Last Thursday, seven students got the opportunity to sit down with the The Horszowski Trio and receive feedback on the arrangements and pieces they were working on.
This workshop was a precursor to the trio’s performance at Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall on Friday. More than 100 people were in attendance to watch the famous trio perform.
The Horszowski Trio consists of the two-time Grammy-nominated violinist Jesse Mills, the founding cellist of the Daedalus Quartet, Raman Ramakrishnan and the last pupil of the late-pianist Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Rieko Aizawa – all of whom teach at Columbia University.
Their program began with Joseph Haydyn’s “Trio in C Major, Hob. XV: 27.” The song had three parts, which showcased the abilities of the musicians. The first segment, Allegro, was full of pauses, highlighting the group’s chemistry.
After a brief re-tuning, the trio got back into things with Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Piano Trio in D Major Op. 70, No.1.” – another three movement piece.
“The pianist was just out of this world,” said Anne Hegarty, a Grand Island resident. “It was fantastic. All the players were so graceful.”
After a brief intermission, they emerged from backstage to more applause and treated the audience to Robert Schumann’s “Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63,” a four-part piece that took up the entirety of the second act.
The first part of the piece, Mit Energie und Leidenschaft, was full of the synchronized playing the audience had become accustomed to in the first half of the performance. The second part, Lebhaft, Doch Nicht Zu Rasch, was slower and more dissonant, but just as pleasing to the ears of the audience.
The fourth and final part of the Schumann piece, Mit Feuer – Nach Und Nach Schneller, which translates to “With fire – gradually faster,” was the most impressive display of the performers’ abilities. By the end, all three were breaking a sweat from playing the intense, fast-paced music.
“One should never say Buffalo is deprived of great music,” said Orna McNamara, a resident of East Amherst who attended the concert with her husband and a friend, both of whom are UB alumni. “That was just a delicious performance.”
Following that piece, the Horszowski Trio stood up and bowed. Even after leaving the stage and then returning, the audience buzzed with applause.
“It’s really a shame not more people [didn’t] come,” McNamara said. “If this were New York City people would have paid $30 for a ticket and it would have been packed. We need more people who can understand and appreciate this type of performance.”
The Horszowski Trio have an upcoming performance in Morehead City, North Carolina on Oct. 18 as part of the American Music Festival concert series.
email: arts@ubspectrum.com
