Anton Reicha: Complete Piano Trios – Trio Bohemo

Anton Reicha was probably right when—unlike his colleagues—he avoided promoting his own works, being aware that his genius would not be fully appreciated until long after his death. His spirit of experimentation anticipated some of the phenomena of 20th-century music (minimalism, microintervals etc.). It is only now, in the 21st century, that his name is becoming more widely known, without constantly having to bring up his inspirational friendship with Beethoven or make reference to his more famous Parisian pupils like Berlioz, Gounod, or Franck.

Following the premiere recording of his complete Piano Concerto (Bartoš, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Popelka 2025), Reicha’s Six Piano Trios, Op. 101, finally make their debut in a reference recording. It took all of 202 years since the first printed edition (1824) for one of his last opuses to find its way onto a recording of the interpretive and technical quality that the music deserves. Here, the composer’s constant surprises keep his listeners alert, and the technical demands on the musicians clearly show that the trios were written for elite performers. In this music, the composer’s visionary imagination anticipates the full-blooded Romanticism of Robert Schumann and his contemporaries.

The marvellous Trio Bohémo has received deserved acclaim for its Supraphon debut (Smetana, Schubert, 2024). For this recording in Vienna, they invited the proven recording team of producer Andrew Keener and sound engineer Oscar Torres. Up in the musical heavens, Reicha is surely smiling at the invigorating result, made even more vivid in Dolby Atmos sound.