Ailbhe McDonagh cello
Macdara Ó Seireadáin clarinet
Ruth McGinley piano

Edith Hemenway Questions of Travel
Nino Rota Trio for clarinet, cello and piano
Johannes Brahms Clarinet trio in A minor Op.114

The Long Trip home celebrates the closing chapters in the compositional journeys of Brahms, Hemenway, and Rota and the return to their roots and early influences.

A chance encounter with the playing of clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld in Meiningen inspired Brahms to resume composing and sparked a period of extraordinary creativity, including a number of works for clarinet, piano, and voice. Autumnal in nature and deeply rooted in the classical tradition, his magnificent clarinet trio is a mellow, nostalgic glance back at a changed world.

Describing his compositional style as being “with a little bit of nostalgia, a lot of optimism and good humour” Nino Rotas trio for clarinet, cello, and piano, unpublished during his lifetime certainly fits this characterisation. Hailing from his late creative period during which he returned to classical music from scoring film music, it comprises of a lyrical andante bookended by witty, zesty outer movements.

Edith Hemenway’s Questions of Travel, a series of miniatures that take the listener on a surreal journey, each with their own unique sonic soundscapes offers a distinct contrast to both the humorous Nino Rota and melancholic Brahms trios.