KVT – Ludwig, Felix and Dmitri Trio-ed at Goethe

Saw two trios last week. Really enjoyed the smooth jazz by the Eric Legnini Trio at L’Espace even if I wasn’t moved to groove. Enjoyed even more the less polished chamber music Trio Concert at Goethe on Friday when I left feeling exhilarated. Both gigs gave terrific value for money (100 000VND at L’Espace – which is ridiculous for world quality stuff – and free at Goethe – which is even more ridiculous for high standard classic interpretation). The packed audience at L’Espace was totally enthusiastic and I thought that the rather restrained response from a similarly packed Goethe should have been similar.
The piano trio, made up of violin, cello and piano is second only to the string quartet as an essential genre, form and ensemble of chamber music. Our ensemble on Friday had Nguyen My Huong on violin, Nguyen Hong Anh on cello, and Tran Thai Linh on piano (and he is such a delight to watch play!).

The young ensemble didn’t skimp or cut corners with easy bits and pieces that would easily win audience approbation…rather they chose young work from three great masters. Piano Trio’s composed by Beethoven at 25, by Mendelssohn at 30 and by Shostakovich at 17.

You’ve got to be brave to pit your talents against a well known Beethoven or a Mendelssohn composition. And these players pitted admirably. I thought that Beethoven’s fairly lengthy and challenging Piano Trio No. 3 might trip them up but I didn’t even have to keep my fingers crossed for them. As soon as they launched into the allegro con brio I knew that they were on a winning streak. It was beautiful! Though I couldn’t help but melt into the slow second movement, I was really impressed with their vivacity in the last.

Like most crowned heads of Europe, Queen Victoria couldn’t get enough of Mendelssohn and he was feted in London like a modern pop star. He had none of the ups and downs that made the other great Romantic composers nervous and financially unstable When he died at the age of 38, suffering depression and fatigue, the mourning was intense. Due to anti-semitism at the end of the 19th and into the 20th centuries, Mendelssohn’s work began to fade from popularity but thank goodness sanity prevailed, despots and bigots were defeated….and Mendelssohn’s wedding march (from his incidental music for a Midsummer Night’s Dream) was again heard triumphant in churches as happily married couples traipsed down the aisles.

The trio gave Felix M’s Piano Trio No. 1 a lovely work out…I’m sure that the great German, Goethe, would have approved of the sensitive interpretation the trio gave his friend’s most popular chamber composition. If played well, the opening section of the first movement can sort of grab you in a vice and hold you there for the work’s 25 plus minutes. And this trio certainly had me with them and wanting more. The last movement with its exceptionally busy piano part was handled as dramatically as it has to be. A really laudable performance. It made me think fondly of an old Jacqueline Du Pre and Daniel Barenboim CD that got lost in transit many years ago.

I have to confess now that if Shostakovich hadn’t been on the night’s menu Imay stupidly have decided to stay home. I had a feeling that we might be on to something good with his Piano Trio No. 1…and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s only 13 minutes long and has only one movement….but it can be sensational.

Dmitri was 17 and in the Crimea, mourning the recent death of his father and convalescing from tuberculosis when he composed it…some say as a piece of poesy for a sweetheart, one Tatyana Glivenko…and, if so, she must have been some girl! This little jewel is difficult because of its contrasting emotional demands…as one CD sleeve puts it….. ‘ranging from the grave seriousness of mourning to the light-hearted gaiety of a fun fair; the intense fury of a violent brawl to the moving tenderness of a passionate love affair.’ When Shostakovich first performed it with two friends you can imagine that it may have been cathartic.

I really loved the interpretation we heard. In fact I’ll call it pretty sensational!

It must have been a physically and emotionally draining night for the performers. I hope they give us many more recitals.

Thanks Goethe for giving these attractive, personable and talented performers the opportunity to shine, and us the intense pleasure of listening.

And Mr Tran Thai Linh, please keep me posted about any future solos you’ll be doing. I’ve become a big fan.