I took in this concert last Sunday.
http://www.rcmg.org/2012/perlmanquintbailey-trio/
I got a scalp ticket from a cool chick who bought an extra on groupon that she didn't need. I saved $10 and made a new friend, sat next to her in the concert and chit chat about music and life.
They started off with Beethoven. It was the de-rigour happy innocent Beethoven that always attends these things. Don't they know what an eccentric prick he was? The state of modern classical museum music. But the piece lent itself to youthful innocence and was played well. A little too much theatrics from the cello and violin a little too much rosin on the bow, and a few too many minor mistakes on the piano. Everyone has a bad day, but live Beethoven rules.
Next up was Shostakovich Piano Trio 2. Shit this was awesome. Lots of minor mistakes from piano, it was just too hard for her. Made me think she is a daddy's girl in the biz. Cello's ego and violins edge worked better here. As Randy Jackson would say, "Perfect Song Choice for you, dogg." In this, the composer ruled the stage, I think college students couldn't avoid a standing O after playing this piece correctly. I have Joshua Bell playing it
here. Great recording...
One thing I learned from Zuill Bailey introducing this piece was that Shostakovich really did know what he was writing. From a 21st century American's perspective, Shostakovich's most lonely and cold works can seem a little contrived, exaggeratedly sad. Especially when compared to the immensely sarcastic and funny works that give off a lot more light, like Symphony 9. We just don't have the perspective to understand what he was trying to express. We get our perspective on evil from Hollywood. This trio is among the darkest of all his works. Bailey's story went like this:
"A young chamber group had the opportunity to meet Shostakovich and receive coaching from him. They came to to his house in Moscow and knocked on the door. He answered the door and asked them to keep their coats on, he was taking them for a walk. They walked for a couple hours. He took them to several cemetaries around Moscow and showed them the graves of musicians and friends of his, and Russian heroes who died resisting the evil of USSR. When they arrived back at Shostakovich's house they were surprised when he bid them farewell. They asked about the coaching session, he said, "You want to know how to play my music? If you were paying attention to what I was saying to you today then you would know everything you need to know about my music." I took from the story, that the dark, lost, hungry tonality he invented was required to portray the bleakness and terror of the life he personally lived himself. We are blessed that he persisted in writing music through it all.
Intermission
Brahms is always "involved." You gotta be fed, rested and ready for Brahms, even when it's a trio. I always say I am not old enough for Brahms yet. But I used to say that about golf too, and now my 14yo son is playing serious golf. Time to face the music. This performance informed me to listen to Brahms while I still can...
The trio was awesome. It was big and huge and gigantic and never ended. The musicians were fully warmed up and ready for it. The violin tone mellowed a tad from the Beethoven and the cello is an accompanists in this piece so he played appropriately humbly, which was nice. I have the big Brahms box with every composition, but still wrapped in plastic. I listen to Violin Concerto all the time and love it, but just never jumped in deep. My brother gave me a stuck up classical show off playing Brahms piano sonatas back in the 80s. I think that put my ears out of joint on Brahms. I still have the CD case, but the CD is gone. Did I throw it out the window? This trio revives my hope that Brahms is more than one hit wonder with the violin concerto. The double concerto usually bores me too, but maybe just boring soloists, albeit 1st chairs from NC Symphony.
This trio has a new album out, I don't see it anywhere online. An older one on Amazon, mp3 only I guess they sold out of CDs.
They also recorded Beethoven Triple Concerto together, available on CD and BluRay video with pianist's father Itzhak Perlman conducting Israel Phil.
If they come to your city I would recommend trying to see them. They are young, but they have the music in them and it comes out effortlessly. Many established chamber groups are smoother and more boring, can't hit it as hard as these.
