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Phillip T Young Recital Hall
January 6, 2012
"Do you remember that I boldly declared how much I hated this combination of instruments? Well, out of the blue, despite it all, I have decided to test my powers in this area, into which I have not so far ventured. I have already written the opening of a trio..."
Tchaikovsky was writing, in late 1881, to his patroness Nadezhda von Meck, who had some time previously suggested that he write a piano trio.
In fact, as biographer Anthony Holden points out, Tchaikovsky was being somewhat disingenuous, as what had actually inspired this composition was the death of his friend Nikolai Rubinstein and a tribute to that great pianist clearly could not omit a keyboard part; moreover, a fiendishly difficult keyboard part (as a non-virtuoso himself, Tchaikovsky's solo parts were often criticised for their difficulty).
The trio was written at great speed, in around three weeks, although Tchaikovsky made wholesale revisions after hearing two "dry runs" by his chosen musicians and the work is still frequently cut in performance to this day.
Highly popular during his lifetime and, together with the "Pathétique" symphony, much played after his death, Tchaikovsky's only Piano Trio is something of a rarity in concert halls today, which made Friday's performance, closing the debut recital by the Ensemble Accordo, doubly welcome.
From the work's opening - dramatic piano, soulful cello, and subsequently violin, lines - it was clear that Jordan Ofiesh, Laine Longton and Michael Drislane intended to play the music to the hilt, which is probably the only way.
The first movement is one of those pieces which never really lets up, so that the listener is swept away on a tidal wave of emotion and can but relax and enjoy the ride.
The playing here was fiery and thoroughly committed. There were, it is true, occasional problems of balance: but when Tchaikovsky writes fortissimo passages in which he has the pianist's left hand doubling the cello, what else does he expect?
The work's remaining movement is cast as a theme and a dozen variations.
Here, I admit, it was more obvious that Tchaikovsky's true instrument was the orchestra; when he has far less in the way of instrumental colour to play with, his somewhat simplistic approach to variation form - OK, now we'll take the theme faster, now louder, now (wait for it) faster and louder - becomes more apparent.
And, in a less persuasive - even ardent - account I can easily imagine becoming somewhat bored by the music.
There was no danger of that in Friday's performance, in which all three players gave of their best. The highlights of the movement, for me, were the dance variations: the waltz, very spirited and inimitably Tchaikovskian, and the mazurka, which (as was no doubt intended) briefly summoned up the spirit of Chopin.
I cannot claim that I was particularly looking forward to this piece; in the event I enjoyed it far more than I had expected.
The central work in the evening's opening half was the Notturno D.897, by Schubert.
I am not sure that I have ever heard this music taken quite so slowly; several times I was put in mind of the C major Quintet, D.956: the first appearance of the strings, duetting in luscious harmonies, brought to mind the famous two-cello passage in the quintet's opening movement, but overall the feel was more akin to that great work's slow movement.
In short, this was a performance to make one hear the work afresh and I cannot think of higher praise.
Frank Bridge's two Miniatures for Piano Trio were, as anticipated, delightful. I especially enjoyed the lively Saltarello, even though its style was Italianate rather than Italian: more Cliveden House than Villa d'Este.
The opening work, Bach's Sonata in C minor for violin and keyboards, was the only music of the evening not to involve all three players. Ofiesh and Drislane, while making no pretence to be playing anything other than modern instruments, were elegant and stylish in the slower movements, lively and spirited in the quicker.
This was a most auspicious debut by the Ensemble Accordo; I look forward keenly to their next outing.
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