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Trio Dali

by Josephine Vains 28th November, 2016
by Josephine Vains 28th November, 2016

With Trio Dali one feels generously included in the concert experience and, just as importantly, that the music is treated with respect and an unerring sense of direction and emotional purpose. A recent performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre brought a relaxed camaraderie between the three members as the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall provided a sterling backdrop for trios by Mendelssohn, Roger Smalley and Schubert. Paris-based Trio Dali exudes an easy flamboyance and a sophisticated understanding of the trio medium, so common in European ensembles that visit these shores.

Mendelssohn’s 2nd piano trio in C minor is often neglected in favour of his other trio and unashamed crowd favourite, the Op.49 D minor trio.  In this outing of the C minor, the intensity of Jack Liebeck’s violin impressed throughout, with peerless articulation coupled with a finely nuanced vibrato adding to the overall richness. Amandine Savary’s piano was often in the foreground in the first movement Allegro energico, taking quite some adjustment before Christian-Pierre La Marca’s dark cello tone was allowed into the mix. As is sometimes the case in this superb venue, the natural sustaining power of the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall means some “wash” of sound is in danger of cloaking the less immediately reactive lower strings.

Balance issues had been resolved by the Andante and I was particularly struck by Trio Dali’s lyricism, always sensitive and spontaneous and with a lovely singing lilt.  An impish Scherzo impressed for the tight ensemble and sheer fun to be had with the material. So often the swift changes between sections can be clunky in less experienced hands, but not here. Likewise the Finale was played with equal amounts of agitation and tenderness, notable for the perfectly judged Chorale section from Savary and Liebeck, who revels in darker timbral possibilities.

Roger Smalley’s 1991 Piano Trio takes as its starting point eight extremely chromatic bars taken from Chopin’s Mazurka in A flat major. Structured in two parts, the opening Prelude struck this listener with a certain sinking feeling, dripping with semitones. The affect was one of a weary melancholy. An impassioned Scherzo pushed the dynamic to the limit with its jagged edges and a ripe energy. The second section, opening with some frankly creepy plucked notes from La Marca, then ramped up the virtuosity within more striking harmonies than its predecessor. Fleeting glimpses of an erstwhile forgotten harmonic memory channeled Chopin, rather like a radio tuned in to the static between neighbouring stations.

After interval Trio Dali’s Schubert was blisteringly good, proving they are interpretive heavyweights. Each player gave wholly to the music, amplifying the intimate details of the music with a deft balance of articulation and dynamic range. Amandine Savary showed her expertise in the second movement Andante with perfect husbandry and a well-honed understanding of the pianist’s supportive role. Dali’s Scherzo was willfully rambunctious, unafraid to say something at every turn. By the fourth movement Rondo I was aware of a fixation on the minutiae of every phrase at the expense of the larger architecture, a fairly common interpretive habit in these long Schubert works. An enthusiastic crowd was rewarded with Haydn’s Gypsy Rondo as an encore, proving without doubt Haydn’s wicked sense of humour, and even more of that signature Trio Dali rambunctiousness in a fitting end.

Our reviewer Josephine Vains attended the Trio Dali performance in Melbourne on Saturday November 19, 2016.

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  • August 2022

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1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

August 1 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

Program Franz Schubert Schwanengesang D 957 Songmakers Australia Schubert’s last song cycle was published after his untimely death at the age of…

Free
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

August 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

A performance of cherished works and Gallic beauty. About the artists Seraphim Trio is as much a lifelong friendship as a…

$40 – $50

0 events, 2

1 event, 3

11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

August 3 @ 11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

Riveting passion balanced with delicate lyricism. About the artists Scottish born James Crabb is widely regarded as one of the world’s…

$42 – $49

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1 event, 6

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

August 6 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

World-renowned violinist Ray Chen makes his long-awaited return to Australia with some of the most demanding, impressive, and emotionally riveting works…

$65.55 – $159

2 events, 7

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

August 7 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

Join Flinders Quartet for the sumptuous romanticism and grandeur of Brahms, and the ingenuity and wit of Haydn. Thibaud Pavlovic-Hobba -…

$29 – $38
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

August 7 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

Corpus Medicorum Rebirth 2022 Concert Series. Artists Charlotte Miles cellist Keith Crellin OAM conductor Program Edward Elgar Cello Concerto, Op.85 Antonín Dvořák Symphony No.7…

$10 – $60

1 event, 8

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

August 8 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

A journey to the corners of human experience with Schubert’s Schwanengesang. About the artists Stewart Kelly is one of Australia’s most sought-after…

$40 – $50

0 events, 9

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1 event, 11

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

August 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

Innovative arrangements, technical flair and superb playing. About the artists Melbourne Guitar Quartet have carved out a reputation for curating utterly…

$40 – $50

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3 events, 14

3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

Now firmly established as one of Australia’s most prestigious singing events, the RMP Aria is Australia’s pre-eminent competition for oratorio soloists.…

$25 – $56
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

August 14 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s third concert of the year takes us through works by Benjamin Britten, Don Bank, and…

Free
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

Now firmly established as one of Australia’s most prestigious singing events, the RMP Aria is Australia’s pre-eminent competition for oratorio soloists.…

$25 – $56

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1 event, 20

2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

"Real and Right and True" - a celebration of the art song tradition of Australia and the United Kingdom. Lotte Betts-Dean,…

$10 – $35

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3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

The Friends of the Auburn Tower Inc presents Wanderlust, featuring Elyane Laussade, piano, and Luke Severn, bass baritone, in a musical…

$20 – $35
August 1
August 1 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

August 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

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August 3
August 3 @ 11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

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August 6
August 6 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

August 7
August 7 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

August 7 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

August 8
August 8 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

  • There are no events on this day.
August 11
August 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

August 14
August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

August 14 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 20
August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

September 4
September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

August 11
August 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

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  • There are no events on this day.
August 14
August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

August 14 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

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August 20
August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

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September 4
September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

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