Overview of the Featured Pieces
The Sassmannshaus- De Silva Piano Trio Concert held on May, 29th at Bargemusic Hall, Brooklyn featured three famous classical music compositions. These included the Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op.11 by Beethoven, Roses from the South (Waltz), Op.388, by J. Strauss, and Piano Trio in B Major, Op. 8, by Brahms. The first score by Beethoven has three movements. These are the Allegro con brio, Adagio, and Tema con variazioni. The waltz by Strauss has four major sections and Brahms’s composition also features four movements.
Pieces Performed and Relevant Biographical Information of the Composers
The first piece was written by Beethoven in 1797 (Lockwood 57). The German composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven, is considered to be a key figure in the transition from Romantic age music to Western Classical music.
The composition was first dedicated to the Countess Maria von Thun (the mother-in-law to Beethoven’s patron) (Edwards 8). The piece was written at the request of the clarinetist Joseph Beer in Vienna. After he allegedly denounced the score, Beethoven wrote the altered piece replacing the clarinet with a violin (Lockwood 58).
Johann Strauss wrote Roses from the South in 1880 in Vienna (Ganzl 357). Commonly known as Johann Strauss II, the celebrated composer was born in Austria. The waltz was initially performed at a Sunday concert in Vienna and has since been played on numerous occasions. The themes of the performance emanate from the operetta “The Queen’s Lace Handkerchief” (Ganzl 358). The first and second acts of the waltz are the greatest manifestations of this connection between it and the operetta.
Born in Hamburg, Germany, Brahms was a famous pianist and composer in the 19th Century. He wrote Piano Trio in B Major, Op. 8 in 1854. However, he further refined the work in 1889 (Swaford 135). The composition has scores for the piano, cello, and the violin.
It is considered the only work by the famed composer ending with a minor key and among the few existing compositions that commence with major keys and end up in a tonic minor. Brahms’s revised composition has four movements. These are Allegro con brio, Scherzo, Adagio, and Allegro (Swaford 138).
Discussing the Pieces
Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op.11 by Beethoven
The Allegro con brio introduces the performance with an expansive unison. After a while in F-major, the music is swung through D major, and G minor before a gracious tune that is more related to the first is finally introduced (Lockwood 52).
The Adagio has a soulful theme that is in E-flat, performed by the cello. The performance also features poetic modulation at the middle of the movement from E# minor to E -major pianissimo. Towards the end, the E# major is restored as a keyboard figuration embellishes the overall theme.
Roses from the South, by Strauss
The overall mood of the piece is somehow pensive. However, towards the final section it is generally joyful since it features Strauss’s lighter and sparkling tunes. Both parts of section 1 of the waltz are in F-major. While the first part of section 2 is rather pensive, the second is considerably more uplifting in terms of the overall mood.
The entire third section is in G-major. The climax is in part four, played in E-flat major and is marked with cymbals. Towards the end, it changes to the home key, F-major, and continuous descending chords lead to the final part of the waltz.
Piano Trio in B Major, Op. 8, by Brahms
The first movement features a broad B major theme that starts by a build-up in the intensity of both the cello and the piano. A second theme in G# minor that is considerably more delicate replaces the first after a while. According to Conrad (25), the theme is, however, only found in the first version of the Trio. The second movement is a B-minor Scherzo featuring a combination of fortissimo outbursts and filigree passages. The mood changes as the theme changes from B minor to B major.
The third movement continues in B major. However, it opens with a piano theme that is intersected by a poignant melody from the cello in G# minor. The final movement marks a return to B minor with the initial piano theme being ambiguous in terms of the tone and rhythm. The cello’s original theme is considerably smooth and in F# major.
It is then overtaken by a rather vigorous piano theme that is in D major. Towards the end of the final movement, the B-major theme found in the first movement is revisited. The movement finally changes to a B-minor coming to a somehow turbulent ending.
The Concert
Who was performing
At the concert, the performers who graced the occasion were Kurt Sassmannshaus, Christoph Sassmannshaus, and Rohan De Silva. Kurt Sassmannshaus is an eminent violinist and conductor based at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. Christoph Sassmannshaus is Kurt’s son, also based at the University of Cincinnati. He is a reputed cello specialist and a prominent figure in classical music.
