The New Zealand Trio at the Auckland University Music Theatre

By WILLIAM DART

Wednesday night's weather would have tested ducks, but those who braved the teeming rain for the debut performance by this new chamber music group were well-rewarded.

The New Zealand Trio came to us complete with a mission statement to be an innovative and energised ensemble, bringing varied and inspiring performances to audiences in New Zealand and abroad. If this concert was anything to go by, their ambitions could be realised.

In the first few minutes, Justine Cormack, Ashley Brown and Sarah Watkins took their time to relax into a charmer of a Debussy Trio, written when the composer was only 18.

It was as musicianly a performance as one could wish for, even allowing premonitions of Ravelian ragtime to spring out in the second movement, although Brown's inspired cello playing tended to dominate proceedings.

Later, Shostakovich's E minor Trio offered more emotional engagement. The eerie Andante which launches the work was not without its testing moments, but the Allegro non troppo was spot on, the players noting Shostakovich's very specific directive (not too fast, heavily stressed, and ponderous).

Even that grim, sardonic Finale could not eradicate the sad and innumerable beauties that the players had discovered in the previous Passacaglia.

On the local front, John Psathas' Three Island Songs, an unforgivingly virtuoso score, worked best in the gentler textures of its central movement. Elsewhere, one looked for sturdier sound and more tenacious involvement with Psathas' merciless writing.

Victoria Kelly's Piece showed the ensemble at its happiest. Kelly is known mainly for her film music (including Harry Sinclair's current Toy Love) and has composed only a few concert works. This one is a gem and the three musicians had polished its iridescent beauties to perfection, veering from violent outbursts to whispered contemplations. Victoria Kelly is a composer who deserves more encouragement (and commissioning) in this area.

And, as if all this were not enough manna for the soul, the trio took their leave with the tastiest of encores - Oblivion, a shapely milonga from the pen of tango master Astor Piazzolla.