Morton Trio chooses Brahms for a splendid debut album

The Morton Trio, husband and wife duo, Alex and Arna Morton, with pianist Liam Wooding

Brahms commemorated the death of his mother with his beautiful Horn Trio in E flat Major Opus 40, for French horn, violin and piano. The Morton Trio chose the warm timbres and shifting moods of this beloved work to open their debut album.

As the composition that brought the Morton Trio together, it was an obvious choice. Throughout, and especially in the grief-laden depths of the marvellous Adagio Mesto, these fine musicians play with lovely expressive flexibility based on their familiarity with the music and each other.

The album’s centre is Summer, composed by violinist Arna Morton, an effective, moving piece that builds from its mysterious sustained opening to sophisticated textures, enabling all three musicians to shine.

The Morton Trio

“…fine ensemble sense and unaffected loveliness.”

National concert tours have contributed to this Christchurch-based Trio’s growing reputation for lively programming and engaging performance. The new album demonstrates both, ending with Morton’s arrangement of Brahms’ Piano Trio Opus 8. Brahms had allowed for cello substitution for horn for Opus 40, so she reverses the switch by substituting horn for cello in Opus 8. Morton’s singing violin sound suits Brahms’ romantic tunefulness, and the sunny Trio is played by all three with fine ensemble sense and unaffected loveliness. 

Morton Trio: music by Brahms and Arna Morton. Arna Morton (violin), Alex Morton (horn), Liam Wooding (piano) (Atoll) Purchase link here

This album review was first published in NZ Listener, issue 30 November, 2024.