Concert
Trio Frühstück
Clara Frühstück, piano;
Maria Sawerthal, violin;
Sophie Abraham, cello.
Manoel Theatre
Despite having been announced rather late in the season, there was a goodly gathering of chamber music enthusiasts at the Manoel for this recital by one of Austria’s more prominent up-and-coming piano trios.
There is always that innate charm and wit within Haydn’s very classical form
Let it be said from the start that it was happy choice to invite them to perform in such ideal surroundings and that the drive, energy and forcefulness of youth was tempered with discipline, great technique, flexibility, versatility and musicality – the perfect ingredients for a successful evening.
At first one wondered why the trio bears such a name until one realised that the driving force behind it – in a formation where most attention (but not always) is focused on the piano – is that of its pianist, whose surname is Frühstück. In view of the meaning of the name (breakfast), never could one enjoy such a late and delicious breakfast as this one.
There is always that innate charm and wit within Haydn’s very classical form and in the opening movement of Trio No. 27 in A flat, Hob. XV/14, the piano sparkled with almost an air of mischief. The combined texture of the piano and strings was polished and stylishly elegant as so well-established in the allegro moderato, followed by an adagio wherein the piano part came across in its totally rich, ornamented form and went straight into a jolly rondo vivace.
Liszt’s Tristia, AS. 723, arranged from his La Vallé d’Obermann, came as ample proof of the trio’s versatility in what could virtually be termed a symphony concerto for piano trio. The piano is everywhere, underlying and unifying the work with interplay between instruments and accentuating the already charged atmosphere as projected by the strings. In some sections, the work tended to depart from the basic melancholic nature of the work but that noble theme kept coming back, a leitmotif to be reckoned with and which crowned the work with a shatteringly beautiful climax.
Schubert’s Notturno in E flat, D.897, Op. posth., 148 D. 897 is almost tame by comparison – relaxing, gentle, beautiful and serene – but even Schubert at his ethereal best could come up with some widely contrasting, even dramatic moments which put the sheer ecstatic moments in clearer perspective. The trio managed to project this with great ability and ease.
When it came to another idiomatic leap to Brahms and his Piano Trio N. 3 in C minor, Op. 101, I found it hard not to imagine this work, in its brilliant reading as not another “...one of his symphonies masquerading as a chamber work,” as the programme note stated.
Well, if not a symphony, there was more than a hint of the double concerto, which is just one opus number after this one. This was especially so in the opening allegro energico and, later, in the very expansive, if brief, and very lyrical andante grazioso. The intensity of the opening movement never flagged and a certain tension maintained was relieved by the very terse scherzo with muted strings.
The work ended with a brilliant flourish in practically the same mood as the opening movement, thus finishing the work full circle.
The third movement from Iván Erod’s Piano Trio No. 1 made for a very refreshing encore.