SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Dvořak, Stephen Paulus, Richard Strauss and David Alan Earnest: Langroise Trio, Langroise Recital Hall, College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho 14.11.2009 (PSh)

Langroise Trio:

Geoffrey Trabichoff, violin

David Johnson, viola

Samuel Smith, cello

Dvořak  - Drobnosti, Kleine Stücke, Op 74a (Three Miniatures and Gavotte) for two violins and viola [tr. for String Trio D.Johnson]
Stephen Paulus - Seven Miniatures for String Trio, (1989).
Richard Strauss  - “’s Deandl is harb auf mi” Andante (Theme and Variations) (1882)David Alan Earnest - String Trio #4 (on paintings by Norman Rockwell) (2009)

The Langroise Trio played for the first time this season with the participation of their leader, violinist Geoffrey Trabichoff who has been recovering from illness. His debut was marred when on the very first note the g string on his instrument lost tension, requiring resetting the peg and a complete retuning of the instrument. During this interval Mr. Smith entertained the audience with a few wisecracks for which he is so well known. On the second try everything went beautifully.

The Dvořak pieces are heard often in many transcriptions, most notably for piano and violin under the title Four Romantic Pieces. Hearing them in any form is a delight, and this performance offered many fresh insights.

The Paulus Miniatures were commissioned by the Ensemble Capriccio of Minneapolis with funds provided by the Minnesota State Legislature, and first performed November 12, 1989 in the Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis. An engaging work in the modern pantonal polyrhythmic style in seven movements, at times sweetly lyrical, but mostly angular and rhythmicly complex. The musicians navigated this difficult music with verve, wit, and skill. Mr. Paulus a very well known composer and is played a great deal these days, but this work seemed rather cool overall compared to the other music on the program.

Geoffrey Trabichoff explained that the full meaning of the dialectical German title “’s Deandl is harb auf mi” is “My sweetheart who is currently miffed at me.” The use of the dialectical word “harb” is a joking reference to the “Harbni” a secret society of rich businessmen, of which the Strauss family were members. Strauss was 18 when he wrote this music, sweeter and more sentimental than we are used to from Strauss. It has some joking references to barking dogs at one point and references to folksongs and a quotation from Wagner. A romp, a trifle, very entertaining, played with grace and wit.

Wealthy local conservative political activist Ralph Smeed recently financed and assisted in a retrospective exhibit of paintings by Norman Rockwell at a local charter school. The exhibit proved very popular so when the Trio commissioned their fourth string trio from local composer David Alan Earnest, it was suggested that he base the work on paintings by Rockwell. Earnest said in his pre-performance remarks that he had always admired Rockwell’s work; his mother had had books of reproductions around the house when he was growing up. He looked at them again, searching for those particular works which suggested to him a specific musical impulse. The final selection of six paintings, all originally covers on the Saturday Evening Post magazine, were: No Swimming; Jester; The Horseshoe Forging contest; Breaking Home Ties; Two plumbers and a Dog; and, The Golden Rule. The paintings were reproduced in color on an insert in the program notes.

The first painting, No Swimming, shows undressed boys carrying their clothes fleeing from an unseen authority figure. Earnest said it reminded him of the trouble he and his brothers always used to get into—“stupid things”—and, after a brief introduction, the music suggested a comic bustling atmosphere. The second painting Jester shows a clown sadly contemplating a smiling mask of his own face and suggested the contrast between comedy and sadness. Mr. Earnest is particulary skilled at musically depicting contrasting emotions. The Horseshoe Forging Contest led to pulsing music steadily rising in tempo and energy, giving the trio a chance to show their skill and making three string instruments sound like hammers on anvils. It was all done with bows on strings, resisting the temptation to add any sound effects by striking the wood of the instruments. Breaking Home Ties shows a boy packed up to go off to school saying goodbye to his father and his dog. Earnest said it reminded him of the time his family saw him off with his guitar to play in a band in a distant city, the music a mixture of sadness and expectation. Two Plumbers and a Dog suggested Laurel and Hardy, leading to a depiction of slipstick antics ending with a broad musical joke that most of the audience appreciated with laughter. The final painting, The Golden Rule, depicts a group of people of all religions and ethnic backgrounds worshipping together. Earnest said he worked very hard to find a musical expression of this noble sentiment. “If some businessmen and politicians would observe the Golden Rule maybe we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in,” he said. This music was the most remarkable of the whole evening, expressing with rich musical textures a sense of searching and aspiration without at any time falling back of the trite formulas of hymn tunes or chorales.

There were many new faces at this concert and perhaps most of them, in view of the Norman Rockwell dedication, expecting an evening of hymns and patriotic tunes. Some regulars, perhaps fearing the same thing, stayed away. What Mr. Earnest produced was music of the highest and most original quality, demanding on the performers as well as on the listeners, returning rich rewards for careful, thoughtful attention. However I may speculate, as the piece progressed the audience became more restless and dissatisfied, coughing and hacking without restraint. At the end, in contrast to the lingering standing ovations previous premiers have occasioned, they applauded politely and briefly, and abruptly marched out. Mr. Earnest’s suggesting that businesmen needed to be more ethical may have contributed to this evident hostility from possibly pro business audience members. Whatever, those of us who admired the music remained to congratulate composer and performers. Mr. Smeed was as always graciousness personified, expressing appreciation, admiration and gratitude to everyone concerned, and presenting to the composer a large framed Rockwell print as a gift. I was assured that a recording of this music will not be long in coming out.

Paul Shoemaker