Neave Trio Announces Future Programming
"'Neave' is actually a Gaelic name meaning 'bright' and 'radiant,' both of which certainly apply to this trio's music making." - WQXR
“The performances balance passion with sensitivity and grace," - BBC Music Magazine
For more information, contact Gina Meola:
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The Neave Trio is pleased to announce new concert programming for future seasons, offered for 2021-22 and beyond.
The group also remains strongly committed to making music during these challenging times, and can offer high-quality virtual livestreamed or pre-recorded performances with live Q&A sessions. In addition, the Neave is available to perform live concerts for socially distanced audiences in areas of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey throughout the 2020-2021 season.
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24 Hours
The Neave Trio seeks to create, with audience participation, the cycle of a full day, from the pre-dawn sounds of nature and the early morning sunrise to the “red moon” of the late evening.
Before the concert begins, a QR code will be distributed and each member of the audience is invited to scan this code on their electronic device. This enables the audience to access “morning sounds,” comprised of soundbites taken from nature, that will be cued to start playing before the house lights come up, as the Neave Trio is seated on stage and the hall is dark. As the house lights come up, the Trio begins to play, signifying the sunrise, as the audience ceases their “morning sounds.” Through the use of lighting and projected image/backdrop, various visual elements related to the stages of one day are on display during the remainder of the performance. Once the performance is complete, the house goes dark and the audience is, once again, encouraged to play their nature sounds, signifying the end of one day, and the beginning of a new cycle.
Jennifer Higdon: “Pale Yellow” from Piano Trio
Eric Nathan: Missing Words V
Elena Ruehr: Winter Night
Jennifer Higdon: “Fiery Red” from Piano Trio
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Rising
What does it mean to rise? This program, comprising timeless and timely repertoire paired with visual and audio prompts, seeks to answer the question in all its complexity. The program begins with a wide variety of definitions of what it means “to rise,” and then explores, through both the repertoire and multimedia sources, each definition one by one and asks the audience to consider how the specific definition might impact the way the musical performance is experienced.
To rise means to come into action. To rise means to become active in opposition or resistance. To rise means to prove oneself equal to a demand or emergency. And it means so much more. As the audience explores these evocative meanings, they are asked: How will you rise?
The Neave Trio is currently developing an additional presentation of Rising with dance.
Jonathan Bailey Holland: Trio
Alexandra Du Bois: L’apothéose d’un rêve (Apotheosis of a Dream)
Jennifer Higdon: Piano Trio
Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor
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Love Letters
This program pairs remarkable piano trios with timeless love letters written by some of history’s most iconic figures, from Beethoven and Nabokov to Oscar Wilde and Elizabeth Taylor. These letters, while all referring to romantic love, describe the various stages of a love story, from lust and elation, to longing and frustration, and even despair over a relationship’s end.
Love Letters features optional multimedia components. Between the performed works, the letters can be “written in real time,” as the words appear one by one as a projected image and are spoken by voice-over. These projections focus on key words, as other words from the letter disappear. These key words can be left on display during the musical performance as a focal point.
Rachmaninov: Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor
“Even in bed my ideas yearn towards you, my Immortal Beloved, here and there joyfully, then again sadly, awaiting from Fate, whether it will listen to us. I can only live, either altogether with you or not at all. What longing in tears for you — You — my Life — my All — farewell. Oh, go on loving me — never doubt the faithfullest heart of your beloved.”
- Ludwig van Beethoven
Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8
"Everyone is furious with me for going back to you, but they don't understand us. I feel that it is only with you that I can do anything at all. Do remake my ruined life for me, and then our friendship and love will have a different meaning to the world. I wish that when we met at Rouen we had not parted at all. There are such wide abysses now of space and land between us. But we love each other."
- Oscar Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglas
Amy Beach: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 150
“My tenderness, my happiness, what words can I write for you? How strange that although my life’s work is moving a pen over paper, I don’t know how to tell you how I love, how I desire you. Such agitation — and such divine peace: melting clouds immersed in sunshine — mounds of happiness. And I am floating with you, in you, aflame and melting — and a whole life with you is like the movement of clouds, their airy, quiet falls, their lightness and smoothness, and the heavenly variety of outline and tint — my inexplicable love.”
