Alma Trio

Alma Trio

Company type	Classical music ensemble
Industry	Music
Founded	1942 in Los Gatos, California, United States
Founder	Yehudi Menuhin (inspiration and support)
Headquarters	Los Gatos , United States
Area served	United States, Russia (tour)
Products	Classical piano trio performances and recordings

The Alma Trio was a classical piano trio ensemble established in 1942 at the Alma Estate owned by Yehudi Menuhin in Los Gatos, California.

Initial lineup

The trio's original roster consisted of Roman Totenberg on violin, Gabor Rejto playing the cello, and Adolph Baller at the piano. The formation of the group was inspired and supported by the distinguished musician Yehudi Menuhin. After escaping Nazi oppression, Baller relocated to the United States in 1938 with Menuhin’s assistance and became his frequent piano collaborator in America, continuing their partnership from Europe.

Changes in violinists

In 1953, Totenberg departed, and Maurice Wilk took over the violin role, holding it for a decade until his unexpected passing in 1963. A New York Times critique from December 1954 highlighted the trio’s elegant interpretation of Beethoven, attributing a renewed vitality to Wilk’s inclusion:

With Maurice Wilk joining as the new violinist, the Alma Trio has experienced a resurgence... few chamber groups perform Beethoven with such nuanced spirit and delicate tonal variation.

Andor Toth assumed violin duties in the spring of 1963. Later that year, the ensemble undertook their inaugural tour of Russia. At the airport, Rejto cleverly circumvented a potential issue with his cello by identifying it as a bass balalaika, enabling the tour to continue without interruption.

Pianist transition

This combination of Toth, Rejto, and Baller persisted until Baller’s retirement in 1971. He was succeeded by pianist William Corbett-Jones, who remained until the trio dissolved in 1976. The group briefly reunited between 1982 and 1986 for selected performances in Northern California. The original cellist Rejto passed away in 1987; pianist Baller died in 1994. Andor Toth succumbed to a stroke in Los Angeles in 2006 at age 81.

External links

• Altenberg Trio Ensemble database
• Roman Totenberg
• Gabor Rejto
• Adolph Baller
• Andor Toth
• William Corbett Jones
• Announcement of recital by Baller

Past performances

• Online Archive of California
• South Bay Chamber Music Society – Early Concerts
• Dallas Chamber Music Organization, Past Concerts
• Morrison Artist Series Past Seasons
• Carmel Music Society Past Performances
• Cape Town Concert Series
• Los Alamos Concert Association Past Seasons
• Friends of Chamber Music, Stockton, California
• Buffalo Chamber Music Society 1967 and 1970 (PDF)

Discography

The Alma Trio's LP recordings, as documented by the Library of Congress, encompass piano trios composed by Beethoven, Brahms, and Schubert:

1. Trio in B-flat, op. 11 Beethoven, Ludwig van | circa 1955 | LC Control No.: 99572538
2. Trio in C minor (No. 3, op. 1) Beethoven | circa 1955 | LC Control No.: 99567526
3. Trio in D major, op. 70, no. 1 (Ghost) Beethoven | LC Control No.: r62001425
4. Trio in D major, op. 70, no. 1 (Ghost) Beethoven | LC Control No.: r62001424
5. Trio in E-flat major, op. 1, no. 1 Beethoven | LC Control No.: r61001238
6. Trio in C major, op. 87 Brahms | LC Control No.: r61001239
7. Trio in C major, op. 87 Brahms | LC Control No.: r61001237
8. Trio in E-flat major, op. 1, no. 1 Beethoven | LC Control No.: r61001236
9. Trio in E-flat major, op. 100 Schubert | circa 1948 | LC Control No.: 2001564588
10. Trio in B-flat major, op. 97 (Archduke) Beethoven | LC Control No.: r64001395
11. Trio no. 2, op. 100 Schubert | LC Control No.: r61001037
12. Trio no. 2, op. 100 Schubert | LC Control No.: r61001036
13. Trio in B-flat major, op. 97 (Archduke) Beethoven | LC Control No.: r64001396
14. Trio in E-flat major, op. 100 Schubert | LC Control No.: 72765783