Return of a favourite
Garth WilshereTHE last of this year’s Wellington Chamber Music Sunday Concerts, brought back a favourite performer, previous NZSO Concertmaster violinist Wilma Smith, now in the same position with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. She returned with two Melbourne-based colleagues, Principal Horn Andrew Bain, shortly to take the Principal Horn position at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and pianist Amir Farid as the Nautilus Trio. They chose varied and intriguing repertoire.
The Mozart Violin Sonata in A, K 305 a lovely two movement work reacquainted us with Smith’s rich and warm tone, expressive and engaging in an equal, perfect collaboration with Farid’s elegant pianism. A beautiful performance.
The suave, warm and mellow tone of Bain made the Beethoven Horn Sonata in E flat, Op 17 delightful, highlighting his virtuosic control of horn phrasing that truly soared. As a trio they perform as a true partnership each an expressive master of their instrument.
The less-frequently heard 4 Petites Piéces – Four Short Pieces for Horn Trio by Charles Koechlin were deliciously French-sounding, again requiring great control and skill in the horn part, with equal contributions from violin and piano in different and quirky style, unmistakably French in tone.
The big work, the Brahms Horn Trio Op 40 is powerful, richly lyrical and moving and received a gloriously controlled and integrated performance in which all three players shone. The glowing burnished tone of Bain’s horn intermingled with the pianistic virtuosity of Farid’s piano and Smith’s sweet and rich violin tone capped off a brilliant performance.









Have Your Say
0 Comments
No comments.