Rohan De Silva is a Sri Lankan pianist based in New York. He has been awarded severally for his mastery of the piano with the most significant award incident being the 1990 Best Accompanist Award in the International Tchaikovsky Awards in Russia. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with numerous performers and graced many musical concerts all over the world.
Instruments used and coordination between the performers
The instruments used in the performance were the piano, cello, violin, and cymbals. Playing the piano was Rohan De Silva. Kurt Sassmannshaus handled the violin while Christoph played the cello. According to the specific movements in each of the pieces played, the three instruments were synchronized or played independently with the cymbals marking the climax in the waltz. The coordination of the performers was outstanding making the performance one of the best in recent history.
Through non-verbal cues, they were able to interact without necessarily altering the flow of the performance. The most common way in which they communicated throughout the performance was through eye-contact. However, to a lay person, this communication was not that obvious.
Audience Reaction
The audience received the performance well. Constant applauding punctuated the performance at several points. At times, the audience members stood while applauding the performers.
The waltz performance was the climax of the performance in that the audience was compelled by its charm to waltz to the superb tune. Even though, the space proved to be a bit restricting, and everyone had to devise a way to make full use of the unique chance provided by the performance.
Performer’s Interaction with the audience
The performance was one of the most interactive experiences I have ever witnessed. The performers clearly had the audience in their minds as they strived to make the concert one of the best. For instance, when the audience stood to applaud, the performers would respond by heightening the moment.
Besides, when the members of the audience decided to appreciate the second piece by waltzing to the tune, the performers also stood and enjoyed the moment by heightening the climax of the concert.
Textures, timbres, rhythms
Beethoven’s music is often associated with a certain amount of dramatic intensity. The first piece in the performance combined textural tension, timbre tension, and rhythmic tension. Rather than employing the homophonic texture (where the melody dominates), which is common in classical music, the performance features several melodic lines that loudly intertwine throughout the performance. This infusion of several melodies increases the energy of the performance creating some tension.
This unique quality of Beethoven’s piece made it the perfect choice to begin the concert at a high level. The waltz by Strauss was moderately fast (moderato) but had slow harmonic rhythm featuring about 60-70 bars per minute.
In the first movement of Brahms’s piece, both the cello, and the piano build the intensity and were counterpoised by the second theme. The second features were several passages that had fortissimo outbursts. The texture of the overall performance was, however, smooth throughout the piece. Towards the end, however, the rhythm was fast leading to the build-up towards the end.
Additional observations
The selection and the order of the pieces were deliberately aimed at according the concert a climax at the middle of the concert. Beethoven’s piece created the perfect entry point for the concert as it indeed set the mood for the entire performance. The waltz was the highest point of the performance since it was the liveliest judging from the reactions of the audience.
Brahms’s piece offered a unique exit point for the performance as the turbulent ending left the audience longing for more action. The performance ended with a cliff-hanger that appeared as a deliberate strategy. The selection and ordering of the performance reminded me of the common plot structure employed by most literary artists where they leave the audience anticipating more.
The first piece by Beethoven was outstanding. However, the waltz by Strauss was everyone’s favorite. This is because it totally overhauled the performance by providing everyone with a unique chance to participate actively in the fun. The performers also made the second piece an all time classic for everyone in attendance.
Conclusion
The performance would be successful in almost every place where the audience space is not squeezed, and active participation of the audience is not restrained. Despite that Bargemusic offered a relatively restricted movement space, this did not deter the members of the audience. Other bigger arenas would, however, be more suitable for this kind of a performance.
Given the opportunity, I would definitely attend another performance like this one. The experience was so intense that I enjoyed every moment. From the selection of the featured pieces to the actual performance, the concert was definitely a success. The ending of the performance also instigated a certain urge for more. Without any doubt, I would want to have more of the performance the next time I am able to attend a music concert.
Works Cited
Conrad, Wilson. Notes on Brahms: 20 Crucial Works. Edinburg: Saint Andrew Press, 2005, Print.
Edwards, Leigh. “Ludwig van Beethoven.” Grove Music Online 2012. Oxford Music Online. Web.
Ganzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. Print.
Lockwood, Lewis. Beethoven: The Music and the Life. New York: WW Norton & Co, 2005. Print.
Swaford, Jan. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. New York: Knopf Doubleday, 2012. Print.