Piano Trio. Aavik-Štšura-Leivategija

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Description

Hans Christian Aavik (violin)
Indrek Leivategija (cello)
Maksim Štšura (piano)

Programme:
Ravel. Piano Trio in A minor M.67
Schubert. Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat major D929

Three of Estonia’s leading musicians take the stage, united by a deep affinity for the music of Schubert. "This work is dedicated to none but those who find joy in it," Franz Schubert wrote to his publisher Heinrich Probst on 1 August 1828. His question regarding a dedication was natural for the time, as dedicating a piece to an influential figure could provide a composer with financial benefits and wider recognition. However, Schubert’s somewhat enigmatic reply points less to Romantic mystery and more to the emerging concert culture of 1820s Vienna.

The theme of the second movement is drawn from a genre central to Schubert’s output—the chamber song. On this occasion, he did not use his own melody but rather a Swedish folk song, "Se solen sjunker" (The sun is setting), which he heard performed by tenor Isak Berg in the salon of the Fröhlich sisters. This nostalgic music has also found a place on screen; director Stanley Kubrick used it in his 1973 film "Barry Lyndon" to depict the protagonist's moral decline in 18th-century England.

The programme places these two masterpieces side by side, allowing the audience to trace the evolution of the piano trio throughout the 19th century—from the aftermath of the French Revolution to the eve of the Great War. Schubert’s lyricism and Ravel’s dance-like energy meet as two distinct yet equally intense expressions of the Romantic spirit.

Duration: appr. 2 h (with intermission)

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