Tomás Bretón: Piano Trio in E Major (1887)

Tomás Bretón

(29 December 1850, in Salamanca – 2 December 1923, in Madrid) was a Spanish conductor and composer

Piano Trio in E Major (1887)

00:00 I. Movement: Allegro cómodo
12:10 III. Movement: Scherzo – Allegro molto*
18:50 IV. Movement: Allegro energico

Tomás Bretón was a Spanish composer of the romantic period, a major figure of the musical scene of the country at the time. He studied in the Royal Conservatory in Madrid, eventually becoming its director from 1901 – 1921. He was a distinguished violinist and, especially, a conductor. As a composer, he is considered the most prominent figure of the Spanish opera tradition, cultivating both serious dramas and light zarzuelas. Notable examples of this broad catalog include his serious 4-act opera Los Amantes de Teruel, and the incredibly popular and beloved La Verbena de la Paloma, considered a classic among the general Spanish population.
As a more intellectual composer, Bretón wrote a fair number of concert pieces and chamber music, most of which is largely unperformed and unappreciated. Some worthy mentions are the oratorio El Apocalipsis, the tone poem Salamanca and his 3 symphonies.

Breton’s role as a cosmopolitan and European composer is often overshadowed by his enduring contribution to the zarzuela tradition. The reality is that he was extremely interested in the artistic tendencies of the rest of Europe, and many of his works show influence of other styles, like the French grand opéra or the Wagnerian drama. Despite writing predominantly Spanish-themed works, his music hardly ever resorts to folk material, and cannot be properly named as nationalistic. Indeed, his style sounds very much European, highly refined, and very gracious, a fine example being this lovely piano trio.

The work opens with the theme presented in unison by violin and cello, punctuated by chords on the piano. The voices soon part ways and the piano decorates with arabesques. The whole material develops within a very elegant and gentle manner. Bretón’s writing for the piano is never thick and overly complicated, but rather exceptionally light and supple; his handling of the strings is exceptional. He has the ability to write very organic melodies, full of personality, that still lend themselves to a thematic development worthy of Brahms and Beethoven. Very interestingly, the first theme really contains two themes, the second the relative minor key, with an ominous repeated note as its signature. that often acts as a counterpoint to the main theme. The second theme arrives timidly in the unexpected key of C major. There’s a lovely passage full of passion at 03:24 that gets me every time; truly inspired. Bretón employs a similar device as Chopin in his second sonata in his development: the section really only handled the first thematic materials, and as a consequence, the resolution arrives directly at the second theme, this time in the tonic key and majestic.

The third movement is a charming piece. Seriously, if you’re not gonna listen to the whole thing, just listen to this movement. The melody one of the most memorable tunes you’ll ever hear, with an elegant yet piquant upbeat that just makes you want to get up and dance to it. There is an undeniable Spanish flare to this melody, yet it does not take direct inspiration in any folk tune or dance, a trademark of Bretón. The trio is stately, with long chord-melodies on the piano and pizzicati on the strings. The second section of the trio introduces a new motif of appoggiaturas that eventually combine with the main theme. Bretón was clearly satisfied with this piece sufficiently to have orchestrated it as a standalone piece the following year.

The fourth movement presents an animated theme with a decidedly heftier feel than the previous movements, yet the grace notes make it incredibly dainty and refined. It astonishes one to realize that the melody consists essentially of two notes – it’s basically a long and slow trill you guys... Every now and then the strings reinforce with chords the more folk-like character of the tune. The second theme is lyrical and dreamy. The development consists mostly of presentations of the main theme with somewhat freer passages for the soloists and sort of sounds like a classical cadenza at times. The piece gets rowdier as we approach the finale, yet Bretón never loses the Schubertian elegance that has characterized this entire piece. The work ends triumphantly with a descending four-note pattern presented earlier as an accompaniment to the main theme.