Three captivating musicians, two fascinating piano trios and a Stradivarius from 1762
Haydn's Piano Trio, which the composer dedicated to his girlfriend Rebecca Schroeter, began with tender, tender sounds and ended brilliantly, stormily in love with echoes of Hungarian folk music.
Smetana's piano trio began tenderly mournful, offered playful moments and lamented the death of his 4-year-old daughter, sad and emotionally appealing, similar to a funeral march.
In conversation with presenter Andreas Müller-Crepon, who enriched the evening with exciting background information about the music, the musicians' fire and enthusiasm for their work was palpable. In passing, they explained that they were performing Smetana's piano trio in front of an audience for the first time that evening - a successful premiere.
Violinist Daniel Meller presented his 261-year-old Stradivarius with its wonderful sound, which was entrusted to him on loan around two months ago, and he revealed that he was still in the process of familiarizing himself with the instrument.
The encore that followed was performed by the artists with equal vigor and fire: a musical treat. (Text and picture: Susanne Grüner)