PRESSE
Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons”
“All twelve pieces from the original were performed
with a fresh interpretation...” ...The first part of the
concert was dedicated entirely to Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons.”
All twelve pieces from the original were performed with a fresh interpretation in this unusual ensemble. Additionally, after the intermission, the audience heard “Milonga del Ángel,” “La Muerte del Ángel,” and “La Resurrección del Ángel” by Piazzolla. Martin Brenne contributed the piece “Arabesque,” written specifically for this ensemble. In addition, the young musicians brought contemporary pieces along.
The trio has been captivating its audience for two years now with its unusual instrumental
combination. The previous year, concertgoers in Wachtberg heard a suite from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” They mostly rearrange pieces themselves because, as Zvyagin explained, classics in their original form are usually not intended for this ensemble.
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“Pictures at an Exhibition”
a cycle “of a decidedly orchestral coloration”
The rendition by Trio SpiegelBild was marked by a decidedly orchestral coloration, bringing to life the vivid imagery of painter Viktor Hartmann that inspired Mussorgsky’s cycle. The trio shaped the introductory “Promenade” and the sequence of pictures with connections to ancient Russian church music, reflecting the alternation between a soloist (solo sound) and a choir (tutti sound).
From Manuel de Falla’s “El Amor Brujo”
Here, “the Andalusian sensuality was traced in every single note”
In “Pantomime” and “Fire Dance,” the “canto jondo,” the plaintive singing of Flamenco, as well as the temperament of dance or Andalusian sensuality, were traced in every single note. The piano hinted at guitars, and the accordion also blended into this captivating “Spagnata.” The audience was enthralled for an evening and, after the closing bravos and flowers from the audi- ence, was treated to a Piazzolla tango encore with “La Muerte del Ángel.”
Astor Piazzolla’s “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas”
Saxophone playing with an expressiveness and vibrancy ... that would be difficult to achieve with a violin
...The trio performed a four-movement tango cycle, which, in the titles of the four movements, alluded to the idea of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” concertos. One of the earliest configu- rations of Argentine tango ensembles included violin, piano, and bandoneon. Thus, when Trio SpiegelBild replaces the violin with the saxophone, it plays in a modified standard ensemble. Xavier Larsson’s saxophone playing proved to be of an expressiveness and vibrancy that would be difficult to achieve with a violin. Overall, the trio infused the four parts of the seasons with their own expressive imagery. For instance, using various percussion instruments to sonically depict the urban noise of Buenos Aires. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter were accom-
panied by the expressive diversity of “Tango Nuevo,” interpreted by the three musicians with wildness and tenderness, virtuosic instrumental fervor, and lyrical intimacy, culminating in pure Christmas atmosphere at the end of “Invierno porteño” (Winter).
Text by: Günther Matysiak
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Trio Surprises with Sonic Impressions
An unusual concert came to an end on Sunday evening with a quiet, atmospheric milonga as an encore in the Knight’s Hall. The Trio SpiegelBild, with its lineup of piano, accordion, and saxophone, creates entirely new, atmospheric sounds that bring Modest Mussorgsky’s revolutionary piano cycle “Pictures at an Exhibition” to life as freshly as Manuel de Falla’s Andalusian ballet “El Amor Brujo” and Astor Piazzolla’s tango suite “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas” (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)...
...In Mussorgsky’s almost naturalistic “Pictures at an Exhibition,” contrasts abounded, jux- taposing titanic strength with gentle melancholy and delightful humor. Bizarre rebellion and deep melancholy were present in the dreamy appearance of the Gnome, while nostalgia permeated the Troubadour’s song in the Old Castle. Delightfully, the soprano saxophone portrayed the children bustling in the Tuileries and the chicks chirping, and the rich and poor Jews collided intriguingly, culminating in the bold hymn of the “Great Gate of Kiev,” a heroic apotheosis that now feels like a homage to a destroyed world.
The pantomime and the famous Fire Dance from Manuel de Falla’s “El Amor Brujo” were evoked with a sense of invocation and ritual, as the individual instruments contributed their colors to the passionate dynamism and suggestive power of the music.
Once again, the trio presented new colors in the tango suite, in which Piazzolla incorporat- ed inflfluences from Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Bartok, as well as the Tango Nuevo. In this dynamically savored, explosive blend, the seasons passed: the pulsating, blooming life of spring, the summer heat, the sultriness and sweat of the dockworkers, the wild autumn storm, and the warmth and emotion of winter.
Finally, a wistful melody traveled tenderly from the saxophone to the accordion and piano, the trio softly fading away before the applause began.
Text by Christel Voith
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...Melodic, captivating, even fiery it became during pieces by Astor Piazzolla and Manuel de Falla. The accented sounds were even sometimes tapped on the piano and accordion, which empha- sized the rhythm more strongly.
Text by Alexander Carle
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