|
CHAMBER MUSIC REVIEW
The Walden Trio Best in Brahms
|
By Andrew Dienes
One does not often have the opportunity to hear a live performance of
a chamber music masterpiece written for one of the less conventional
combinations of instruments. The horn trio (the French horn replacing
the usual cello) is defined by the masterpiece written for it, the Brahms Horn Trio, Opus 40. Never before having heard the piece in a live performance, I eagerly anticipated the concert given on Sunday afternoon in San Francisco State University's McKenna Theatre as part of its Morrison Chamber Music Series.
The Walden Horn Trio is an ensemble of well-known musicians, Robert Routch, Ani Kavafian and Anne-Marie McDermott. It was formed (according to the program notes) for the express purpose of performing the Brahms and generating other repertory through commissions of new works and transcriptions of classics. A disappointingly thin audience and an unsatisfying first piece gave an unauspicious start to the afternoon. No matter. Those present were richly rewarded by a beautiful, technically excellent, and deeply felt performance of Brahms'great work.
Composed in his mature period, the trio reflects elements from Brahms'
entire repertory--the romantic ardor and energy of the young man, the rich complexity of the mature composer, and the autumnal sadness of the old Brahms. And, of course, the presence of the horn makes it something very special. The horn is a devilishly tricky instrument to play (bloopers by horn players are legendary), and the technical demands of this piece are great. Brahms explored the full range and possibilities of the instrument in the four contrasting movements. Routch was up to the challenge both in tone and technique. Equally excellent was the crisp and, as needed, highly energetic or deeply lyrical playing of the other two players, as well as the precise ensemble work.
But well beyond the technical merits, the fully realized and emotionally intense interpretation left a memorable impression. While bringing out the entire range of the emotions of the piece, this performance emphasized the sadder, darker elements. The beautiful and often gently set Andante created exactly the right mood and anticipation for what followed. The Scherzo was full of highly charged energy, and the sadly elegiac trio was played with a gorgeous sound. The high point of the trio was the long Adagio mesto. Full of deep sorrowing, it finally soared to a tragic intensity. The contrasting, youthfully exuberant final movement was full of muscular energy, the horn fanfares shining brightly. Yet it did not entirely dispell the overall dark mood because in its brief delicate interludes, marvellously led by pianist McDermott, the performers managed to retain hints of the epic sadness of the great Adagio.
The program began with a disappointing first piece, Routch's transcription of the Mozart trio in B-flat, K 502. In the original trio, the cello plays a mostly low supporting role, one not well suited to replacement by the horn. The most succesful was the sunny first movement, whose occasional horn call-like passages (written for the cello) may have motivated choice of the piece for transcription. However, the second and third movements were very unsatisfying. In the romantic slow movement, the solid support of the cello and its occasional brief thematic dialogues with the piano were replaced by mundane and often unlovely sounds from the horn. Only in the long sustained notes did the horn seem to blend correctly with the other instruments. Nor did the last movement bring any improvement. One hopes for better success with other transcriptions. It would be interesting to hear the Schubert B flat Trio, which is in this group's repertory.
The second piece in the program was a brief, one movement trio commissioned from the Swiss composer Daniel Schyder. He studied classical composition in Switzerland and jazz composition in America, and the trio is a highly enjoyable, if rather light, blend of these two elements, with perhaps slightly greater emphasis on the jazz. After a beginning of abrupt dissonances designed to grab the listener's attention, lively, energetic rhythmic sections alternate with a slow tango-like dance theme. The coloring possibilities of the unusual combination of instruments are put to good use, and the piece was performed skillfully, with obvious relish.
After hearing this concert, I hope that the Walden Trio will continue to perform, enhance their repertory with new works, and of course play the Brahms again and again.
(Andrew Dienes is a 'cellist and professor of electrical
engineering at the University of California, Davis.)
©1998 Andrew Dienes, all rights reserved
|
