Zimro Trio
25th November 2011
| Huw Watkins | Piano |
| Neyire Ashworth | Clarinet |
| Paul Barritt | Violin and Viola |
| Mozart | Trio for clarinet, viola & piano in Eb (‘Kegelstatt’), K 498 |
| Huw Watkins | ‘Dream’ for violin, clarinet & piano |
| Stravinsky | Three pieces for solo clarinet |
| Milhaud | Suite for clarinet, violin & piano |
| Khachaturian | Trio for clarinet, violin & piano in G |
| Bartók | Contrasts, for clarinet, violin & piano, BB116 |
Starting
with Mozart’s ‘Kegelstatt’ trio was a bold move, given that the other pieces
to come were far more challenging. But it came off very well, with the
audiences having an immediate chance to revel in Neyire Ashworth’s beautiful
clarinet playing, though there were some who found the viola accompaniment
overly harsh in comparison. After that there was Huw Watkins' Dream, with
the composer himself at the piano. His piece began quietly in the manner of
Arvo Pärt before bursting into sudden dashes of sound. It was followed by
Stravinsky’s virtuosic Three pieces for solo clarinet, somewhat cold pieces
however well played. For light relief, there was then Milhaud’s Suite for
clarinet, violin and piano. This jaunty piece composed in 1936 could easily
have formed the sound track for one of René Clair’s charming contemporary
screen comedies.
The second half started with Khachaturian’s neglected Trio for clarinet, violin and piano. Composed in 1932, it is crammed with folk song themes taken from the composer’s native Georgia often playing against each other in a passionate, turbulent piece that is constantly fascinating. Bartók’s Contrasts for clarinet, violin and piano. part commissioned by Benny Goodman in 1939, completed the evening. This strange but haunting music seemed to echo the composer’s sense of loneliness and desolation in his newly adopted country. Both Neyire Ashworth on clarinet and Paul Barritt on the violin changed instruments at one stage to do full justice to this taxing score. While not sending anyone away whistling its tunes, no-one could mistake the aching sincerity of this piece. So ended a stimulating concert brilliantly played and full of unfamiliar surprises and all the better for that.
Reviewer: Nicholas Tucker
Photographer: Michael Marwood