Egmont Ensemble
Benjamin Baker, violin, Jonathan Bloxham, cello and Sam Armstrong, piano.
Music by Beethoven, Gareth Farr, Schubert and Richard Strauss
Blyth Performing Arts Centre
Havelock North. November, Tuesday 17
Reviewed by Peter Williams
This was the first opportunity to attend a concert in this prize-winning auditorium at Iona College. There is no doubt about the excellent acoustic qualities with the building's wooden lining, plus the uncluttered interior, excellent sight lines the superb Fazioli grand piano making a perfect setting. Benefiting the Save the Children Fund, this was the third last of 10 concerts in a nation-wide tour by these skilled prize-winning musicians under the auspices of the London-based Royal Overseas League.
Beethoven's Piano Trio in E flat major Op 1, No1 made exciting listening and a fine opening to the programme. The outer fast movements were vividly expressive and crystal clear in all their detail, showing an impressive command of all that Beethoven required.
The expansive piano part was brilliantly played, but unfortunately here, and at other times throughout the concert, the piano part was sometimes too strident and out of balance with the string players - the result perhaps of working in a variety of venues and playing a different piano in each place. The cello and violin solo lines in the Adagio cantabile second movement were affecting in their elegant phrasing.
The performance of the commissioned piece by NZ composer Gareth Farr, Forbidden Colours, was certainly convincing as the players skilfully overlaid the busy string and piano parts to capture easily all that is expressed in the title.
