Violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky has been at the centre of the Edinburgh International Festival’s Focus on Poland strand, mostly through his direction of the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra during their Usher Hall residency (review here). However, he got the chance to shine on a smaller scale as ‘his’ trio took to the Queen’s Hall stage for this concert.
They make a terrifically exciting sound, one that is vigorous and focused but also full of emotional intelligence and rich flow. Beethoven’s Ghost trio, for example, had an appealingly explosive opening, but quickly found a warm, lyrical undercurrent for its second theme and the finale remained playful but mischievous. In between, the ‘Ghost’ly slow movement got the lonely emptiness of the music just right, but always stayed very expressive, as though it was always on the cusp of brimming over into something surprising. There was a similar balance of energy and focus in their Shostakovich, but here they never completely unplugged from the desperate, keening sadness of the opening. The faster sections had the kick of the dance to them, but it was dance with a grisly rictus grin about it: the finale was like a grotesque danse macabre, while in the scherzo (Allegro con brio) each instrument sounded like it was being chased by something very nasty.
A few years ago, the Sitkovetsky Trio commissioned a series of new works from female composers associated with conflict zones, and they here gave the UK premiere of the piece by Mahdis Golzar Kashani. Kashani fled Iran during the persecutions that followed the recent waves of uprisings, and To the Pointer Stars is her tribute to those who died defending freedom of thought. It begins with slow, ominous lines of music shot through with flecks of eastern modes, but becomes livelier, almost like a dance. Like Shostakovich’s dances, however, this one is dark and sardonic with some shudders of horror.
The Sitkovetsky Trio played it was complete dedication, treating it like a serious new piece. However, the big discovery of this concert, for me, was a piece that was nearly 140 years old. Cécile Chaminade’s second Piano Trio was what can imprecisely be called ‘a corker’! From the stirring opening chords you know you are in for something serious and substantial, Chaminade unleashing stormy textures and emotions that are only just constrained by the lyrical second subject. Playfulness is never too far away, though, and the strings had a great time bouncing one of their melodies off runs in the keyboard. The outer movements of the piece were always full of grandeur and brilliantly scored melodies, the strings often walking in lockstep but sometimes dancing around one another. The central slow movement, however, was full of gorgeous, straight-to-the-heart lyricism.
How wonderful to have a programme that is so expertly balanced: two well-known works and two new discoveries; two works by men and two works by women. More importantly, how great to have it all played with such expertise and communicative immediacy.
Simon Thompson
