The broadly traveled Horszowski Trio, at present the Trio in Residence at Longy Faculty of Music of Bard School, debuted in New York in 2011, and from the primary, impressed many with its depth—each in classical and up to date—in addition to for its breadth and creativeness. Trio members Jesse Mills, violinist; Rieko Aizawa, pianist and Ole Akahoshi, cellist, are again to peripatetic lives with greater than a live performance per week since final New Yr’s. The gamers take inspiration from custom—Aizawa was pianist Mieczysław Horszowki’s closing scholar—and to find intriguing blends of latest compositions with older works. This 12 months the ensemble presents 4 themed live shows right here in Cambridge; the second, “Circle of Inspiration,” enchanted us with a considerate hyperlink via Schumanniana and the world premiere of Paul Chihara’s Fantasy, Aka Tombo, or Crimson Dragonfly, expanded from his 2020 model. Mills, the articulate violinist, who additionally composes and arranges, launched the night’s program with background on its picks and Chihara’s borrowings from and homages to Schumann.
Akahoshi, who changed the group’s preliminary cellist, Raman Ramakrishnan, impressed along with his actually magnificent “cellismo” tone, together with Aizawa’s masterful collaboration in Schumann’s Fantasiestücke Opus 73 for cello and piano, which soared lyrically. Written over two days in 1849 for clarinet and piano, Schumann famous on the time that cello or violin may be featured. The three brief, emotion-laden items—Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with Expression); Lebhaft, Leicht (Energetic, Gentle) and Rasch und mit Feuer (Fast and with Fireplace)— can transfer us to tears, particularly with this cellist.
Chihara primarily based the identify and themes of Aka Tombo, partially, on what could also be Japan’s hottest tune, an evocative and wistful melody. The 84-year-old Chihara, who lives in the identical New York neighborhood as Mills and Aizawa (who’re married), delightfully bounded to the stage to expound on the work. Rofū Miki revealed his songbook, Shinjujima (Pearl Island) simply over a century in the past, and the primary musical model got here from Kozak Yamada in 1927. Expanded and set into a standard trio fantasy with melodies by Robert Schumann as nicely, it imparts a peaceable but sadly longing temper. Chikara famous that his Fantasy contains each touches of Yamada’s melody and soul from Schumann and Brahms.
Clara Schumann penned her Piano Trio in G Minor, Opus 17 in 1817, roughly two years previous to her husband’s trio, and purportedly inspiring it. Her work, with its expansive melodies, delivered with delicate phrasing, capped the night marvelously. The preliminary Allegro Moderato, although stuffed with lyrical phrasing, has moments of jarring, martial taste; given the motion’s tempo and type, the group didn’t discover a option to avert that uncomfortable side. I discovered the rest of the work extra pleasing. The Scherzo, Tempo di Menuetto must be held collectively by the pianist, and Aizawa’s amiable taking part in did so. The third motion, Andante, with its almost almost maudlin piano introduction, turns into extra opinionated because the strings add their have an effect on. The ultimate Allegretto affords extra easy-listening moments than growth, although it has contrapuntal sections interwoven. The Trio’s phrasing acquitted the Allegretto nicely.
Violinist Mills has already had two Grammy nominations. I believe certainly one of nowadays he’ll get one, and so may your entire group. Longy can be internet hosting the energetic and gifted ensemble twice extra this season.
