3Bs (-1)

Bach, Beethoven and Brahms are the 3Bs but this concert concentrated on the last two, sandwiching the C19th and the developments of modern statehood and universal democracy.  (I wonder how they might record our times).  The two slices of the sandwich were the two imported chamber groups, Trio Karénine from France and Dudok Quartet Amsterdam (with friend and guest Florian for viola no.2) who played Beethoven Archduke piano trio and Brahms Prater string quintet.  The difference was immense and informative: Beethoven all order with passion and Brahms was much more malleable.  Some, too, is in the performers and their approaches and maybe especially the piano, which imparts the percussive edge and complex harmonies to the music which is very different from the mellifluous and hugely emotional tones of a strings-only quintet.  Whatever, it was a pleasure to hear the two and a somewhat unexpected joy in our new Snow Concert Hall. Maybe the big Steinway helped!

Trio Karénine performed the Beethoven Piano Trio no.7 Bb maj op. 97 “Archduke”.  TK comprise Paloma Kouider (piano), Julien Dieudegard (violin) and Louis Rodde (cello).  and Dudok Quartet Amsterdam comprise Judith Van Driel and Marleen Wester (violins), Marie-Louise de Jong (viola) and David Faber (cello) and Florian Peelman (viola) joined them to perform Brahms String Quintet no.2 Gmaj op. 111 ‘Prater’.  They performed in the Snow Concert Hall for the Canberra International Music Festival.