HORN TRIOS from MOZART to PIAZZOLLA and beyond (Volume 1) is the first installment of a 2-volume

compendium of horn trios from the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries - an amazing "anthology" of original and arranged repertoire for the trio ensemble of horn, violin and

piano. This is not the kind of recording project consisting of

the obligatory Brahms Trio Op. 40 in the company of two or

three other much-recorded works. Presenting a 4-centuries

double-disc album with just this First Volume, the artists

explore a strikingly-interesting collection of diverse styles

and genres, where even the sheer number of different

nationalities of the composers (from 12 different countries)

brings instant awe. Yes, the Brahms Horn Trio is included, as

well as works by Mozart and Piazzolla (as the album's title

proclaims), but we also hear trios by composers from the

United States, Canada, England, France, Liechtenstein,

Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Morocco. Presenting no less

than 8 world-premiere recordings in just this Volume 1, the

album brims with rarities and contrasts, showcasing many

works written specifically for these artists. Hornist Howard

Wall, whose storied career includes not just his legendary

reputation as a long-time member of two of America's most

prestigious orchestras - The New York Philharmonic and The

Philadelphia Orchestra, but has also produced an impressive

discography of chamber and solo discs, brings a symphonic

dimension to his own arrangement of Piazzolla's "Oblivion",

and an excitingly speedy rendition of the Brahms Trio, as

well as breathtaking interpretations of all other works. Violinist Elmira Darvarova is equally "at home" in Mozart (as

a former concertmaster of The Metropolitan Opera, where

she accompanied the world's greatest singers in a multitude

of Mozart operas) and in Piazzolla (having attained a Grammy nomination for one of her many Piazzolla albums),

as well as everywhere else, possessing not just an incredibly

strong and full tone, but also a magnificent level of

sensitivity which fascinates with the limitless range of

dynamics and sophisticated phrasing. Pianist Thomas

Weaver, whose own horn trio mesmerizes with atmospheric

moods (and is narrated by himself, reading Edgar Allan Poe's

Stanzas) and whose translucently textured playing has been

hailed for his recent album of Hungarian composers recorded together with Elmira Darvarova), shines in each

piece with sublime virtuosity and fierce artistic commitment.

This is a "not to be missed" album release, anticipating the

upcoming Volume 2 which will conclude this terrific project.