The Lee Trio - Midsummer Night Magic (2024) [Official Digital Download 24/192]

The fourth album released by Chelsea Music Festival Records, Midsummer Night Magic brings us joy & solace through the stories it tells. Uljas Pulkkis paints pictures of Finnish Midsummer childhood legends. Edmund Finnis’s timeless landscape invites us to listen deeply. And our love for Robert Schumann’s music lays a foundation for how we tell our own stories as musicians, mothers, and human beings—with vulnerability, empathy and swelling hope. We are so glad to share these stories with you. (The Lee Trio)

The Lee Trio is an award-winning piano trio made up of three virtuosic performers, educators, and sisters from San Francisco. Since its critically acclaimed Wigmore Hall debut in 2002, The Lee Trio’s “gripping immediacy and freshness” and “rich palette of tone colours” [The Strad] has inspired and moved audiences worldwide, establishing itself as one of the premier chamber ensembles on the international stage. The trio is delighted to release its new album, Midsummer Night Magic, comprised of music very close to their hearts, with premiere album recordings of “Fern Flowers” by Uljas Pulkkis and “Five Trios” by Edmund Finnis, alongside Robert Schumanns’s “Fantasiestücke” and “Piano Trio No. 2.”

The Lee Trio is thrilled to feature the work of Queens-based painter Aliza Morell as the artwork for both the full album and the singles leading up to it’s release. An artist incredibly adept with her use of color, Morell has stated “by juxtaposing carefully mixed colors to create optical vibrations and harmonies, it can take on almost musical properties.” The glowing light, touch, and movement in the paintings that bring a sense of magic to the natural world provide a beautiful complement to the album.

“The Trio captures the essence, pathos, and longing of Schumann’s language and sound in this record.  This is a delightful recording of both new and old compositions that play well together." (Kenneth Kapp, Shepherd Express)

"It is not just their rich palette of tone colours that marks them out, but also the delicious sense of collusion that animates their ensemble playing. From the outset the players gripped the attention with the immediacy and freshness of their expression” (The STRAD)

The Lee Trio:
Lisa Lee, violin
Angela Lee, cello
Melinda Lee Masur, piano

Tracklist:
Uljas Pulkkis
01. Fern Flowers: I. Midsummer Night Magic
02. Fern Flowers: II. The Vision
03. Fern Flowers: III. Fern Flower Dance
Robert Schumann
04. Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major, Op. 80: I. Sehr Lebhaft
05. Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major, Op. 80: II. Mit innigem Ausdruck
06. Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major, Op. 80: III. In mässiger Bewegung
07. Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major, Op. 80: IV. Nicht zu rasch
Edmund Finnis
08. Five Trios: I
09. Five Trios: II
10. Five Trios: III
11. Five Trios: IV
12. Five Trios: V
Robert Schumann
13. Fantasiestücke, Op. 88: I. Romanze. Nicht schnell, mit innigem Ausdruck
14. Fantasiestücke, Op. 88: II. Humoreske. Lebhaft
15. Fantasiestücke, Op. 88: III. Duett. Langsam und mit Ausdruck
16. Fantasiestücke, Op. 88: IV. Finale. Im Marschtempo


Thanks to the Original customer!