Piano Trio.1, Violin Sonata: Bekova Sisters

These two chamber pieces provide fascinating peeks at the idiosyncratic creativity of this Belgian-born Frenchman at two ends of his career. The Piano Trio--not really Op. 1 No. 1, as Franck had begun composing during his childhood years of touring Europe as a piano prodigy--was written at age 17. While this early work doesn't yet bear all the characteristics associated with its creator, there are some familiar traits - the monumentalism in the first and last sections, and of his lush arpeggiation for piano in the middle Allegro molto. But the kaleidoscopic modulations are yet to come, and the second section is uncharacteristically dancelike, in a lively performance by the Bekovas.
The Violin Sonata was composed when Franck was 64, and seems more familiar both as a performance piece and as a showcase of the composer's unique style. The mournful melody of the Allegro and the heroic carillon at the climax of the lovely Allegretto poco mosso are evocative of Franck's works for organ and solo piano and his single symphony, but here elicit interactions between the sisters' piano and strings which epitomize intimate instrumental interplay in its exciting and affectionate modes.