Recital
Joanne Camilleri, piano;Klara Nazaj, violin; Akos Kertesz, cello
Manoel Theatre

Bar-To-Bar Trio had to postpone this event, which I selfishly welcomed as I would not have been able to attend. Still, I am sorry for those who were unable to attend the performance held about two weeks later.

This made me appreciate the performance because I would have certainly missed something quite special.

There was pretty good turnout which ought to encourage these young performers to plan more such performances. Taking a cue from this trio formation’s name, I imagined being at a “watering” spot where instead of drinks music is served and dished out at a prodigious rate.

From the Beethovenian source of musical nutrition there was just one crawl to that of Schubert. The combination of the two was a long feast of lovely music, which one wished could have continued.

I am certain that the trios performed, namely Beethoven’s in B flat Major, Op. 97 Archduke and Schubert’s O. 2 in E flat Major Op. 100 (D. 929), were performed before locally.

If so I do not remember when, so it must have been a very long time ago. The choice was great because it showed a progression from the older Beethoven to his fervent admirer Schubert, who yet spoke in his own distinctive musical voice. Alas!

It was one which was cut short by an early death just 18 months after the elder composer’s death. The Archduke Rudolf to whom Beethoven’s most famous piano trio was dedicated was the composer’s highest-born patron. Like one born in the purple he had a natural yet amiable dignity and a passion for music the result of which, among others, was this trio.

Bar-To-Bar deserved the very warm plaudits at the end of the performance

The opening rather calm theme has a great aura of nobility, an almost understated statement at first because one need not impress if one is to the manner born.

This is what Bar-To-Bar did to this aspect of the work, especially in the opening Allegro moderato. The elegant flow of the performers’ playing remained paramount within the lighter world of the scherzo – allegro.

A mix of sobriety and simplicity characterised the slow movement and a touch of fun marked the final allegro moderato – presto, hearty but never vulgar.

Inevitably, Schubert, the Master songster, endowed his Second Trio with many memorably long cantabile phrases, especially the andante con moto. Here he entrusted one to the instrument closest to the human voice. The cello’s entry was absolutely lovely, leading the way and followed by piano and violin, joining in almost shyly but no less decisively.

That balance, established in the Beethoven trio, was maintained in the Schubert. It was a case of equality between partners that ran throughout the work.

There were well-wrought contrasts which were sometimes pretty dramatic as it was between the second and third movements, the latter of which was a typical Schubertian romp.

Nothing could be more pleasantly surprising than the way in which in the concluding allegro moderato, rather than resorting to the opening music, Schubert brings back the haunting melody dominating this trio’s second movement. It was as if he wanted to keep alive that lovely melody, too rich not to exploit again.

Bar-To-Bar deserved the very warm plaudits at the end of the performance and regaled the audience with an encore consisting of a brief, schmaltzy second movement from a piano trio by the very prolific composer Carl Bohm.