bohemian culture. The program begins with Smetana’s Piano Trio in G minor, a deeply personal and tragic work written in the wake of his daughter’s death, where raw grief intertwines with Bohemian folk melodies and a sense of resilience. Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 3 in F minor follows, showcasing his synthesis of Bohemian lyricism and Germanic symphonic structure, combining folk-inspired dance rhythms with Brahmsian complexity. The album concludes with Suk’s Elegy in D-flat Major, dedicated to poet Julius Zeyer and inspired by his poem Vyšehrad, a reflective and nostalgic ode to Prague’s cultural and spiritual heritage. Together, these works form a tapestry of national identity, friendship, and artistic lineage — an exploration of emotion, beauty, and belonging through music .

In their liner notes, Trio 258 (Lestari Scholtes, Eduardo Paredes Crespo, and Leonard Besseling) emphasize the importance of language, nature, and folk tradition in shaping Czech music. They describe their interpretive process as an “immensely valuable journey,” seeking to find their own voice while honoring the composers’ intentions. Through this album, the trio not only presents technically accomplished performances but also reflects on the Bohemian spirit — one that fuses melancholy and vitality, individuality and tradition. Their recording is both a musical homage and a personal exploration of how the language of music can bridge generations, resonating with the timeless ideals of freedom, emotion, and national identity

Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15

I. Moderato assai - Più animato

11:36

Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15

II. Allegro, ma non agitato - Alternativo I (Andante) - Tempo I - Alternativo II (Maestoso) - Tempo I

08:24

Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15

III. Finale. Presto

10:04

Piano Trio No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 65, B.130

I. Allegro ma non troppo

13:17