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This concert is presented with the generous sponsorship of Mr Peter Maskell.
In April 1797, the London firm of Longman & Broderip published a set of 'Three Sonatas for the Pianoforte, with an accompaniment for the Violin & Cello. Composed and Dedicated to Mrs. Bartolozzi, by Joseph Haydn'. Haydn wrote no fewer than 28 Piano Trios between 1785 and 1796, and the three trios, which appeared in 1797, undoubtedly make a fitting culmination to the long series of works in this form. All three are virtuoso performances conceived on a grand scale, in which Haydn – probably prompted somewhat by the pianistic talents of Theresa Jansen-Bartolozzi – gave full rein to his astonishingly fertile inventiveness. The most brilliant of the three Trios is the one in C major. Its opening movement shows Haydn revelling in such pianistic effects as rapid crossed-hands leaps and octaves. Nevertheless this is far from being a mere display piece as, from a very early stage, we find highly expressive chromatic inflections contained in the main theme itself. The slow movement sets off in the nature of a gentle siciliano and the piece concludes with a sparkling Finale.
Dvorak's 'Dumky' Trio, the last and most popular of his works for Piano Trio, is paradoxically not a trio at all in the formal, classical sense, but simply a series of six dumkas or six miniature movements. The movements have strongly contrasting sections in which the mood is melancholic. The work portrays an astonishing variety of feeling, ranging from gravity to a determined gaiety and the purely musical effects lie mainly in the regular alternation of slow with fast dance-like sections. The 'Dumkas' Piano Trio was begun late in 1890 and completed in February 1891. The first performance of this work took place on April 11th 1891 at an evening held by the Mestanska Besesda (a municipal cultural society) in Prague, in celebration of the conferring of an honorary degree on the composer by the Charles University. Dvorak himself played the piano part, Ferdinand Lachner and Hanus Wihan taking the violin and cello parts respectively.
The 'Dumkas' were published in 1894 by Simrock, Berlin.
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| For a full listing of this seasons concerts, please select the 2025-2026 Season menu item or click here. |
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| The Midland Chambers Players Society is a Registered Charity: HT/500193/R
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