Gryphon Piano Trio - Wooster Chamber Music Series

The mid-nineteenth century was a time in which many Germans (suchas Wagner) sought to set themselves apart from their musical ancestorsHaydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Brahms, however, famously embracedthe old traditions, but in a thoroughly individualist manner; the openingAllegro takes the Classical sonata form. Instead of constructing themovement out of a simple pair of contrasting themes (as the Classicalmasters did), Brahms instead presents the listener with a plethora ofthematic material, though all are linked through an intricate web ofmotivic ideas.For the second movement Brahms substitutes an Intermezzo markedAllegro ma non troppo in place of the expected Scherzo. The constructionof the Intermezzo closely resembles that of the Scherzo, however, with arepeated opening section interspersed with contrasting Trio material.Brahms’ use of muted violin against unmated viola and cello in thismovement is particularly inventive. The slow movement (Andante conmoto) is a thoroughly Romantic exploration of varying emotional affects,often juxtaposed in a surprising manner. Most striking is a march-likeinterior section.Brahms titled the closing movement Rondo alla Zingarese (Gypsy Rondo).Brahms’ intention was to celebrate the Hungarian folk music tradition asan homage to Hungarian violinists Eduard Reményi and Joseph Joachim(both long time friends of the composer), as the terms “Hungarian” and“Gypsy” were used interchangeably at this time. The music which servesas a basis for the movement, however, was actually a popularizedpseudo-Hungarian form that was common among touring Gypsy bands,so the title may indeed be more appropriate than originally intended.Regardless of his intent, the finale is most certainly among the mostpurely exciting moments in the basic chamber repertory. The fieryopening theme is contrasted with a number of equally energetic episodes,culminating in a piano cadenza in which all instruments eventuallyparticipate. The striking display piece even prompted Joachim toexclaim “How glad I shall be to hear the Scherzo, [Andante], and theFinale! In the latter, you have defeated me on my own territory!”Written by Brian BiddleThe Gryphon TrioJamie Parker, pianoAnnalee Patipatanakoon, violinRoman Borys, celloAssisted byScott St. John, violaVisiting Wooster for the fourth time, Annalee Patipatanakoon, RomanBorys, and Jamie Parker are considered one of North America's premierechamber ensembles. Since their founding in 1993, they have performedthroughout Europe and in the Middle East, as well as regularly touringCanada and the United States. The Trio draws its name from themythological Gryphon, half eagle and half lion, which symbolizes bothguardian of treasures and the connection between psychic energy andcosmic force. The name is fitting for a group that has thrilled thisaudience nearly breathless with each of its prior performances here.The Colorado Quartet has won international acclaim as one of the fineststring quartets, and has toured more than twenty countries on fourcontinents. They have performed numerous times at Carnegie Hall andLincoln Center in New York, as well as the Kennedy Center inWashington, D.C., and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. They regularly playthe complete Beethoven Quartets, and their recent performances inBerlin made them the first female quartet to have performed thecomplete Beethoven cycle in both North America and Europe. Theyperformed the complete Bartok String Quartets in Philadelphia, andtwenty Haydn Quartets at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York.Winners of both the Banff International String Quartet Competition andthe Naumburg Chamber Music Award, the Colorado members have alsoserved on the juries of several international competitions. The ColoradoQuartet is Quartet-in-Residence at Bard College. They teach privatelessons, give master classes throughout North America, and coachchamber ensembles. The Quartet members’ deep scholarly knowledge ofthe quartet literature not only informs their playing, but is also passedon to future players in the form of courses on the Literature of the StringQuartet at Bard College.Their most recent CD, "Canadian Premieres" (winner of a 2004 JunoAward), features specially commissioned works by contemporaryCanadian composers Kelly-Marie Murphy, Chan Ka-Nin, Christos Hatzis,and Gary Kulesha. It is a fascinating collection, well-worth repeatedlistening. Four other acclaimed recordings on the Analekta label includeworks by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Lalo, and Beethoven. Thegroup's CDs of the Haydn piano trios and the Dvorak and Mendelssohntrios received Juno nominations, and their Beethoven CD was recentlynamed best Canadian Chamber Music Recording by OPUS magazine.The Gryphon Trio are a truly versatile group, committed to the blendingof old and new repertoire, which enables them to reach new (andyounger) audiences. In addition to more traditional concertizing, they are