Strelitzia Ensemble - Lighthouse

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn |Piano Trio No. 45, XV 29 in E Flat major

Alicia Grant | Lighthouse for Piano Trio

Dmitri Shostakovich | Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, Op. 8

Robert Schumann | Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor, Op. 110

"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts -- such is the duty of the artist."
Robert Schumann

Haydn was an absolute beacon of Piano Trio writing, being, as he was, one of its pioneering exponents. His Piano Trio No. 45 in E Flat major was the last that he wrote, and shows him at the peak of his powers, full of humour, light, and wit. Shostakovich's Piano Trio No. 1 was one of his fledgling works, composed when he was just 17 and had recently met his first love, Tatyana Glivenko. This work is a clear interplay between dark and light, with glimpses of Shostakovich's well known grotesque style set against unmistakably romantic moments that show the influence of Rachmaninov on the young composer. In his Piano Trio in G minor, Schumann fulfills what he described as the duty of the artist - while there is darkness, romantic drama and storminess in the opening movement, Schumann ends the work in the full daylight with an infectiously boisterous Finale, marked 'energetic and with humour'. We are also excited to be performing Lighthouse by Sydney composer Alicia Grant, composed earlier this year.

Performers

Lucy Warren | Violin
Eleanor Betts | Cello
Jeremy Eskenazi | Piano