Haydn Piano Trio In A Hob:XV No.18; Tchaikovsky The Seasons (Selection) Arr. For Piano Trio; Tchaikovsky Piano Trio Op.50 . Leonore Piano Trio
How nice to go to a concert where all the works are new to me, and pleasurably so.
I suppose that the Haydn piece, being one piano trio among so many others (over 40), might mean that you have some understanding of what you’re likely to expect – but then of course that’s absolutely the point of Haydn, that there’s always a quirk, an ingenuity and you DO never quite know what to expect. In this case, the piano trio in A major Hob XV:18 had a long first movement which started genially but which got into quite surprising Sturm und Drang mode towards the end the development section, where there were some strange harmonic quirks and remote keys. The Andante and the final Allegro were much shorter. The interplay between the instruments was great fun to listen to and, it being the Crucible, exciting to watch close up. Tim Horton, the pianist, explained how Haydn had invented the genre single-handedly and that many of his earlier trios were perhaps more like piano sonatas with accompaniment, but in this work all three instruments are important.
The Tchaikovsky ‘Seasons’ extracts (there were 4 – January, May, October and December) were originally piano pieces but here arranged by a younger contemporary, Goedicke, for piano trio. To be frank, none of them really seemed to paint ‘tone pictures’ of what those months might feel like, unlike Vivaldi’s, but they were all easy on the ear, and one, December, has a real ear-worm of a tune, straight out of one of the big ballets, and a waltz too!!
The Tchaikovsky Piano Trio is a really big piece – 47 minutes was the timing given in the programme notes. It was written in memory of Tchaikovsky’s friend and mentor, Nicolai Rubinstein, who died in 1881. It was hugely enjoyable to listen to and I am definitely going to buy a recording of the work. It was also, again, gripping to sit so near to the two string players as they dug into their notes. Its structure is not a very obvious or immediately clear one, I found – there are 5 sections but two movements (the five being Pezzo elegiaco (Moderato assai. Allegro giusto); Tema con variazioni; Andante con moto; Variazioni; Finale e coda) and the emotional trajectory is not that easy to follow – seemingly moving from the passionate to light-hearted to seemingly triumphant to despair. But definitely one to explore….I did wonder why Tchaikovsky had in fact decided that a piano trio was the right vehicle for this music; it’s music that at times could have sounded wonderful (the reprise of the big opening theme at the end of the work, for instance) with a full symphony orchestra.
Throughout the playing of the Trio was excellent – and the hall was full!!!
John's musical journey 