Trio Pantoum: A remarkable form and formation

A Pantoum is a Malay poetic form and also the title of the second movement of Ravel’s Trio. In homage to this, these three exceptional musicians; Hugo Meder, Bo-Geun Park and Kojiro Okada, have named their own ensemble. This concert will see them presenting two works of Brahms: his Piano Trio No.1, Op.8 and String Sextet No.2, Op.36.?

Originally completed in 1854, at the age of 21 years, Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 8 is the only work of Brahms to exist today in two published versions. Thirty-six years later, Brahms returned to the work during the summer of 1889 with the intention of trimming its “youthful excesses”. However, he did not formally withdraw the original version from the publishers’:

“With regard to the refurbished trio, I want to add expressly that while it’s true that the old version is bad, I do not claim that the new version is good! What you do now with the old one, whether you melt it down or print it anew, is quite seriously all the same to me.”

It is the revised version that will be performed, but fear not: the sublime lyric melody of the piano that opens the first movement was not tampered with. Brahms also kept the unpredictable spirit of youth demonstrated by the minor-key finale (to a major-key work) in the fourth movement. The main theme in this finale has a Hungarian flair, enticing the audience like Brahms’ was throughout his life.?

The String Sextet No. 2, Op. 36 is equally no stranger to this Magyar vitality, with a second movement that recalls the same spirit. Written between 1864 to 1865, this piece is scored for two violins, two violas, and two celli. It is to be played by Anna Agafia Egholm, Miguel da Silva, Karolina Errera, and Ari Evan, along with Hugo Meder and Bo-Geun Park.?

Critics were initially sceptical towards this work but it received much praise for its motivic development and colourful soundscapes from Brahms’ friends. Part of this motivic development was prompted by tumultuous romantic developments in the life of Brahms. His passionate relationship with Agathe von Siebold spurred him to immortalise her name by musically spelling it in this work. In German notation, B-natural is H, so the sequence A-G-A-B-E, which appears in the first movement, was developed.?While he may be one letter short, his sophisticated contrapuntal and melodic writing fills in the gap.?

You can watch this upcoming live-streamed concert at 20:00 CET on Wednesday 24 April on LinkedIn or via www.classeek.com . We hope you join us and enjoy the show!

Programme notes by Malika Jumbe