Musica Viva: Eggner Trio
There is a special connectedness that lights up the stage when the Eggner brothers perform. The almost telepathic power of any good chamber ensemble is, with them, magically enhanced by lifelong familiarity. Christoph, Georg and Florian Eggner make a welcome return to some of their favourite concert halls, sharing their joy in music full of warmth and passion.
Their programs draw listeners into the emotional intensity of the 19th century, seen through the lens of Johannes Brahms and his friends Robert and Clara Schumann. The melodiousness and technical assurance of Clara’s Trio was praised by Mendelssohn – and may have inspired her husband Robert to try his hand at the same extended form. His third Trio was admired by Clara as “unique, and full of passion”. Brahms’ youthful Trio op 8 was quickly taken up by both amateur and professional performers drawn to its nobility (and gorgeous tunes) and no doubt was well-known to Dvorák, whose irresistible ‘Dumky’ is a perfect fit for the Eggners.
Music from wartime Melbourne by Dulcie Holland, created in 1944 when war had cut short her London studies, offers a fascinating musical and societal contrast and parallel. Her extensive career as an award-winning composer is sometimes overshadowed by her educational work – but this Trio is rightly described as a gem of Australian music, crammed with inventiveness, and richly satisfying.
Who: Musica Viva Presents Eggner Trio
Where: City Recital Hall Angel Place
When: 7pm Monday 9 November & 2pm Saturday 14 November