University of Virginia Library

Trio Excels In Concert

By Miles Tronic
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Last night's fifth in the Tuesday
Evening Concert Series was not
only excellent but full of surprises
for an only somewhat full house. A
bit late on stage, the three virtuoso
of the Marlboro Trio were out of
their musicians' habit. Instead of
the customary black tie, Mitchell
Andrews, Gerald Tarack, and
Charles McCracken appeared in
everyday coats and ties.

Pianist Mitchell Andrews came
forward to apologize for this
unconventional appearance and in
so doing explained that on their
way up here from Florida they had
lost some of their baggage in the
airport. Unfortunately, their formal
attire was not the only thing
missing, but the Trio's musical
scores for the concert were also not
to be found.

What was to be a concert of
Dvorak, Kirchner, and Beethoven
turned out to be an all-Beethoven
performance. And as Mr. Andrews
sarcastically remarked. "This does
seem to be the year for all-Beethoven
concerts," as if 1970, the
two-hundredth anniversary of
Beethoven's birthday were different
from any other year in respect to
all-Beethoven concerts.

The Trio began with an early
work of Beethoven's, a short trio of
one movement, the "Allegretto in
flat Major" which is very reminiscent
of the style of the Classical
master, Haydn. From the beginning
of the concert to the very end, the
Trio played with a feeling of
absolute sureness which was most
comfortable for the listener.

The second work of this altered
program was to have been the final
work of the original program. This
is the "Geister" or "Ghost Trio.
Opus 70. No. 1 in B." The first
movement marked "Allegro" is
quite swift and of contrasting
colors. The balance among the
players was excellent.

The second movement is the
source of the trio's nickname. Said
to be one of the slowest slow
movement ever written, this "Largo"
is certainly ghostly, yet the
feeling is not as supernatural as one
might expect. The listener almost
gets the feeling of the tragic; the
emotion here is very human. The
movement is given some motion by
clusters of sixteenth notes and
subtle changes between major and
minor keys. Violinist. Gerald Tarack
proved to be most outstanding
in his execution of this movement.

The final "Presto" was indeed a
chance for all three performers to
show off their virtuosity a bit.
Pianist Andrews played rather heavily
but without intruding on the
strings, so as to give the other two
players a solid support, quite
necessary especially in Beethoven in
which all parts are of equal
importance.

After a brief intermission, the
audience again assembled to hear
the third and final work of the
performance, the "Trio. No. 6 in B
flat >Major, Opus 97. The Archduke,"
which, as Mr. Andrews so
aptly said to the audience before
the Marlboro's performance of it,
"is one of Beethoven's greatest
chamber works and perhaps one of
the greatest contributions to all
chamber works."

The third movement is a theme
and variations. It is quite slow and
some of the variations could be said
to be of a very romantic style. With
a slight change in key, this movement
leads directly into the fourth
and concluding movement in which
the theme, a light and playful one.

This surprise program proved a
most excellent listening experience
especially for all the Beethoven
lovers in the audience. Mr.
Andrews, piano, Mr. Tarrack, violin,
and Mr. McCracken, cello, all
proved themselves musicians of the
highest degree. The Trio's informal
dress and Mr. Andrews' preliminary
addresses to the audience made for
a refreshing change from the
polished formality concert-goers are
accustomed to.