These days, it takes guts to play chamber music quietly. Those concerned about the future of concert music tremble in fright at the impending disaster that appears to be inevitable in the wake of languid, graying audiences. As a result, loud and intense performances are praised and only the most flamboyant talent fostered. To dare to break from this trend requires respect for an audience. It also requires confidence in a performer's ability to engage his or her listeners so deeply with the music that the most unassuming developments unfold as revelations.
One of the few active chamber ensembles capable of such feats of subtlety is the Vienna Piano Trio, which was presented by the Shriver Hall Concert Series on Sunday, Feb. 26 as part of the Concert Series' 40th Season. Founded in 1988, the Vienna Piano Trio has earned international acclaim as one of the finest ensembles of its kind. Certainly, the Trio is capable of playing loudly as well as softly. The extent of the contrast, however, can only be appreciated through a live performance of the type delivered on Sunday.
The all-Austrian program began with the Piano Trio in B-flat Major, K. 502 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Due to the celebration of Mozart's 250th birthday this year, the composer has been ubiquitous in concert programs around the globe. However, the Trio's interpretation of the B-flat Major trio distinguished itself with its grace. The first movement, Allegro, was delicate without being flaky and energetic without being boisterous. The Larghetto second movement achieved an extraordinary intimacy and calm, and the piece concluded with a dignified rondo in the Allegretto third movement. With its care and subtlety, the performance brought to mind the true nature of chamber music, that is, music performed in closer quarters than those provided by a concert hall, as in a chamber or room. If there was any disappointment to be found in the Trio's concert, it was in the unfortunate pairing of Shriver Hall's acoustics and size with a small ensemble capable of such fine interpretations.
Following the Mozart, the Trio performed Verkl8arte Nacht, or Transfigured Night, by Arnold Schoenberg, arranged for piano trio by E. Steuerman. Originally written for a string sextet, the piece also gained widespread popularity as an arrangement for a string orchestra. Steuerman's arrangement is rarely performed, but in many ways the particular instrumental combination of a piano trio is perfectly suited for the piece. Based on a poem, "Zwei Menschen" by Richard Demel, the piece portrays two lovers as they are walking in the woods at night. The woman reveals that she is pregnant with another man's child, and she mourns that her desire to be a mother has driven her to a stranger. Her lover, however, is forgiving, and embraces both the woman and her unborn child. What makes Steuerman's arrangement so effective is the dialogue between the violin and the cello, which parallels the dialogue of the lovers in Demel's poem. With earnest yearning, the instruments reach out to each other, in unison or in harmony and eventually at peace in the starry night.
The Trio's rendition of Schoenberg's best-known work was made breathtaking by the musicians' mastery of changes in timbre. From the most cautious tone, sustained almost out of fear of changing pitch, to sweet and gentle pleading, violinist Wolfgang Redik and cellist Matthias Gredler displayed rare artistry. In this, the Piano Trio distinguished itself again as an extraordinary ensemble. While most chamber groups are capable of dynamic contrast, their quality of tone rarely changes for expressive purposes.
Franz Schubert's Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 100 concluded the program. Written in the year of Ludwig van Beethoven's death, the piece perhaps echoes with mourning for the composer who Schubert so greatly admired. However, the trio's extraordinary lyricism is infused with inescapably Schubertian bittersweetness. In the Trio's performance, the march theme, introduced in the second movement and repeated throughout the piece, was painfully exquisite, supported by the steady, forward-moving rhythmic line and turbulent countermelodies. Pianist Stefan Mendl was particularly inspiring with his formidable expressive force and flexibility. The contrasting exuberant passages were overwhelmingly vibrant, and the sudden major ending of the trio brought the concert to a brilliant close.
The Shriver Hall Concert Series continues its season on March 19 with Jordi Savall and Hespe8rion XXI in a concert of music from Spain's "Golden Age."
