In two previous reviews on the music of French composer Albéric Magnard (1865-1914), the Incidental Music and Symphonies 3 & 4 recordings, I mention that highly organic harmonic writing forms the backbone of his music, and simply allows the innate harmonic flow dictate the music's direction. Wagner and Brahms influences are most prominent in his music, but don't expect recurring motifs or memorable themes. His ideas unravel organically, one melding into the next, and may seem slightly amorphous at first, but there's a method to his madness.

Though the opening movement of the Piano Trio in F minor, completed in 1905, is expressively marked as Sombre, it's characterized by an impetuous and agitated temperament, and ends in a state of turmoil and unrest, as if trying to break through the darkness. On the other hand, the following movement Chantant, Dramatique, Limpide is strongly lyrical and marked by episodes of feverish passion during which all three instruments strive to upstage each other in dramatic fashion only to, in the end, close peacefully. After a brief and lively waltz-like third movement, the final movement revisits the apprehensive state of the first, and once again progressing forward organically, leads to a dramatically captivating ending where everything finally comes to rest. Definitely the work of a composer strongly anchored to tradition, but with insights and innovative touches looking straight to the future.

The Trio, Franco Mezzena (violin), Sergio Patria (cello), and Elena Ballario (piano) have, since their formation in 2016, endeavored to perform and record chamber music from lesser-known composers, and have certainly demonstrated here that Albéric Magnard's music deserves much more recognition than it receives.