This past Monday evening, Leffler Chapel and Performance Center’s Musser Auditorium was once again filled with music. As part of the Fine and Performing Arts Department’s Monday Concert Series, the College’s own Trio Caprice performed. The Monday Concert Series offers an opportunity for students, staff, faculty and members of the Elizabethtown community to experience professional performances.
Trio Caprice is comprised of members of Etown’s own music department faculty. Stephanie McCullough, adjunct instructor of violin and viola, was featured on the violin, Sara Male, adjunct instructor of cello, was featured on the cello and Debra Ronning, lecturer in music and director of keyboard studies, was featured on piano. Pieces from Dmitri Shostakovich and Johannes Brahms were selected for the performance.
Shostakovich’s “Trio in E. Minor, op. 67” opened the concert. Shostakovich was a Russian composer born in 1906 and died in 1975. Cellist Male gave some brief background on the first composer. “Shostakovich was a composer in Russia under Stalin,” Male said. “He began sketches of this piece in 1943 and then completed it in 1944. Toward the end of the second World War, it was obviously an incredibly intense and tumultuous time and it’s very apparent in this work.” Shostakovich wrote this piece as a tribute to his friend Ivan Sollartinsky, a mathematician and fellow music enthusiast.
This piece also served as a tribute in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, an infamous event during Shostakovich’s time. “This piece marks the first time that Shostakovich uses Jewish folk melodies and rhythms in his compositions,” Male said. “The first movement starts with harmonics in the cello, a very slow theme that actually is in the form of a canon. Then we go right into this sort of frenzy, a bit on the macabre side, though there are some elements of optimism. The largo is rather profound that starts with seven very slow chords of the piano that form the base [of the piece], and then the ominous eighth notes of the piano that go right into the fourth movement.” As the trio progressed through the piece, the names of the movements became apparent as they were played: “Andant” — having a moderately slow tempo, “Allegro con brio” — lively with fire, “Largo” — broadly and slowly and “Allegretto” — light and cheerful.
Following intermission, the trio played Johannes Brahms’ “Trio in B Major, op. 8”. Brahms was a German composer born in 1833 and died in 1987. This piece is considered among the musical community to be highly regarded as a masterpiece of romantic chamber music. Much like Shostakovich’s trio, the piece was split into four movements. However, unlike Shostakovich, the music seemed less eerie and macabre and sounded more traditional. The sound between the piano, cello and violin was less sporadic and seemed to be more melodic as the piece progressed.
The first movement started out smoothly and melodically, but had an underlying intensity that marked the start of the piece. During the second movement, the energy of the piece grew, rising and falling between the three instrumentalists. This particular movement was very dynamic, changing in intensity from loud and frantic to calm and melodic again. In movement three, the soft, slow piano formed a base for the two strings to float delicately on the melody; this gave the part a somber feel. To complete Brahms’ trio, movement four was made up of flowing, dynamic piano layered underneath the rich cello and soaring violin. Between the three instruments, the melody was flawlessly handed off to one another, wonderfully portraying the group’s ability to play well with one another.
For more information on upcoming events like the Monday Series concerts in the Fine and Performing Arts department, go to www.etown.edu/depts/music.