Not that far away from our insulated campus lays a sometimes forgotten treasure trove of music. This, of course, is none other than the Peabody Institute. It is easily accessible - all it takes is a short trip on the JHMI shuttle - and it is constantly abuzz with a variety of contemporary and classical performances. Most importantly, it is cheap for those living on a budget; a student ID comes with student discounts.
The Peabody Trio were part of the Adalman Chamber Series, in which Peabody looks to feature its faculty, in this case by its longtime ensemble-in-residence. The focus of the series, because it does involve the faculty, extends beyond the Baltimore community but also the students. This was evidenced looking into the crowd. There was not the usual padding of snow and wrinkles but rather several rows of fresh faces, students perhaps. The Peabody Trio has garnered quite the international success after its breakthrough with the Naumburg Chamber Music Award in 1989. It became a fixture at Peabody, as well as a regularly touring group in various concert circuits in Europe and Israel. They are well regarded for their advocation of the contemporary music scene, as well as their interpretations of the classics of chamber repertoire. The latter skill was on show throughout their performances of Brahms' "Sonata 1 in G major, Op. 78" for violin and piano, "Sonata 1 in E minor, Op. 38" for cello and piano and, finally, his "Piano Trio in B major, Op. 8."
The performance began with the "Concerto" for piano and violin. The violinist, Violaine Man??on, has a stunningly powerful and clear tone that immediately captivated the audience. Seth Knopp on piano entertained not only the ear, but also the eye with his expressive face and body movement that was reminiscent of a seated dancer. The first movement was bright and springy, apt for the increasingly warm, and sunny weather outside. Like the spring, it teetered between the stately and tempestuous, when the piano bled into the violin and then reversed roles as they descended and ascended together. This motif sounded like a consistent onslaught of rain. The second movement, the "Adagio," was poignantly lush at times and incorporated many of the themes and motifs of the prior movement. The final movement was lighter than the other two, as it lightly summarized all that had happened before.
Then entered the cello. Its deep sonorous voice filled the room, jerking any nodding heads backward to attention. Knopp continued on piano, still struggling to stay on the piano bench, while Natascha Brofsky on cello replaced Man??on. The first movement of the concerto begins with the cello in the spotlight with anchoring chords in the background, attention that is gradually handed over to the piano and then returned to the Brofsky. Similar to the violin concerto, the melody had a broad and light feel to it. At points, this transformed in increasing intensity realized through the cello, but this subsided back into the initial bright theme. The final movement of the concerto was equally fun, though a bit more serious, as it played around between the piano and cello with various fugal sections.
Playing in a trio requires coordination and understanding with the other players in the group. With string players, even the bows are perfectly coordinated, so that an aesthetically pleasing synchronization occurs. "The Piano Trio in B major" is, like the preceding concertos, cheerful and triumphant. What proves even more enjoyable than the music is watching the communication between all three players. Each takes his/her cue from the other is subtle and sometimes dramatic glances and body movements. The "Scherzo" movement was the most exciting within the trio. The violin and cello would play in concert, and then, suddenly, the piano would interject with peals of ivory laden laughter. The cello and violin would then disassociate, Man??on and Brofsky appreciatively watching the other during their respective solos.
Hopefully, the Peabody Trio will continue to stay on as ensemble-in-residence because, based on this performance, they certainly have much to offer, not only for the music students sitting in the rows further back but the wider Baltimore music community.
