Lidia Lamonaca

THE PRELUDE IN TEA SERIES : THE SERAPHIM TRIO @ THE INDEPENDENT THEATRE

An adventure of sound, emotion and glorious celebration of the history of Piano Trios superbly performed by the talented Seraphim Trio.

The Seraphim Trio consisting of Anna Goldsworthy (piano), Helen Ayres (violin) and Tim Nankervis (cello) delighted a very keen Sydney audience last Sunday afternoon to a wonderful program celebrating the artistry and musical achievement of Piano trios through time.

This concert was part of the Independent theatre’s ‘Prelude in Tea’ chamber series which offers a delicious afternoon tea at 2.30 (be sure in future to get there early to secure a much prized seat) followed by the concert one hour later.

The concert was opened by a brief introduction by Ayres (violin) who explained the difficulty in selecting only 3 Piano trios amongst the vast array of alternate and significant piano trio histories.

From the Viennese salon of Mozart to the stirring folk imaginings by Dvorak and then to the majesty of Ravel the dynamic properties between the piano, violin and cello in a balanced dialog were presented at their best by these superb musicians.

The programmed opened with Mozart’s “ Piano Trio in B flat, K. 502”  written in 1786 at the height of Mozart’s popularity in Vienna during a period when pianos were not yet the dominant keyboard. The K.502 is considered one of Mozart’s two finest trio works and has some flamboyant character in its piano-writing which makes it seem almost like a concerto.

The high spirited first-movement ‘Allegro’ played with the right levels of balance and lightness of touch by Goldsworthy (piano) and Ayres (violin). Throughout from the opening phrases, the piano and violin answer each other.

The second movement ‘Larghetto’ is opened by solo piano and is more serene and expansive. It has such a divine melody that pulls at ones emotional heart strings. This melody though simple in nature grows more ornate with each repetition. Finally Nankervis (Cello) is given a bigger part as this movement races to a high-spirited close. Lots of energy resulting from the flying triplets in its final bars.

The finale “Allegretto” is a rondo and has an animated melody with Mozart’s trademark lightness. This was beautifully executed by Goldsworthy (piano) interspersed with dashing passages delicately balanced by the violin and cello playing at counterpoint as the movement drew to a close. It’s quite a passionate performance by all players who appear to enjoy this movement especially.

Second work in the program,  ”Dvorak’s  Piano Trio in E minor Op. 90 Dumky” had been introduced earlier by Ayres (violin) as a “joy of folk music”.

From the first time it was performed in 1891 it’s amongst Dvorak’s most popular compositions. This Piano trio is in fact is a series of 6 small movements or “Dumka” pieces, a Ukrainian folk reflective song type consisting of:

  • Lento Maestoso  2. Poco Adagio 3. Andante 4. Andante Moderato 5. Allegro 6. Lento maestoso.

Dvořák referred to these pieces as “both happy and sad”. In all movements, the tempo alternates between slow and fast, the mood between sad / longing / sorrowful and happy / joyful. All in “distinctly Czech” tone and harmony.

The opening movement ‘Lento Maestoso’ opens with majestic assertive expression by Nankervis(Cello) supported by the piano. The wonderful melody is then handed in conversation to the violin. So pleasing to hear more assertive playing by Nankervis(Cello) who is at the forefront here. On occasion his playing was slightly overshadowed by the sometimes distracting noisy nasal breathing which became more pronounced in sections requiring bigger crescendos and cello physicality. Notwithstanding the additional noise interjection, the rhapsodic nature of the work with its constant wild changes in character described by many as “truly Bohemian’ resulted in all players being fully engaged and appearing to be enjoying themselves along with the audience. The Trio’s interpretation of these Slovanic folk songs was superb.

The second half of the program followed a short interval with Ravel’s “Piano Trio A minor” an absolute gem amongst early twentieth century piano trios. It’s truly a magnificent piece of music described by Ayres (violin) earlier as “the happy trio”. It was written in 1914 pre WW1. In the style of Debussy and Satie, Ravel redefined a new style of French music breaking away from the heavier 19th century German constraints.

Apparently inspiration for the musical content of Ravel’s Piano Trio came from a wide variety of sources, from Basque dance to Malaysian poetry. It consists of four movements:

  • Modéré
  • Pantoum (Assez vif)
  • Passacaille (Très large)
  • Final (Animé)

The first movement is in a new variety of sonata-allegro form. Beautifully played by Goldsworthy (piano) who accentuated the pianissimo to crescendo with parallel octaves and chords at the very opening of the piece and then it was taken up by the strings . It’s a glorious masterpiece, technically difficult and handled well by the piano and accompanying strings.

The second movement is a playful scherzo that sounded the most typically French. The Passacaille is a passacaglia, taking a slow, winding eight-measure pattern as the melody which is repeated; the repetition is not strict, and soon a second thematic notion worms its way into the movement, helping to build a massive climax. The animated Final (Anime’) is in sonata allegro form. It’s the most orchestral of the four movements testing the player’s full technical and emotional capabilities ending in a brilliant coda.

An exciting performance of Ravel’s music. The never-ending trills from the strings and wild runs up and down the keyboard were certainly passionately delivered and exciting.

Overall the Seraphim Trio sparked and delighted with their rendition and musicality of contrasting piano trios through time. The verve with which they play generates an infectious sense of enjoyment and appreciation. These are talented musicians who have been playing together for the last two decades and winners of the 2001 Piano Trio Prize and Audience Choice Awards (now the Asia Pacific Chamber music competition) and a delight to watch.

Highly recommended. Be sure to catch the Seraphim Trio’s future performances.

 

Published by Lidia Lamonaca

Lidia has had a lifelong passion for the arts and in particular music. She trained in classical piano and at times has taught it for personal enjoyment. Though she has pursued a corporate career (has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, MBA and CPA) and has held numerous senior finance positions spanning over 2 decades , her passion is music, in particular classical music and live music. She is an avid supporter of live music and artists playing in Sydney across many different genres and regularly attends 2-3 music/arts events per week. She is presently the Organiser of a couple of social live music meetup groups which facilitate music lovers in attending recitals and other music gigs with a social group. She currently works as a business consultant, enjoys playing the piano, reading, dancing, theatre especially musical theatre and is an avid movie buff. In her earlier positions working in the Pay Television industry Lidia assisted with the financing and production of various Australian movies. She has received credits for the production and making of 3 Australian feature films ‘Takeway’, ‘Bad Eggs’ and ‘A Man’s Gotta Do’. A true believer of the famous words by Shakespeare ‘If music be the food of love, play on’.