by Fritz Jurmann in the Vorarlberger Nachrichten, April 12th 2021.
The trio did not take its name from the village of Schwarzenberg in the Bregenzerwald, but rather from Vienna’s Prince Schwarzenberg, in whose palace the musicians first met. Yet Vorarlberg is still well represented: with the imaginative pianist Hanna Bachmann from Röthis and the cellist Roland Lindenthal, who grew up in Wolfurt, joined by the Dresden-born violinist Franz-Markus Siegert.
Both string players hold leading positions in major Viennese orchestras. Their CD, conceived during the pandemic, is a refreshing creation that seeks to carry listeners through difficult times at a brilliant artistic level. The first piano trios by the giants Beethoven and Mendelssohn radiate courage and joie de vivre, while Heimat? by the late Tyrolean original Werner Pirchner (d. 2001) remains enigmatic. For although the seemingly approachable work draws on tonal, folk-like patterns, it rests on shaky ground. And it proves to be thoroughly exciting: a true Pirchner.