Einar Røttingen
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Valen Trio, John Ehde (cello), Einar Røttingen (piano), Ricardo Odriozola (violin)
John Ehde (cello), Einar Røttingen (piano), Ricardo Odriozola (violin)

John Ehde
Ricardo Odriozola
Amethyst Records

Valen Trio

Valen Trio consists of John Ehde (cello), Einar Røttingen (piano) and Ricardo Odriozola (violin). Founded in 2009, the trio took its name after the Norwegian composer Fartein Valen. In addition to performing trios from the standard repertoire, Valen Trio actively commissions new trios and explores repertoire from the 19th and 20th Centuries that deserve to be better known. This profile is reflected in Valen Trio’s first CD release on LAWO with trios by Fartein Valen, Klaus Egge and Ketil Hvoslef, the latter trio being specially written for Valen Trio. The CD has received great critical acclaim; Klassisk musikkmagasin writes “ An absolutely outstanding CD and one of the best of its kind that I have heard in a very long time” and Stavanger Aftenblad continues “This release sets a new standard for one of the most important works in Valen’s production...an outstanding release of Norwegian chamber music!”. Gramophone and Fanfare write respectively  «The players’ ensemble and intonation are flawless and their understanding of each other and the repertoire highly impressive” and “they play Valen’s  rhythmic, energetic music with love and great attention to detail and with the stylistic knowledge that comes from a serious study of the composer and knowledge of the culture in which he worked”. In 2013 Valen Trio did the first performance of Knut Vaage’s “In Movement” at the Bergen International Festival and in 2015 they toured Norway and Denmark with trios by Bohuslav Martinu, Antonin Dvorak and Edvard Grieg. Their next CD release on LAWO will present trios by Gabriel Faure and Max Reger.

Valen Trio

What the press writes about Valen Trio’s interpretations on their new CD – with trios by Fartein Valen, Ketil Hvoslef and Klaus Egge – released in March 2013 on the record label LAWO:

Gramophone Nov 2013 writes:
..The players’ ensemble and intonation are flawless and their understanding of each other and the repertoire highly impressive…..

Fanfare Jan/Feb 2014 writes:
The Valen Trio…. play his (Valen’s) rhythmic, energetic music  with love and great attention to detail. Their excellent rendition of the composer’s work transports us back to the first part of the previous century when his kind of writing was revolutionary. …..The Valen Trio plays his (Egges’s) op. 14 Trio with the stylistic knowledge that comes from a serious study of the composer and knowledge of the culture in which he worked……The ambience will make the listener feel that he or she is sitting in an appropriately sized hall for chamber music while hearing the Valen Trio play this music. Since this CD takes the listener on a historic tour of Norwegian chamber music, it will probably be of greatest interest to lovers of trios and the music of Scandinavia.

Klassisk Musikkmagasin writes:
A glittering CD, with some of the finest chamber music by Norwegian composers in first rate performances and the highest level of recording sound… It (Klaus Egge’s Trio) is obviously one of the best piano trios from the 20th Century and could be a masterpiece… An absolutely outstanding CD and one of the best of its kind that I have heard in a very long time.

Stavanger Aftenblad writes:
…This release …sets a new standard for one of the most important works in Valen’s production, the trio op.5… Today the work seems soothingly fresh and expressive in Valen Trio’s interpretation; the melodic aspect has its own beauty, the expression is insistent, but can also be graceful… Yes, this is an outstanding release of Norwegian chamber music!

Bergens Tidende writes:
… Musicians have gradually appeared who understand how to do full justice to the works, as Valen Trio does on this record. Everything is in place. Here we find the strict linearity and the sharp dissonances we expect in Valen’s music, but also abundant musical energy, an unusual freedom and spontaneity in the interpretations that creates an almost romantic mood in the largo and a shivering, dramatic intensity in the fast movements.

Vårt Land writes:
….All the inner energy they manage to convey is impressive. Their ensemble playing is tightly knit, seamless and flexible, with a vitality and engagement in their shaping of the music that demands our attention.

Aftenposten writes:
…I like the mystique and intensity they present…. One can only praise those who take care of such rarely performed music – and spin a network of silver threads as fine as this.

Morgenbladet writes:
… The repertoire is well balanced and the performances are solid…. Røttingen and co. have a good grip on this, it sounds collected and focused throughout.

Dagbladet writes:
…. well played…..