Review: Sensitive to nuance; sure of its ground at every turn

The Eggner Trio - Austrian musicians Christoph (piano), Florian (cello) and Georg (violin) Eggner - formed in 1997. The Eggners appear as winners on a long list of international awards both individually and collectively.

The Eggner Trio
Glenroy Auditorium
Friday, March 18 


Currently this trio is enjoying great success on the international chamber music scene, and its performance in the Glenroy on Friday night was certainly a demonstration of chamber music at its height of virtuosity.

The recital began with The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, by Piazzolla, brimming with syncopated rhythms and colours of the tango, reflecting the character of the composer's Argentina birthplace.

The work appears in a variety of instrumental combinations, with this trio arrangement by Jose Bragato. Otono Porteno (Autumn) opens the suite and contained for me the highlight of the evening - a thematic cello passage delivered with unbelievable emotion and rich velvet tone.

The year unfolded, through Winter, Invierno, Spring, Primavera Portena and Summer, Verano Porteno, with interpretation matching seasonal colours through sections of extravagant outbursts and contrasting intense lyricism.

Tales of Old Russia, by Ian Munro, one of Australia's distinguished contemporary musicians, was inspired by a collection of Russian folk tales. Subtle Russian and Eastern European stylistic moments and inspired themes abound in this exciting three-movement work. Death and the Soldier with its percussion interlude was particularly explicit.

Saint-Saens' Piano Trio No 2 in E minor Opus 92 is a virtuosic work of great magnitude and was totally captivating. Eggner Trio's performing style is musically and visually riveting, as entrenched in each work, it captures its audience with indestructible rapport, from positive dynamic onsets through to finales defined with meticulous precision and flamboyancy.

The performance opened the Eggner Trio New Zealand season for Chamber Music New Zealand.

- Elizabeth Bouman.

Add a Comment