My first real chamber music

Johannes Brahms, composer; Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major; Charles Ives, composer; Piano Trio; Trio Fontenay

During my first year at CCM (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music), I joined a violinist and a cellist, D. and W., for a romp through W.A. Mozart’s Piano Trio in G, K.564. Jack Kirstein, cellist in the La Salle Quartet, quartet-in-residence at CCM, served as our coach. I had hoped to play something big like a Rachmaninoff piano trio or the Ravel piano trio. Mr. Kirstein asked me, “How much chamber music have you played, young man”. None. “None?” Sorry. “Oy gevalt! Rachmaninoff? Ravel? They’ll eat you alive. Let’s set you guys up with something a little less dangerous.”

Mozart certainly did the trick. D., W. and I loved our rehearsals and our coachings with Mr. Kirstein. He taught us how to listen to each other and helped us create our own distinct style by corralling the very best of what each of us could contribute to the ensemble.

I found this recording of Brahms’ Piano Trio No. in B Major in a bargain bin at a huge CD shop in Amsterdam. Oddly enough, I bought it for the Charles Ives piano trio, remembering from Music Literature V the brilliance and humor that Mr. Ives brings to the ears of his audience. But the infectious pomp and regal pageantry of the first movement of Herr Brahms’ trio attains a higher status of popularity on my iPod.

The first time we left Mr. Kirstein’s office, D. looked at me and whispered, “Watch this.” She flashed a grin at seventy-year-old Mr. Kirstein and said, “Hang loose, man”. And, without missing a beat, he smiled at her and said, “Catch you on the flip side, baby.”

Credits: To Mr. Charles Ives, for matchless and peerless musical ingenuity. You stretch our ears, sir.