Brahms has composed a number of excellent pieces of chamber music. Among them, it is his sextets or quintets with strings or strings plus another instrument which is famous and often performed. His tendency in composition for dense and thick harmony and for counterpoint may work well with those genres with multiple instruments. However, his piano trios including the famous clarinet trio are jewels as well. I have loved those trios since young days. Here is another trivial memory on his Nr 1 piano trio OP8. It is well known Brahms has first composed in 1854 and has revised it in 1889. The revised edition is more famous and always played like the trio uploaded in the last of this post. Its matureness in the style or composition technique is prominent but the breathing of youth could be audible especially in its beautiul melody.
It was in my early twenties when I first heard this piece; the 1st piano trio by Brahms. It was the hall of Hibiya in the middle of Tokyo on an evening of early summer in '70s. The piano starts the 1st movement with grand theme which is passed on to cello. For a young cellist, this melody was haunting. I can't recall the pianist or the violinist but the cellist was, I remember, Kenichiro Yasuda in his late twenties. He has made brilliant debut as a cellist not too long before that. Placing the instrument in almost vertical position, he played it really as if dreaming. After listening it, I went for a small journey to an island. All alone. I could not recall this piece without that wandering spirit. It is still a music in youth for me.
Almost 30 years later, I asked a violinist to play it with me. The development section was a bit tricky for an amateur cellist like me. But I got it through. The pianist was one of my old friends since orchestra days, a professional pianist as well as a teacher. She has spent time to come to Tokyo from Shinshu to make rehearsals with us for a few times. At a small concert with other amateur players, we have played it before audience. The pianist used to tell me Brahms had composed it with the chords so "heavy and thick" that she found her forearms got more "muscular" than ever. I am sure it was a kind of joke. It might mean she has made some effort for us. Still moved to hear that.
I wanted to rehearse and play it, including the other movements, again with the same gang someday . But it seems no chance for me to do that. The 3rd movement is sure poignant, calm and beautiful. I still thank two of them for letting me play the 1st movement.
I believe this trio played it bestl; Pires, piano, Dumay, violin and Wang, cello. Each musician has own unique personality in performance, quite different each other. Pires sounds seriously profound while her husband Dumay is sharply penetrating music. Singing broadly is Wang's cello. Their mixture is a kind of fascinating ensemble. I have listened to them playing this trio so many times when I was practising it 20 years ago. At my room of the office late at night. Wang played cello smooth and beautiful. I have tried to learn his rendition so far as I could from the recording. Bowing, expression, dynamic or agogigue etc. I still could picture myself practising it in my room of the office. It was quiet evening in late summer.
This is that trio. Pires has announced to put an end to her career as a pianist last year.
While looking for this recording, I have found even hundreds of renditions by different groups. I should correct saying it is not popular. It seems pretty familiar among classic music fans and players. It is noted a lot of Japanese and Korean ensembles are playing it. This piece may resonate particularly in people of East Asia, even though it is not proven at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment