Review on the Martinů Collegium Praga / Kinsky Trio Prague concert in Oak Ridge, TN on November 14th, 2004
ORCMA chamber concert a 'treat'
By Becky Ball November 29, 2004
Oak Ridge Civic Music Association's Chamber Series concerts are nearly always high-caliber treats. But the handsome trio from Prague who recently occupied the stage of Pollard Auditorium stands out like a rare gem among fine jewels.
The Martinu Collegium Piano Trio consisted of Lucie Hulova, violinist; her husband Martin Sedlak, cellist; and Vladimir Strnad, pianist. On their first tour of the United States, they immediately gained enthusiastic new fans among Oak Ridgers.
The huge appeal of this trio, who played together as perfectly as anybody needs to hear, was their ambassador-like selling of their native music. It has been a good year for Czech music, what with the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Antonin Dvorak's death. It got even better with the fascinating variety presented in only three pieces. Definitive performances, along with our own Tom Carlson's wonderful program notes, made the whole affair seem like an insiders view of the moods and personality of the Czechs.
First up was the rhythmic Bergerettes Piano Trio, composed by the group's namesake, that rascal Bohuslav Martinu. The prodigy Martinu marched to a different drummer and did not always sweat the rules. But the delightful 15th century pastoral "songs" here were more easily understandable than some of his works.
Rhythms were often deliciously free without obvious form or bar lines. Vitally essential to this kind of spontaneous-sounding music is the detail in the playing, which passed with flying colors. Ensemble challenges were met and enjoyed as if the players themselves were discovering new joys in the writing. This was especially true of pianist Vladimir Strnad, whose training in both jazz and classical piano served him well.
All three players were role models in ensemble playing. Everything our music teachers tried to teach us was demonstrated and with artistry. Outstanding were the phrasings, articulations, balance, texture, and dynamics in Vitezslav Novak's one-movement tragic/romantic Piano Trio: "quasi una ballata." The treasure here was in both the discovery and the passionate execution of a worthy new find. The third time's the charm. How about Dvorak's masterpiece, the Piano Trio in F minor? Tone paintings and intensity picked up steam as this beautiful work progressed. The powerful finale, described by Carlson as "a fiery Bohemian dance," required greater facility in execution. But that was no more impressive than the intense concentration and inner confidence of the players, who made the introspective slow movement absolutely gorgeous.
Clearly, the members of the Martinu Collegium Piano Trio accomplish their mastery because individually they are competent but not selfish players.
They play as one body more concerned with the composers' intent than with personal vanity. You wouldn't believe how beautifully they honored Dvorak's popular "Humoresque," the encore given after the audience refused to sit down or walk.It was most gratifying that this Chamber concert was supported in part by the Cyrus Feldman Memorial Trust, established by Feldman's wife Rose and their five children. One can usually associate the Feldman name with quality. Their magic wand outdid itself this time.
The Martinu Collegium Piano Trio with its Czech repertoire is going to be a mighty hard act to follow.
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