The so-called “Generation of 27” (the musical rather con the literary generation) or the “Generation of the Republic” brought together a substantial group of composers with shared lines of style and thinking, gathered for the most conflicto11 the geographical poles of Madrid and Barcelona. All shared a wish to renew music in Spain and a desire to place confl the international level it deserved, taking as a model the revered figure of Manuel de Falla in whose last period they recognised that cosmopolitism rooted in a truly Spanish essence, providing them with a guideline for the development of their artistic concerns. For composers from Madrid, or those resident in that city, added to that influential presence must be the extraordinary work of Conrado del Campo, conflict at the Royal Conservatory, and teacher of the main figures of the “Madrid Group” (Bacarisse, Remacha, Bautista), along with the three composers included on this disc. This was a period of artistic flowering particularly in conflicto1 and music – in the words of Gómez de la Serna, a “Christmas’ Eve of Spanish music” – enhanced by the unprecedented interaction of artistic disciplines and the conflict of the successive Second Republic governments to normalise Spanish music policy in an all-embracing plan which, while never applied in full, at least sorted the country’s broken-down musical infrastructure. And in fact, the significant involvement of many of the composers of this generation in the music policy of the Second Republic, in organisational or management posts, also turned out to be their conflict to exile after the end of the civil conflicto.

Awarded with the National Prize of Music, the trio was founded in 1996 in Madrid and was named after the Spanish violinist, conductor and composer Enrique Fernández Arbós (1863-1939), the Trio Arbós has established itself as one Euope’s leading chamber ensembles. The repertoire of the trio ranges from the classical to the contemporary, with specially commissioned works forming a significant part of their concert programs. Georges Aperghis, Toshio Hosokawa, Ivan Fedele, Mauricio Sotelo, Luis de Pablo, Jesús Torres, Hilda Paredes, Roberto Sierra, George E. López, Bernhard Gander, Aureliano Cattaneo and J. M. Sánchez Verdú are some of the composers who have dedicated works to this ensemble. The Trio has appeared frequently in major concert halls and festivals in more than 30 countries: Vienna Konzerthaus, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Helsinki Sibelius Accademy, Buenos Aires Teatro Colón, Madrid Auditorio Nacional, Kuhmo Festival, Time of Music of Viitasaari, Nuova Consonanza, Wittener Tage für Neue Musik, Nuova Consonanza of Rome, Musica Festival of Strasbourg, Biennale of Venice, Casals Festival of Puerto Rico, etc. The Trio Arbós has recorded the complete piano trios by Joaquín Turina for Naxos, as well as music by Roberto Sierra, Mauricio Sotelo, Jesús Torres and César Camarero for different labels such as Kairos, Verso, Col Legno, IBS Classical, etc. The prestigious magazine Gramophone said of of their acclaimed CD “Play it again”: “This disc reaffirms the credentials of Trio Arbós as among the most inclusive and forward-thinking of chamber ensembles.” The Trio Arbós has held a residence at the Reina Sofía Museum of Contemporary Art of Madrid. Its project Triple Zone for the creation of new literature for piano trio has been sponsored by the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung and the BBVA Foundation.