Claret Brothers Reunite After 8 Years in Andorra Piano Trio Concert

Violinist Gerard Claret and cellist Lluís Claret reunited on a local stage for the first time in eight years, joining pianist Josep Maria Colom for an exceptional programme at Andorra's Centre de Congressos. The event, the first of the year in the Temporada MoraBanc series, drew a moderate half-capacity crowd despite the venue's large seating.

The brothers performed Tchaikovsky's sole Piano Trio in A minor—premiering it in the Neutral Valleys—and Beethoven's Piano Trio No. 4 in D major, Op. 70 No. 1, known as the "Ghost" for its spectral second movement. Tchaikovsky's work, lasting around 50 minutes in its full version, honours his friend Nikolai Rubinstein, whom he once mourned despite earlier dismissing the piano-violin-cello combination as unblendable timbres and outright torture. He had written: "I cannot stand the combination of these instruments... The piano is only effective alone, with orchestra, or accompanying a vocal song." Rubinstein's death changed his mind, prompting the elegiac piece with its second-movement theme and 12 variations, including waltzes, a fugue, and a Chopin-style mazurka that showcased Colom's prowess.

The evening's theme spanned "from the last classicism to pure romanticism." Beethoven's trio opened the programme, its delicate second movement evoking Woody Allen-esque introspection. Though not as famous as the Archduke trio, it highlighted Beethoven's shift toward romanticism around the time of his Eroica Symphony in 1804.

The three musicians first collaborated six decades ago as conservatory students in Catalonia. Lluís Claret and Colom continued as a duo until 2016, when Lluís joined the New England Conservatory in Boston as a professor. The Clarét brothers' last joint local appearance was in 2018, with pianist Albert Attenelle in the Trio de Barcelona and a 50th-anniversary concert.

Lluís Claret noted beforehand that achieving simplicity marks the pinnacle of mastery: the hardest yet greatest challenge. The performance embodied this—radiating energy from experience, trust, and talent rather than nostalgia. Critics suggested stronger promotion could boost attendance for such rare events.