Poinsett Piano Trio - Sat 18 May
This month’s Greytown Music concert is on Saturday 18 May at 4pm and features the US-based Poinsett Piano Trio. After their successful 2010 tour, the Trio returns to New Zealand for a 13-concert tour stretching from Kaitaia to Alexandra.
The members of the Trio are German pianist David Gross; American violinist Deirdre Hutton; and New Zealand-born cellist Christopher Hutton.
The ensemble is celebrating five years together, which aside from their trips to New Zealand have included recitals in the United States, Germany, and performances of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. The Trio is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, a statesman who had international career, and is perhaps most remembered today as the discoverer of the Mexican Poinsettia plant, whose colourful flowers are included in festive Christmas decorations throughout the world.
Their Greytown concert consists of four works – Mozart’s Trio in C major, KV548, Brahms Trio in C minor, Op. 101, Gabriel Faure’s Trio Op. 120 and Café Music by contemporary American composer Paul Schoenfield.
The Mozart trio was written “late” in his career, at the age of 32. While the violin and cello parts exhibit greater independence and significance than in earlier trios, the piano still clearly takes the lead role (if not quite that of a concerto soloist.
Brahms’ Trio in C minor was the last of his three trios for piano, violin and cello. It has four movements and there are lots of syncopations, cross-rhythms and hemiolas abounding, making the music feel rhythmically unstable a lot of the time.
Faure’s Trio was the composer’s only piano trio and was one of his last completed works, written in 1922 and 1923. It is very tonal, with beautiful sustained melodies and phrases building towards ecstatic climaxes.
Most of Paul Schoenfield’s music is for piano of chamber music ensembles, and many of his pieces include an eclectic mix of popular music styles. Café Music embraces folk music, Klezmer, ragtime, jazz and dance music.
Saturday’s 4pm concert is at 57 Wood Street, Greytown and all are welcome. You can reserve seats by phoning 06 304-9025 (office hours) or 304-9497 (a/h). Seats cost $25 for adults or $10 for students.
Reservations for this concert (adults $25, students $10) can be made by phoning 06 304-9025 (business hours) or 06 304-9497 (evenings). Greytown Music Group concerts are held with assistance from Creative New Zealand.
The rest of this year's concerts are as follows:
Sun June 9 - Jane Young (cello) & Hugh McMillan (piano)
Works by Beethoven, Brahms, Granados (or Debussy, Bridge, Poulenc)
Sun 7 July - Saxcess
An eclectic mix of classical and jazz pieces
Sun 18 August - Duo Tapas (Owen Moriarty, guitar; Rupa Maitra, violin)
Programme to be advised
Sun 15 September - Cathy Irons (violin) and Flavio Villani (piano)
Gypsy Violin Music for violin & piano by Dvorak, Sarasate, Dohnanyi, Bartok and Brahms.
An illustrated brochure for the year's programme is available on request from Eric Turner, phone 06 379-6510 or email eric.turner@xtra.co.nz
