Dumky Trio Pascal

• Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1906): Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky", Op. 90:
• 1 Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky", Op. 90: I. Lento maestoso 03:59
• 2 Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky", Op. 90: II. Poco adagio 06:26
• 3 Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky", Op. 90: III. Andante 05:46
• 4 Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky", Op. 90: IV. Andante moderato 04:47
• 5 Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky", Op. 90: V. Allegro 04:03
• 6 Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky", Op. 90: VI. Lento maestoso 04:53
• Josef Suk (1874 - 1935): Elegy for Violin, Cello and Piano, Op. 23:
• 7 Suk: Elegy for Violin, Cello and Piano, Op. 23 05:54
• Bedřich Smetana (1824 - 1884): Piano Trio in G Minor, Op.15:
• 8 Smetana: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op.15: I. Moderato assai 10:45
• 9 Smetana: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op.15: II. Allegro ma non agitato 07:48
• 10 Smetana: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op.15: III. Presto 09:04
• Total Runtime 01:03:25

Info for Dumky

Denis Pascal and his sons Alexandre and Aurélien are united by a unique bond that can only arise through family ties in music, and they invite us on a fascinating exploration of Czech music between the 19th and 20th centuries. National composers gradually emancipated themselves from German influence and allowed their aesthetics to be imbued with the melodies, colours and rhythms of their homeland. Bedrich Smetana was the first to embark on this promising path, and in his Trio Op. 15, in which he mourns the death of his beloved daughter in 1855, the darkness is sometimes illuminated by purely Czech colours. In his Trio ‘Dumky’ (1891), Dvorák accentuates this tendency in an ingenious way, with a gripping range of expression and admirable compositional perfection. Josef Suk's elegy is a tribute to his older brother and also adds echoes of antiquity, not unlike French Impressionism.

Trio Pascal:
Denis Pascal, piano
Alexandre Pascal, violin
Aurélien Pascal, cello

Denis Pascal
has established himself as one of the most original figures on the French piano scene, performing in France and throughout the world as both soloist and chamber musician. His career has expanded abroad, with numerous appearances in Europe, of course, but also in the United States (Lincoln Center and Merkin Concert Hall in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington, Herbst Theater in San Francisco) and Asia (Arts Center in Seoul, Yokohama Festival with the New Japan Philharmonic). In France, he has won over audiences in most Paris venues (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Châtelet, Philharmonie, Maison de la Radio, Théâtre de la Ville, Salle Gaveau, Opéra Garnier), as well as at numerous international festivals (Folle Journée de Nantes, Festivals de Salon-de-Provence, de La Roque d'Anthéron, d'Aix-en-Provence, Lisztomania, Festival de Radio France Montpellier Occitanie, Festival Berlioz, Nohant Festival Chopin, among others).

Keen to maintain a historical awareness of the repertoire, Denis Pascal leaves the beaten track and gives concerts that are both memorable and open to all, rigorously applying a consistent ethic as much to the Liszt repertoire as to Impressionist music or post-Romantic scores. His collaboration with Les Siècles on the two Chopin concertos on period instruments, for example, renewed our vision of the sonorities of these emblematic works, culminating in a landmark recording for the Polymnie label.

Denis Pascal's discography reflects his musical commitments. For example, he has recorded the complete Hungarian Rhapsodies by Franz Liszt, whose colouristic science and above all expressive power have been unanimously acclaimed by the music press, with a CHOC du Monde de la Musique, the Prix de l'Association Française Franz Liszt, and the Classica Recommendation. Among the recording projects that have received unanimous critical acclaim, a perfect illustration of Denis Pascal's immense curiosity is a disc devoted to Jean Wiéner for Sisyphe, released in 2007 and awarded a Diapason d'Or. This recording, supplemented by new pieces, was reissued on the La Música label in November 2023.

Denis Pascal has also recorded for the La Música label two albums in a triptych devoted to Schubert, released in March 2018 and 2020, with the third volume appearing in March 2024. For the same label, he recorded "Ravel à Gaveau" alongside Aurélien Pascal, Svetlin Roussev and David Lively. In December 2022, Denis Pascal's recording of Erik Satie was released by La Música. The album received unanimous critical acclaim, including a CHOC from Classica and a TTTT from Télérama.

A partner highly esteemed by his chamber music peers, Denis Pascal forms the Pascal Trio with his two sons Alexandre (violin) and Aurélien Pascal (cello). In March 2021 they released their first album on La Música, devoted to Schubert trios, to critical acclaim. The Trio Pascal quickly gained renown, and Denis and his two sons regularly performed together in a number of renowned venues and festivals.

A disciple of Pierre Sancan, Denis Pascal also studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris with Jacques Rouvier, Léon Fleisher and György Sándor. Denis Pascal went on to study with György Sebök, of whom he was one of the main disciples, at Indiana University in Bloomington. This was followed by regular tours with the great cellist János Starker. A much-appreciated teacher, he was appointed professor at the CNSM in Lyon in January 2010, then at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in April 2011.

Booklet for Dumky