Sonata for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon

Veress
was a Hungarian composer, who eventually emigrated in 1949 to
Switzerland where he spent the second half of his life. Although
Veress managed to survive the interwar Horthy era in Hungary and the
ever more repressive regime that followed Hungary’s entry into the
War on Germany’s side, it was the Soviet take-over that drove
Veress away. He had been a student of both Kodály and Bartók and
indeed he succeeded the former as professor of composition at the
Budapest Academy in 1943 and was for a long time one of Bartók’s
assistants in his folk-music research. So although he was born and
bred a Hungarian, Veress is often confusingly described as Swiss.

The
three movement Trio
d’anches (or
Reed Trio) is a fun piece for the listener and performers. The work
clearly demonstrates some of the influences on the composer’s style
with its rhythmic gestures reminiscent of Bartók, and ostinato
moments
that bring to mind Veress’ Hungarian heritage. He plays around with
normal sonata form by opening with a jaunty Allegro
giocoso
followed by a slightly more serious central movement. However good
humour reasserts itself and the mood of the opening movement is
revisited in the closing Allegrissimo.

Norah
O’Leary.