Trio Alba (7/24/14)

Livia Sellin, violin; Philipp Comploi, cello; Chengcheng Zhao, piano

Piano Trio No. 43 in C major, Hob. XV:27 – Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Give Me Phoenix Wings to Fly (1997) – Kelly-Marie Murphy (1964)
Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66 – Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)

This joyful concert took place at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, and as one patron was heard to say afterward, “Sometimes the concerts here are very modern. This one was quite nice.” And I couldn’t agree more. My listening experience has grown with various programming at ACFNY but a more usual – for want of a better word – concert was an interesting change of pace.

Trio Alba was formed in 2008 yet they play as if they’ve been together a lot longer than that. The Haydn had very polished playing, with a strong sense of ensemble. The first movement began with a playful opening as well as a mix of some serious themes. The second opened with a brief piano introduction, with a slower tempo, in general, but the trio still had a very full sound. The violin was featured with a second theme followed by a dramatic section for all three players, leading to a quiet ending. The final movement was brisk and bright with a high energy level throughout (in fact, almost frantic at the end).

Ms. Murphy’s composition was modern but not fractured in style; powerful and very listenable, even with its modern sounds and techniques. There were hints of Stravinsky-esque rhythms that I felt were borrowed, not stolen, if that makes sense. A sustained bass piano note segued nicely into the second part which was moody and intriguing, mostly calm, and quasi-impressionistic. A solo violin theme, that was then joined by the cello and piano, brought a return of energy, speed, and power to close out the piece.

The Mendelssohn opened with a full, rich, Romantic sound. In some ways the writing was more predictable, in a slightly formulaic way, than the Haydn but it was very interesting and tuneful, soaring at times, even in its minor tonality. The second movement had a chorale-like piano opening. The others joined in with a gentler, though still forward-moving energy. There were beautifully shaped phrases throughout the entire movement. A scherzo followed, launched by the violin and quickly joined by the piano and cello. This was an extremely high energy movement, with the qualities of the scherzo and composition reminding me of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. The fourth movement, an allegro, actually sounded like a summing up of what had been heard previously, and was unabashedly joyful. There was a return to the chorale-like feel, which was then grandly stated, followed by a final flourish.

Trio Alba’s debut CD includes Mendelssohn’s two piano trios, and their playing here shows their thorough knowledge of the piece. It was pure fun. We were also treated to an encore – Oblivion, by Astor Piazzolla. It was sentimental and sweet but also sincere. And if what I heard announced from the stage was true, this was the trio’s first concert in the U.S. What a treat for us!

ConcertMeister