When it is Valentine’s Day, it is just impossible not to think of love. The “I love you” balloons, entwined hands, red roses, heart shaped everything, and of course, listening to a Schubert Piano Trio- it is just so difficult not to think of love.
It was a prefect setting to contemplate about love- a beautiful afternoon at the Rackham Auditorium with the best artists to perform a serenade for you and you only. The program for the day comprised of both the Schubert piano trios- the B-flat Major and the E-flat major. Normally, these don’t get performed together. So everyone was excited.
The three artists entered and they took their positions. And the evening started with the mellow sound of the cello followed closely by the violin. Just three minutes into it, and that’s when I fell in love- with Schubert!
Schubert composed both his piano trios close to his death (and after the death of Beethoven). So Beethoven’s shadows are seen in these compositions. But what is so impressive about each of the pieces in addition to their clear structure is that if there is a musical definition of love,beauty and life- then this is it! It just doesn’t get better than this.
Let’s consider the B-flat Major. The Allegro Moderato was so pleasant and fluid. The long sustaining notes for the cello echoed by the violin and the piano punctuating each melody and everything complementary to everything else- it was so beautiful. The second movement embarks into a sense of longing and almost contented sighing with solos and duets that were just unbelievable. The third movement goes back into this happy phase- almost playful. The fourth movement was more passionate and aggressive with the piano parenthesising each melody played by the violin and cello and it ended on a triumphant gleeful note.
The E-flat Major followed after the intermission and it was a revelation. Each movement was so beautiful that it was just too good to be true. It gave a feeling that you get when you look at the pristine beauty of the majestic mountains of Yosemite from the Tunnel view for the first time or when you look down at the Colorado river from the highest point at Guano point in the Grand Canyon or at a sunset over Lake Michigan at the Sleeping Bear dunes park! It was a piece where each melody seems to cite an instance of happiness and urges you to be happy.
To me, the E-flat Major is a joyous celebration of all there is to love and life when you have not an iota of doubt about a prosperous future or benevolent heavens.You just can’t help feeling happy when you listen to it. The feeling you get when you look a baby’s smile or feel your mother’s touch- it is so so beautiful!It somehow directly connects to that part of the brain that creates happiness.The ending seemed as if a level of matured happiness has been achieved and it was a quiet joyous conclusion!With these pieces, you feel “safely” joyous as it is set in a familiar structure and yet there is so much going on.
It is definitely to the credit of the musicians that they were able to bring out of the genius of the composer by executing it so flawlessly. There was a harmony among these musicians and the mastery exercised by each musician over his or her field made the concert what it was- an absolutely beautiful evening!
There was an encore when they played a slow movement from Mendelssohn’s piano trio. Already you could see the difference in beauty between Mendelssohn and Schubert!It’s like looking at the beauty of two different rose buds.
I love the signing that UMS sets up these days after the concerts. It gave a chance to interact with the musicians. These world-class musicians are so down-to-earth and easy-going.
Overall, it was an enthralling evening…when love was definitely in the air in the garb of music.
Yours enamored,
Krithika
Check out the “Schubert piano trios” cd! It is definitely worth it.
