Paddington Trio makes its PENTATONE debut with Freakshow, an album bringing together Dmitri Shostakovich’s two Piano Trios and the first album recording of Freakshow by Irish composer Sam Perkin.
Inspired by the stories of people once labelled “freaks” and pushed to the margins of society, Perkin’s seven miniatures portray figures such as the Gentle Giant and the Armless Fiddler, looking beyond spectacle to the lives and humanity behind these labels. Shostakovich’s trios offer a compelling counterpart. Written more than twenty years apart, they reflect contrasting periods in the composer’s life, from the youthful intensity of the First Piano Trio to the Second, shaped by the death of his close friend Ivan Sollertinsky and the devastation of the Second World War. Together, these works explore vulnerability, suffering, resilience and the ways music can give voice to those too often overlooked.
Formed in London during the pandemic, Paddington Trio brings together a shared interest in vivid musical storytelling and repertoire that challenges familiar perspectives. In Freakshow, the ensemble places music from different eras in conversation, inviting listeners to look beyond the labels history has attached to extraordinary lives. With Perkin’s contemporary work alongside two cornerstones of the piano trio repertoire, the album marks the beginning of Paddington Trio’s recording relationship with PENTATONE.
Sean Hickey, Managing Director, PENTATONE:
“I was first introduced to Paddington Trio almost two years ago, and was immediately impressed by the drive, vision and musicianship of its members. Meeting the group later confirmed that initial impression. I was also taken by their desire to expand the piano trio repertoire by commissioning new work. Irish composer Sam Perkin has composed a piece of striking originality and is a name we’ll hear more of in the coming years.
We very much welcome the release of Freakshow, the debut recording from the Paddington Trio.”
Paddington Trio: “Freakshow tells seven stories of people who found themselves on the margins of society. In seven vivid miniatures, Sam brings to life figures such as the Gentle Giant and the Armless Fiddler, tracing journeys through captivity, resilience and spectacle. Yet beneath these extraordinary stories are human beings: people whose difference became a source of fascination, exploitation, and sometimes wonder. Through music, they are no longer simply curiosities to be looked at, but individuals whose courage and humanity invite us to look again.
We felt that the Shostakovich Trios were the natural companions to Sam Perkin’s work. Written in the shadow of profound personal loss and historical upheaval, they too speak with an extraordinary intensity about vulnerability, suffering, friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. Together, these works create a dialogue across time between different kinds of outsiders, and between composers responding to a world that can be both cruel and profoundly human.
These works bring together past and present, tradition and innovation, spectacle and humanity. More than anything, Freakshow is an invitation to look beyond the labels we give one another, and to remember the extraordinary human lives behind them.”
To be released physically on standard CD and digitally on all platforms on January 22.
