Trio Navarro

SCHUMANN'S FIRST AND A SCARY GHOST IN TRIO NAVARRO SCHROEDER CONCERT

The Trio Navarro is celebrating its 24th season as artists in residence at Sonoma State, and pianist Marilyn Thompson, cellist Jill Rachuy Brindel and currently violinist Victor Romasevich have enriched chamber music in the North Bay by their artistry and the exceptional embrace of eclectic repertoire. In Schroeder Hall Feb. 21 they presented a program of two of the greatest piano trios, Beethoven's Op. 70, No. 1 ("Ghost") and Schumann's D Minor, Op. 63.

The First Movement of the Beethoven bursts forth with an energy-charged phrase almost immediately interrupted by a soulful cello theme. The performers were able to convey the constantly shifting moods with clarity and subtle rubato touches, here mystery and longing, there fragmentation and urgency. Balance between the sonorities of the individual instruments was beautifully explored. There were many colors and different textures, keeping the audience fascinated by the rich harmonic and thematic explorations of this composer.

The Largo movement, with its spooky tremolos and dramatic harmonies, evokes otherworldly beings and has few parallels for musical terror. A very slow opening in which the strings played a pale and eery motive increases in intensity until all are calling and screaming, overwrought, and gradually the music dies down to a pizzicato ending. The third movement was a joy of lilting melodies and bravura passages. With a questioning opening It brought us out of darkness into the world of light and dance and optimism.

Schumann's First Trio opens with a movement marked "Mit Energie und Leidenschaft,” and indeed energy and passion were abundant. Over a piano cushion of arpeggiated chords, entering as if in mid song, the violin and then cello weave their tale of passion and excitement. The instrumental writing is exhilarating and interspersed with effects such as a quiet ponticello section. The quiet chords at the end rise to grandeur and then melt away in a calm resolution reminiscent of Brahms. This was followed by an agitated scherzo movement with driving dotted rhythms played at a tempo that produced broad gestures rather than fine detail.

The slow movement was suffused with chromatic and plaintive harmonies supporting highly romantic solos and duets. The harmonies here blur boundaries of tonality, and syncopated rhythms tug at our emotions. An attaca into the last movement is one of the most satisfying transitions imaginable. It is a call to joy, an occasion of excitement brewing and leading us to a world of hope and goodness. The instruments create a grand orchestral sound and trade motifs joyfully. There are moments of searching, discovery, anticipation and triumphant sweeping gestures. Sometimes stern, other times sweet, this was an uplifting and emotional musical experience and the Trio Navarro carried us on its wings through Schumann's great work of imagination.

The audience was moved and applause was plentiful. There was no encore.