Trio Orchestration

February 02, 2009

I really enjoyed the concert, and the Trio was new for me, and quite beautiful. The piano concerto was sublime (photo below with pianist Orion Weiss during the pre-concert chat: he was marvelous in the Grieg piano concerto). A few comments from Maestro Tortelier on his orchestration of the Ravel Trio. This is a very shortened list of the remarks that elicited a response from the audience, laughter or applause. He was quite entertaining during his introduction of the piece. Read the description for context.

• .. in the Mother Goose - Alright, you still with me?
• .. it's the same music anyway - I hope you recognize it.
• .. game of tunes / two sides of a coin - witty / subtle and waltzy
• .. scherzo or chorale: a trio of trios
• .. we start with the strings, are you ready for sensual horns, sexy trumpets
• .. a slow Passacaille: starting with only double basses, builds to a climax and all the way down to the bottom
• .. (describing arches with joyful impetuosity) one arch is enough
• .. Are you interested in the climax? -- we make more noise
• .. (based on Ravel's notes) not sounding trumpety enough, I gave this part to the trumpets

I also very much enjoyed the first piece, I wrote this while listening...
My poem based on Jean Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela

You were a dream to me, I could not conceive
heighten tension sliding below
ebbing higher gently swayed as in a breeze
softly enunciating naivety

Flutter by, but don't wave
don't see me below your soaring wing
perceive your world, but not my black watery depths
awakening beyond as light permeates mist

Full and rich depths surround
as grand aura fills my sound
your lone voice observes alone
higher still - would we soar at the same height?

Yet not together
Take a bow and smile