Photo Credit: Jennifer Brindley
Prometheus Trio
Last week the Prometheus Trio celebrated the beginning of its twentieth season with a concert at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and continued its deep exploration of literature for piano trio, played by Margot Schwartz (violin), Scott Tisdel (cello), and Stefanie Jacob (piano).
Of special note was the performance of a 2018 piece, simply called Piano Trio, by young American composer Timo Andres (b.1985), one of many composers working today who use elements of the minimalist style but in new contexts. The composer calls the trio “a piece…obsessed with its own material…” A four-note motive, which the composer calls a module, drives the first movement. At its most extroverted and ecstatic the music sounded like Steve Reich meets Maurice Ravel. The complex rhythms of the second movement was quite a challenge to listeners as well as musicians. I was intrigued by the title of the third movement, “Coda (made of wood).” This was wood of the lightest variety, like balsa, and the mood of the quiet contemplation of a nature walk.
Prometheus gave an admirable, astute, tour de force performance. Schwartz seems to respond to contemporary music with a special affinity. I can only imagine the amount of rehearsal this highly detailed music must have required. The results showed it was well worth it.
The trios of Franz Josef Haydn have been a pet project of Prometheus. This concert featured Trio in E Major (XV:28). The second movement is particularly lovely, with a throw back in style to the Baroque era. Jacob tamed a busy and dominant piano part and kept it from becoming overbearing, a danger in the acoustics of this recital hall.
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Antonín Dvorák’s large-scale Piano Trio in F minor (Op. 65) spans almost 45 minutes and is almost a miniature symphony. The violin and cello were featured often in this music, with lovely solos from Schwartz and Tisdel. The ensemble was artfully in sync, as it always is with this ensemble. Graceful phrasing and musicality were constantly present.
Do people who don’t go to live, acoustic performances know what they’re missing?
