The Ambrosia Trio, September 22, 2007
For the first concert of this season’s Guest Artist Series, the Pennsylvania Consort brought three fine artists from New York City: the well-known Ambrosia Trio. And luckily for the audience, the Trio brought with it a perfect program: Mendelssohn’s Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49 and Brahms’s Piano trio in C Major, Op. 87.
The Mendelssohn work is a familiar and well-beloved piece, with the cello introducing the beautiful first movement melody. That theme went back and forth among the three instruments, and the artists played smoothly as an ensemble to give it the fullest effect. The quiet, rippling second movement was a lovely contrast, and the third movement—lively and bright—looked like a real challenge to play with its rapid tempo and intricate runs. The Finale was marked “Allegro assai Appassionato”, and it was indeed passionate and intense.
After the intermission, the Trio performed the Brahms Piano Trio. I had never heard it before, and at first it seemed like a complete change of mood—much more “mathematical” and complex than the Mendelssohn and less melodic and emotional. It became clear quite quickly that it was intense in a different way, and it was also composed later in time, making it more modern and less romantic—although in a sense I seemed to hear the earlier Beethoven as well. The piece contained some really interesting musical elements, such as a section in which the violin and cello played in unison, contrasting even more sharply with the piano, and other sections where the tempo changed dramatically right in the middle of the movement. The third movement, a scherzo, was unusually short, catching me by surprise. The program notes call the final movement “joyful,” and I agree; it was almost carefree, with the piano part bouncing along happily as the strings drew out the melody. I was delighted to discover this work of Brahms, so different from the symphonies.
After much applause, the Ambrosia Trio offered an encore that was a real find. Its composer was Germaine Tailleferre, a French composer who was part of the composer group called “Les Six.” The movement from her Trio, composed in 1916-17 and revised decades later, was refreshing and, according to the quick research I did on this to me unknown composer, consistent with the neoclassical, witty pieces of her counterparts. Its lovely melodies did not prepare me for the final chord, which went up instead of down, just lingering in the air. What a clever, innovative way to end a movement!
The Ambrosia Trio played with technical expertise and depth of spirit. It has got our season off to a terrific start.
Nancy MacRae, Schellsburg,
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