MUSICAL INTERLUDES
The ARTrio
Library @ Esplanade
Wednesday (31 May 2023)
Talented young musicians abound here where the number of would-be virtuosos will soon become a dime a dozen. It is, however, always refreshing to see youngsters coming to make chamber music together. Where musical rivalries can easily form, it takes something special for talents to pool efforts and expertise in order to collaborate. The newly formed ARTtrio, comprising violinist Jacob Cheng (15 years old), cellist Timothy Chua (13) and pianist Asher Seow (14), made its debut as a piano trio in a chamber concert showcasing both individual and collective talents.
The 45-minute recital opened with Timothy performing two movements from J.S.Bach’s unaccompanied Cello Suite No.4 in E flat major. One is first struck by the seriousness in which he approached the Allemande and Courante. He did not strive for a big sonorous tone, instead went for lightness and accuracy of intonation, something more in the spirit of the period instrument movement. The result was both fresh and satisfying.
Next came Asher in Robert Schumann’s extremely tricky Abegg Variations (Op.1), an early work over-flowing with filigreed passages typical of early Romantic piano writing. On the technical front, he came off very well, confidently skipping through all sorts of harrowing hoops while maintaining a steady rhythmic keel. Finding poetry amid the machinations will be his calling as he grows with this work.
Arguably the veteran of the threesome was Jacob, who performed the finale of Mendelssohn’s popular Violin Concerto in E minor with Cherie Khor as piano accompanist. Its fairy-winged lightness and playfulness found a joyous fulfilment in Jacob’s interpretation, which was a spirited romp from start to end. Now this makes one yearn to hear him in the full concerto, and that will happen in time to come.
Both Jacob and Timothy came together for the well-known Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia, a showpiece formed by a tight series of short variations. That the duo got all the notes was a given. More importantly, one senses that both players are actually listening to each other and responding in kind. Subtle cues and nuances were picked up on the spur of the moment and then assimilated into the performance. This is the true essence of chamber music.
All three players were united in Beethoven’s early Piano Trio in B flat major Op.11, also called the Gassenhauer (a nickname alluding to something sung on the streets or gasse) because of its finale’s eminently hummable melody. Serious intent was established in the opening movement, stamping the unison passages with some authority before going on their separate paths. It is clear that effort was made to come together, with each member sublimating their solo parts to become part of a whole.
The slow movement had a lyrical quality well exploited by both string players, attentively accompanied by piano, while the finale’s infectiously tuneful variations (based on the song Pria ch’io l’impegno by one Joseph Weigl) captured a joie de vivre that is all too rare among young people these days. Sometimes it is a serious business to have fun. Despite their youth and relative inexperience, this first effort by the ARTrio was a very promising one, and one looks forward to more music-making of this kind from Jacob, Timothy and Asher.
This concert also marks a closing chapter for Library @ Esplanade, which has been a mecca for all things artistic since 2002 when Esplanade first opened its doors. I have many fond memories of this space, having given pre-concert talks, hosted interviews and recitals, and even occasionally performed on its Cristofori grand piano. A legacy of sorts has come to an end, but the good vibes remain.
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| The ARTrio with their younger colleagues, violinists YooJun Curtis Lee and Yuto Lim. |
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