This concert was the final event of the season and the young players of
Trio Arisonto gave us a memorable evening with varied repertoire and a
short talk to help us grasp Ligeti’s Horn trio.

Clara Schumann’s Three Romances for violin and piano were expected
and we heard nos.1 and 3. The first piece is reflective and has an
elegance about it. It’s as though Clara is talking to herself. The interplay
of the piano and violin here was finely balanced and in the third piece
which is more energetic and extrovert, sparks flew and we were given a
spirited performance. These pieces are lyrical, harmonically
straightforward but not simple. The piano part is equal in all respects to
the violin and they played as a well balanced duo.

Ligeti’s Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano was to follow and we were given a
demonstration of characteristic motifs and textures and a brief
description of the piece. All three players spoke and they showed us
how the tricky rhythmical passages and displacement of accents had
been worked on and rehearsed. This was a helpful introduction to what
was an unusual sound-world in the Nicholas Yonge concerts.

Ligeti referenced Beethoven’s “Les Adieux” Piano Sonata most clearly at
the outset of his horn trio. We had been shown how Beethoven’s motif
was altered and treated in various ways and it was discernible
throughout the trio. We had also been shown the Horn’s natural
harmonics and these were used to great effect and added subtlety to the
texture. The March, with its displacement of accents was thrilling to
watch and the audience was rapt. The final movement, influenced by
Stanley Kubrick’s films showed an eerie passacaglia which held our
attention long after the physical sound had died.

After the interval, we were taken back to the mid nineteenth century to
listen to Brahm’s well known Horn Trio. This, written by Clara

Schumann’s close friend, demonstrated clever programming by the Trio
Arisonto. The richness of Brahm’s melodies and the clever interplay of
instruments were appreciated and this piece was performed with clarity
and expertise. It was a splendidly confident performance and the three
musicians were a close ensemble.

Our encore was Piazzolla’s” Libertango”. This featured individual
renditions of the main motif set against the other two players. Virtuosity
was shown alongside courage and obvious enjoyment ! We echoed
their enjoyment and the concert with its variety of music finally closed.

The Arisonto Trio gave us a wonderful evening and they deserve to go
far in the chamber music field. Their individual careers will keep them all
busy and I’m sure we all wish them well and look forward to seeing them
again soon.