Julius Röntgen's String Trio No.16 in c sharp minor was completed in 1930. For a long time, it was thought that Röntgen had only composed one string trio, his Op.76 in D Major which appeared in 1924. But it turns out that Röntgen, a highly prolific composer, wrote string trios throughout a good part of his life, and especially toward the end of it. There are at least 16 that are known of and perhaps more yet to be discovered. In the Netherlands Music Institute located in the Hague, there is a treasure trove of manuscripts by Röntgen, among them several string trios. Our edition has been carefully and faithfully edited by senior editors Tomasz Golinski and R.H.R. Silvertrust from the composer's manuscript.
Each summer, Röntgen and his family would vacation in idyllic settings in various Dutch town such as Bilthoven near Utrecht. It was there he went to escape his duties as a professor of music and conductor. And it was there, he found relaxation by composing chamber music, which he and his family would play together during the their evenings. The first movement, Andante tranquillo, is calm, almost gloomy. The mood changes completely with the Poco allegretto e grazioso, light hearted and genial, a cross between a scherzo and intermezzo. The third movement, Lento ma non troppo, has for its main theme a lyrical melody first given out by the viola. The finale, Allegro passionato, as the marking implies is passionate, full of energy and forward motion.
Julius Röntgen (1855-1932) was born in the German city of Leipzig. His father was a violinist and his mother a pianist. He showed musical talent at an early age and was taken to the famed pianist and composer, Carl Reinecke, the director of the Gewandhaus orchestra. Subsequently he studied piano in Munich with Franz Lachner, one of Schubert's closest friends. After a brief stint as a concert pianist, Röntgen moved to Amsterdam and taught piano there, helping to found the Amsterdam Conservatory and the subsequently world famous Concertgebouw Orchestra. He composed throughout his life and especially during his last 10 years after he retired. Though he wrote in most genres, chamber music was his most important area.
