ANDRÉE: Trio No. 2 in G min. ALEOTTI: Io v’amo vita mia. STROZZI: Che si può fare? MENDELSSOHN-HENSEL: Trio in D min. PARADIS: Erinnerung ans Schicksal. AUERBACH: Postscriptum. L. BOULANGER: Clairières dans le ciel. KEYS: Fallin’. BARBARA: Göttingen / Boulanger Trio: Karla Haltenwangler, pno; Birgit Erz, vln; Ilona Kindt, cel / Berlin Classics 0303298BC
The Boulanger Trio is a group of female German musicians using the name of a famous French woman composer whose specialty is playing music written by women from all eras. On this album, in addition to legitimate classical composers, they also include pieces by R&B star Alicia Keys and a French chanson who was only known as Barbara, neither of whom I had ever heard or heard of before. (I pay zero attention to pop culture. No. I’m not a snob. But it is my prerogative. to do so. For that matter, I’ve never heard of Vittoria Aleotti or Maria Theresia Paradis, either.)
First up on this program is a piano trio by Swedish organist-composer Elfrida Andrée (1841-1929), a pupil of Ludvig Norman and Niels Gade who was also a passionate advocate for public music education through concerts. The music presented here is clearly well-constructed, following the prescribed patterns of her time, with good themes and development. The Boulanger Trio is clearly a passionate advocate of this music; they rip into it with all the fervor as if they were playing a trio by Schumann or Brahms. It’s very similar to the work of the latter but not quite as imaginative as the former. I found it to be just a bit less interesting as the chamber music of Emilie Mayer, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. To her credit, Andrée avoided any moments of pathos or bathos, not to mention writing themes that sounded strong and masculine, not the stereotypical “ladylike” music that so many others (including Clara Schumann) were encouraged to write.
And I must certainly take a moment to praise the Boulanger Trio for their musical style: full-bodied, bright in timbre and so energetic that the first movement practically leaps at your throat. Birgit Erz has a violin tone that is bright, with a good cut up top, rather than the usual “thick” German violin sound—and she plays with a light, fast vibrato, not straight tone, which is historically correct. Pianist Karla Haltenwangler, who lists herself first among the trio members rather than in the more traditional last place, also has an energetic, almost wild keyboard approach in the fast movements that sounds more like a Russian or an Italian pianist (and even in the slow second movement, her playing has life and variety in her use of dynamics). Cellist Ilona Kindt has more of a lean than a full sound, and although I prefer a richer timbre I admit that her approach works well in context.
The second movement of the Andrée trio is probably the weakest. The music is not entirely sweet and pleasant—there are clearly some interesting moments here—but after that fabulous first movement, it seemed to be a bit of a let-down to me. The third movement has a strong rhythm and plenty of energy, and the development section has several surprises in terms of key changes.
Vittoria Aleotti, as it turns out, is really an old-timey composer, having lived from 1575-1646. Like Barbara Strozzi, Aleotti was fortunate enough to have studied music with good teachers. in her case because her father was a well-known architect who provided his five(!) daughters with good musical education. Vittoria, it seems, decided to take holy orders and become a nun in a convent—but not just any convent. The one she entered at San Vito was known for its extraordinarily high musical standards. Her one piece here is typical of 17th century music not written by Monteverdi, which means that it goes in one ear and out the other. Next up is Barbara Strozzi herself, represented by her Che si può fare? It’s a slow waltz and not one of her better pieces, but since she was primarily a song composer it does have a nice melody. Fortunately, we are saved by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, a truly gifted composer. Her Op. 11 Piano Trio is one of her most famous compositions, and the Boulanger Trio does a fine job on it.
Maria Paradis was an 18th century composer who was blind from birth. Her one piece given here, Erinnerung ans Schicksal, is a pleasant tune in 3/4 time that’s nothing to write home about, but Lera Auerbach’s Postscriptum is a fascinating piece. In it, she morphs from a 19th century sensibility—a melancholy tune in the minor—to the same piece with altered, even bizarre harmony, which makes the piece sound as if it’s “melting.”
Finally, we are given music written by the trio’s namesake, Lili Boulanger. These are three instrumental versions of songs from her cycle Clairières dans le ciel. Although they don’t sound quite as “full” when transcribed for piano trio, they are still very good examples of music from the French impressionist school, even to the point of containing Debussy-like chords. This is followed by the two pieces of pop music ephemera by Alicia Keys and Barbara, but at least the music is attractive to the ear although it doesn’t say much., and the trio’s arrangement of Fallin’ is very clever.
A mixed bag, then, and no, it’s not so much because I’m “afraid” of women composers—I’ve been championing them for at leas the past 30 years—but because not all of the examples chosen are of a high quality, and I always apply the same criteria by which I judge male composers to female composers.
—© 2024 Lynn René Bayley
Follow me on Facebook (as Monique Musique)
Check out the books on my blog…they’re worth reading, trust me!