“As a composer, Hermann Zilcher was an extremely late romantic – Mozart and Brahms were his household gods, and so his music sounds more 19th century than modern.

His Piano Trio in E minor, written in 1927, is nonetheless remarkable. There are only two movements instead of the usual three or four, and these two parts are also in very slow tempi. The drama of this piece thus develops not from a sequence of fast and slow, but from a very strong inner tension. The second movement, which varies a Welsh folk song as its theme, develops a very special charm. More and more the music moves away from this simple song, folklore turns into romantic chamber music, the tone of which is simple but nevertheless touching.

For the performers, this E minor trio by Hermann Zilcher is no easy task. Here you cannot shine with crisp virtuosity, but must listen well to each other, intonate cleanly and maintain a great inner calm. The Würzburg Piano Trio manages this balancing act between tension and meditation, delivering an interpretation whose romantic fire may not blaze, but glows and warms – a discovery, both in terms of the piece and the excellent performers.”

Wilfried Schäper, Radio Bremen, 27. 03. 2009