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“The whole programme was superbly performed, and extremely well received”~ John Button ~ read full review
“Trio rewarded by Chamber Music New Zealand with a ten centre tour”~ Samuel Holloway ~ read full review
“NZTrio asset to the musical life of NZ”~ Andrew Buchanan-Smart ~ read full review
“Three sophisticated musicians displayed at Auckland Museum”~ John Daly-Peoples ~ read full review
“They play as though virtuosity is just an incidental”~ Paul Serotsky ~ read full review
“The NZTrio are a gift to New Zealand composers.”~ John Psathas, New Zealand composer ~ read full review
19 April 2010
The first in a series of nationwide concerts was very enjoyable, especially so for the premieres of contemporary works.
The opening Mozart K 502 provided a lovely entrée before the main course; being not too heavy and beautifully shaped with enough colour and fragrance to allow the gentle nuances to bloom. The occasional extraneous noise from the violin slightly impaired the flow. The Larghetto’s dreamy qualities came to the fore along with vitality of the Allegretto.
Judy Bailey’s So Many Rivers, with its Jazz influences gave the piano very much the dominant role, but the very melodic lines, almost serene passages were for violin and cello. The opening meditative qualities returned at the end, in this very accessible work.
Stuart Grenbaum’s The Year without a Summer appeared topical as the inspiration of the work was a volcanic eruption in 1815. The opening was explosive, pithy and full of energy, with darkness encroaching. The cold is captured well by the richness of the harmonic language and the melodic lines capture the melancholic moods as winter establishes itself. A lovely work; the NZ Trios performance captured the essence. The piece should become standard trio repertoire.
Arvo Pärt’s Mozart-Adagio is a little gem and the Trio's tight playing here gave the work and added piquancy.
Schumann’s Trio No.1 Op 63, a masterful and vibrant work with a second movement trio which lingers in the head long after the applause has ceased. A good programme and delightful performance; this group is an asset to the musical life of NZ.
