(The Age)

Seraphim Trio Review

(Articles & Program Notes)
Published – 17.11.2019
(Writing)

Seraphim Trio and Martin Alexander ★★★★½
Melbourne Recital Centre, November 7


There’s something exceptionally special about watching a skilled emerging artist join forces with an ensemble of established performers.

ANAM Artists, the platform that supports the graduates of the Australian National Academy of Music, has struck gold in this collaboration between Seraphim Trio and Martin Alexander.

The trio first collaborated at the Academy two decades ago as students. Joining here with Alexander, whose career has taken off since his 2016 graduation, this performance showed plainly ANAM’s ability to consistently produce world-class musicians.

The two contrasting works the ensemble is performing across Australia over the coming weeks – Mozart’s characterful Piano Quartet in G minor and Dvorak’s impulsive Piano Quartet in E flat major – show off not only the musicians’ expertise but the best of the quartet repertoire.

The two works, while contrasting emotionally, both invite their performers to act as chamber group and orchestra – a skill that requires empathy and fearlessness from each member.

Mozart’s quartet, in turn dramatic and playful, requires virtuosity from each of them. There are moments of dialogue and then turbulence, followed quickly by decorative passagework. It is a difficult piece (when published it was unpopular in the amateur market, as people couldn’t get their fingers around it!) but this fine group makes it look easy.

Similarly, Dvorak’s E flat is a study in complexity and invention: what Mozart began, deepens here. Dvorak’s writing is intensely emotional and captures you wholly as it winds between brusque and lyrical.

The Seraphims and their excellent fourth addition, Alexander, know every twist and turn and present it as freshly as if it were just written. Nothing quite matches the balm that is outstanding chamber music, and this was truly outstanding.

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