An Evening of Majestic Proportions
In trying to describe the scope of our program for Saturday evening, a friend of mine suggested the word “majestic”. I was a bit taken aback at first, as I’d never thought of learning a new program or a concert in quite those terms. But on further reflection, and a look at the good old Merriam-Webster definition, I came upon this:
“(of something) having the quality of causing you to feel great admiration and respect for it because of its size, power, or beauty”
That is certainly the case and an apt description of the music for this program! In presenting three works which are new repertoire for the trio, I can say without hesitation that they inspire awe and respect. Each has taken a lot of time and care to learn and, for me at least, some nerves of steel!
The charm and grace of the Mozart trio in b-flat, K. 502 demands care for each phrase, with elegant taper and attention to detail and line, with a final movement that shows Mozart’s humor and sense of fun. It is simplicity personified, and as we all know, simplicity isn’t simple!
The glorious Trio by Rebecca Clarke is rich in emotional power and full of descriptive color in its depiction of war, peace, grief, and pathos in addition to great tenderness and beauty. It is a technically demanding work, with rapid changes of mood, dynamics and huge jumps in range for all three instruments. It has taken great patience and perseverance to put together, with its challenging transitions and changes in meter and timber.
The final work on the program “Café Music” by Paul Schoenfield, is a complete change of pace from anything we have done before, with it’s pointed rhythms and syncopations reminiscent of smoky jazz clubs, old Hollywood, big city traffic and romantic love scenes. It has been incredibly difficult and very rewarding to learn, a process for us that began last spring, and continues till show time and beyond. It is a rollicking good time, and we’re excited to play it.
While you would think that it would take a shorter time frame to put together, we find that learning the notes for this program was only the first layer. The intricacies of dialogue, exchanges between all instruments, the way the pieces “fit” were complex and at times frustrating. Many discussions about tempi, where to take time and where to move ensued and changed and constantly evolved. Since all three of us have busy teaching studios and private lives, it was not always a straightforward process! We find, however, that this program, as monumental as it is, is certainly worth the effort and hope your experience of it is as majestic as we are finding it to be!
Please feel free to join us Sept. 22, 2018 at 7:00pm at the Clayton Center for Arts in Maryville, TN for our Trillium Fall Concert.
