Program notes
Franz Joseph Haydn
Trio in C major op. 86 no. 1 Hob:XV:27
In the chamber music repertoire of Franz Joseph Haydn, the genre of the Trio for piano, violin and cello is quantitatively present with more than thirty works; although these compositions date from about thirty years, most of them are from the period between 1784 and 1796 and therefore belong to the composer’s mature period of work. However, it would be incorrect to expect from these compositions the balanced writing that Haydn had been pursuing for some years in other compositional forms, above all the string quartet.
At the end of the 18th century, in fact, the genre of the Trio with piano was considered – as, more in general, all chamber music compositions with piano – to be less demanding than works for strings only (in particular the quartet), as it was intended mainly for the so-called ‘Liebhaber’, the amateur performers; This was the main reason for the largely uncommitted nature of these works (which did not exceed three movements and not infrequently comprised only two), as well as the absolute prominence reserved by these compositions for the piano, an instrument of quick satisfaction and thus a favorite of the emerging upper middle class.
Haydn’s Trios with piano are hence configured as “Sonatas for piano with violin and cello accompaniment” (as the title page of the first printed edition of the Trio H.XV,27 states), in which the violin has a contained melodic role, while the cello is almost always limited to the simple doubling of the piano bass line. This state of affairs has sometimes led to these pieces by Haydn being regarded with a certain condescension and to complaints about their ‘conservatism’ in comparison, for example, to Mozart’s Trios, where the cello is frequently released from the supporting role of harmony. However, such criticisms do not seem to take into consideration that the limits of these compositions are implied in their own purpose.
On the contrary, the greatest value of Haydn’s trios consist precisely in their perfect adherence to that pure joy of making music that was the primary requirement of the Liebhaber. It is not by chance that in the Trio in C major the pleasant and balanced melodic lines of the violin and cello gracefully enrich a piano writing that stands out for its brilliance and exuberance much more than in the sonatas for solo piano, with a virtuosity that engages the performer to a great extent, especially in the complex octave passages. The work, composed in 1796, after Haydn’s second successful trip to London, and published the following year, is divided into three movements: an Allegro in which an overflowing thematic and rhythmic theme are classically composed in sonata form; an Andante that contrasts the pregnant lyricism of the introduction with an exciting minor section; and a final rondo which, with its theme of lively playfulness, expresses the composer’s best humorous and jovial spirit.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor op. 8
The Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano No. 1 Op. 8 was composed by Shostakovich in 1923. It is structured in a single movement and presents a continuous alternation of sections with different rhythmic patterns in a sort of small cyclical form. The introductory Andante opens with a descending pattern of sorrowful character, expounded by the cello and taken up in imitation by the violin and piano; a rhythmically livelier section, Molto più mosso, introduces wide melodic intervals (piano, then violin) and sharp dissonances. A variegated reprise of the Andante leads into the Allegro, which is passionate and romantic in its main theme expounded by the cello, then by the two strings together, and finally by the piano with broad two-handed chords. The movement accelerates further with the section. The movement is more moved, a sort of very fast motion entrusted to the violin rhythmically supported by the piano. The emotional core of the composition is the lullaby theme expounded by the cello over the delicate chords of the piano on a full keyboard. The same theme is then taken up by the violin. The return of the Allegro theme, which circles between the three instruments becoming animated gradually, precedes a new motif, of almost desperate heroism, entrusted to the pianist’s left hand, which rises above an obstinate of semiquavers (pianist’s right hand). Then, it is a continuous alternation of themes and motifs already heard: the passionate theme (violin in the lower register, then cello), the perpetual motion, the introductory theme, now given to the violin over delicate piano chords, and the lullaby theme. The concluding section uses the passionate theme in combination with the perpetual motion in an emotional crescendo that reaches its peak in the peroration of the lullaby theme, expounded by the three instruments (more than fortissimo). In the final cadenza, the perpetual motion motif reappears fleetingly.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Trio for Strings and Piano No. 5 in D major op. 70 No. 1 (Ghost)
Composed in 1808, a productively exceptional year that marked the completion of the fifth and sixth symphonies, the Trio in D major Op. 70 No. 1 was first performed at the home of Countess Marie Erdòdy, dedicatee of the entire Op. 70 (which includes two Trios, No. 1 in D major and No. 2 in E flat major). The title ‘of the spectres’, which indicates this Trio, is probably explained by the presence of some sketches of the second movement in a notebook, notes together with others – also in D minor – of planned work about Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The opening of the Allegro vivace e con brio is compressed in an exceptional way: its compactness is evident from the opening bars in which the two main themes are introduced one after the other. The customary contrast between the first idea (robust and martial) and the second (more cantabile) thus takes on a heightened expressive value, which makes the start of this Trio exemplary. Beethoven has now achieved perfect equality of balance between the instruments and, in the development, the contrapuntal play becomes the main expressive focus.
