Benjamin Nabarro violin, Gemma Rosefield cello, Tim Horton piano: Haydn Piano Trio in C Hob XV:21 and Dvořák Piano Trio in F minor Op.65.
Neither of these pieces were known to me. The Haydn is a product of his second visit to London, and sounded poised and confident, like the London symphonies. The playing seemed vivid and energetic. I particularly enjoyed the finale. The music is not really memorable, but always enjoyable – ‘entertaining’ in a positive and not dismissive sense.
The Dvorak is a much bigger work, and I didn’t find it that easy to grasp at a first hearing. I liked the finale best. The music was surprisingly shorn of the folky elements one would normally expect from Dvorak – even the second movement, a sort of scherzo, had jagged edges and the sense of dance rhythms constantly forced out of line by interjections and cross-current emphases. The playing seemed passionate, driven and appropriate to this work. I’d like to hear the work again
John's musical journey 