French music for Woodwind Trio

We've formed this trio to explore repertoire together! Much of this music was unfamiliar to us, but it's been very fun to go in blind and find some new favourites.

Here is our programme:

Richard Rudolph Klein (1921-2011)
Sommer-Idyll

Jacques Ibert (1890-1962)
Cinq Pièces en Trio
I. Allegro vivo
II. Andantino
III. Allegro assai
IV. Andante
V. Allegro, quasi marziale

Chantal Auber (b. 1931)
Contraste
I. Adagio
II. Allegro giocoso

Paul Pierné (1874-1952)
Bucolique Variée

Henri Tomasi (1901-1971)
Concert Champêtre
I. Ouverture
II. Minuetto
III. Bourrée
IV. Nocturne
V. Tambourin

Jean Françaix (1912-1997)
Divertissement
I. Prélude
II. Allegretto assai
III. Elégie
IV. Scherzo

Chieh-Ying Lu, oboe
Marc Blouin, clarinet
Kevin Harris, bassoon

With the exception of one piece, all of these works come from French composers during the early to mid-20th century. From the late 18th century to the present day the Paris Conservatoire has set a worldwide standard for music pedagogy. In the early 20th century its annual "concours", or contests, began as an exit exam for its students, and this started a massive project of commissioning French composers to write works for solo wind instruments and chamber ensembles to expand on their relatively small repertoire. The combination of oboe, clarinet, and bassoon seems to have been the most popular woodwind trio formation, also known as a "reed trio".