Joyeux Anniversaire celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel. Kathryn Selby joins with the violinist Daniel Dodds and the cellist Julian Smiles to deliver a sparkling evening which tests the fortitude of both Kathryn’s fingers and a splendid Steinway! The concert starts in Vienna with Mozart’s Piano Trio No. 5 in C major. Written in the last three years of his life, it was intended for private fund-raising functions. It’s a richly textured piece, almost concert like in its demands on the pianist. With this composition, Mozart was doing his best to liberate the cello from its almost redundant role of doubling the piano bass line. Both string players have independent and varied parts to play in this captivating trio.
Alexander von Zemlinsky’s Piano Trio in D minor for Clarinet, Cello and Piano was written when he was only 25. He showed it to Brahms, who was mightily impressed. He immediately recommended that his own publisher, Simrock, print the work. Simrock, with an eye for sales, insisted that Zemlinsky create a violin part so that the work could be performed by a standard trio. Zemlinsky did not simply arrange the clarinet part for violin, he wrote a part specifically for the violin. In effect he created two works, each of which stands on its own. This tour de force is complex and demanding for both the performers and listeners and shows the depth of his potential, fusing his impressive understated lyrical gift with his mastery of thematic development.
After the interval, Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor, from 1914, was joy! Ravel has composed music that any audiophile can love, if only for its range of dynamics. The critic, Egon Wellesz, stated that this trio displays “a wonderful clarity…a new classicism, a harmonious balance between form and content that can only be formed among Latin peoples.” This trio is a sizeable piece in Ravel’s portfolio and stands at the summit of Ravel’s early maturity. Selby & Friends delivered a stirring rendition for which they are to be applauded! These three musicians collaborate with finesse to bring out the beauty of the fine music they select. You can hear this concert again in Canberra on 11th April, Bowral on 12th April and Turramurra on 13th April. For bookings, visit selbyandfriends.com.au