The extremely slow pace of the expressive Largo assai is accentuated by the entrance of the two strings at the octave with long notes, to which the piano responds with repeated chords in a whisper. The piano’s function in this Largo is to create a kind of sound band through an infinite series of tremolo variations across the width of the keyboard.
The final Presto brings us back to the sunny aspect of the first movement, with a particularly incisive and original theme; of great and carefully studied efficacy, in fact, is the combination of the rhythmic momentum of the first three measures and the long crowning on the fourth. The play of the precipitous start followed by the abrupt stop provokes a strong rhythmic tension that explodes sweeping the instruments in a continuous succession of scales, arpeggios and thematic fragments.
Trio Chagall
Trio Chagall has recently gained the attention of the musical milieu as a winner of the Second overall Prize (First Prize not awarded) at the 20th edition of the Premio “Trio di Trieste”, where it was also given the special prizes “Dario de Rosa” for best performance of a piece by Schumann, “Fernanda Selvaggio” for best Trio of the competition and “Young award” as most promising ensemble finalist. With an average age of 20 years, the Trio is the youngest chamber group ever awarded in the history of the competition.
These are only the latest in a series of successes for Trio Chagall, which include the 1st overall prize of the chamber music category at the Amadeus Factory competition (2018) – the first talent designed for young artists of the Italian Conservatories – and the numerous accomplishments at the Concorso di Giussano in 2019, where the Trio was awarded the 1st overall prize, the special prize “Il Progresso”, the prize “Città di Giussano”, presented to the best contestants of all the categories.
Trio Chagall was founded in 2013 by Lorenzo Nguyen (piano), Edoardo Grieco (violin) and Francesco Massimino (cello) within the Conservatory of Music “G. Verdi” of Turin. The name of the Trio is intended as a tribute to the famous painter Marc Chagall, who has always been a deep source of inspiration has always been admired for his ties to music and his strong expressive power through the use of colour.
The Trio is now continuing its studies under the guidance of Antonio Valentino and the Debussy Trio and is attending the High specialisation Master’s degree in chamber music with Trio di Parma and Pierpaolo Maurizzi.
The ensemble also receives the precious advice of Marco Zuccarini, Amiram Ganz and Christian Schuster from the Altenberg Trio Wien and Bruno Giuranna (Trio d’Archi Italiano), with whom they performed the Mozart Piano Quartet KV.493 in 2017. From 2020 Trio Chagall is supported by De Sono Foundation.
Trio Chagall is involved in an intense concert activity all over Italy performing in prestigious venues (Vatican Museums in Rome, Milan Theatre dal Verme and Conservatory, Theatre Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste, Sala Sassu in Sassari) and as a guest of Unione Musicale, Società del Quartetto, Accademia Chigiana, ACM – Chamber Music of Trieste and Società Umanitaria.
Introduzione a cura di Oreste Bossini
Giornalista e scrittore, collabora con Rai Radio3 e con numerose istituzioni musicali come il Teatro alla Scala, il Teatro La Fenice di Venezia, la Fondazione del Maggio Musicale fiorentino, l’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, la Società del Quartetto di Milano. Ha partecipato con numerose voci al Dizionario dell’Opera a cura di Piero Gelli. Tra i suoi libri figurano Milano, laboratorio musicale del Novecento (Archinto, 2009), Karlheinz Stockhausen. Lettere a Ralph (Archinto, 2013), La musica borghese. Milano e la Società del Quartetto (Archinto, 2014), Il cammino del Wanderer in Claudio Abbado. Ascoltare il silenzio (Il Saggiatore, 2015) «Abbasso il Tango e Parsifal!» Wagner in Italia 1914-19145, a cura di Pier Carlo Bontempelli e Oreste Bossini (Istituto Italiano di Studi Germanici, 2019). Fa parte del Consiglio d’amministrazione della Fondazione Claudio Abbado.
