NAPOLÉON-HENRI REBER (1807-1880): Piano Trios No. 3 in G Minor, Op. 16, No. 5 in C, Op. 30 and No. 7 in A Minor, Op. 37.

Description: Many of Reber's colleagues saw him as a shy, somewhat timid, naïve gentleman who had been forgotten by the 18th century and didn't belong in his own time. His music gives credence to that view, especially these piano trios, which date from 1862, 1872 and 1880. The basis is Schubert, Mendelssohn and (don't forget!) Onslow and Reber is gifted with the ability to consistently write lovely, lyrical music (and doesn't do a bad job at "youthful Romantic passion" in the first movement of Trio No. 3); if you know your Saint-Saëns and youthful Fauré, you'll also see that Reber isn't as anachronistic as some of his fellows made him out to be. Trio Élégiaque.