- Vladimir Nabokov to his wife, Vera Slonim
Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires for piano trio (arr. by José Bragato)
“I wish I could tell you of my love for you, of my fear, my delight, my pure animal pleasure of you — my jealousy, my pride, my anger at you, at times. Most of all my love for you, and whatever love you can dole out to me — I wish I could write about it but I can't. I can only 'boil and bubble' inside and hope you understand how I really feel.”
- Elizabeth Taylor to Richard Burton
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Watch the Neave Trio perform Piazzolla’s “Otoño Porteño" from The Four Season of Buenos Aires
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Masterworks
This program commemorates three master composers; Rachmaninov, Brahms, and Ravel. Rachmaninov was inspired to write Trio élégiaque No. 1 after hearing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A Minor, which was composed in memory of Tchaikovsky’s deceased friend Nicolai Rubinstein. Though Rachmaninov composed his trio when he was just 19 years old, it is completely characteristic of his compositional brilliance which would continue to develop in his adult life. Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1 was the first of the composer’s chamber works to be published. The work is notably grand in both scope and sound, often emulating an orchestral symphony within its organization and harmonic structure. Ravel composed his only piano trio after nearly six years of sketching and planning. But following the beginning of World War I in 1914, Ravel was motivated to quickly complete the work before enlisting in the French army. In a letter to Igor Stravinsky, he wrote, “The idea that I should be leaving at once made me get through five months’ work in five weeks! My Trio is finished.” Neave will record this masterful program on Chandos Records during the 2020-2021 season.
Rachmaninov: Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor
Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8
Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor
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Her Voice: Farrenc, Beach, Clarke, Higdon
The Neave Trio performs works by four distinguished female composers spanning the Romantic era through the modern day. Neave released a corresponding album to critical acclaim on Chandos Records in fall 2019. Gramophone asserts that the album is “a splendid introduction to these three pioneering female composers,” and praises the Clarke as “sumptuously recorded … a taut and vivid interpretation.” The Guardian describes the three compositions of the album as “distinctive and distinguished chamber works,” while The Strad writes of Beach’s Trio, “The dreamy cello melody of the opening Allegro - luxuriously played by Mikhail Veselov - blooms into tender interplay between the strings. Violinist Anna Williams echoes Veselov’s delicate touch, underpinned by eminently sensitive pianism from Eri Nakamura. It’s a finely etched and persuasive performance…”
Her Voice also features an optional visual element. Projection artist Ryan Brady has developed captivating projections that pairs the four musical works with the works of four women visual artists: Ellen Thesleff, Helen Frankenthaler, Lyubov Popova, and Alma Thomas.
Louise Farrenc: Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 33 LISTEN >
Amy Beach: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 150
Rebecca Clarke: Piano Trio
Jennifer Higdon: Piano Trio
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Collaboration
Honoring Astor Piazzolla with Carla Jablonski, mezzo soprano
The Neave Trio honors distinguished Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla in this program for piano trio and mezzo soprano, featuring Metropolitan Opera singer, Carla Jablonski. Works include Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, arrangements of five Piazzolla songs for piano trio and voice by Argentine arranger Leonardo Suarez Paz, a piece for piano trio and mezzo soprano composed by Paz, and classic Piazzolla works. Neave and Jablonski recorded a corresponding album, which was released on Azica Records in fall 2018. Of the album, Gramophone raved, “The harmonically sophisticated arrangements by Leonardo Suárez Paz (son of Fernando, violinist in Piazzolla’s second quintet) are superb.” Celebrating Piazzolla was included on The Arts Fuse’s list of the Best Classical Recordings of 2018.
Piazzolla: Five Songs for mezzo soprano and piano trio (arr. by Leonardo Suarez Paz)
Leonardo Suarez Paz: Milonga de Los Monsters for mezzo soprano and piano trio LISTEN >
Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires for piano trio (arr. by José Bragato)
Piazzolla: Libertango
Piazzolla: La Muerte Del Ángel (arr. by José Bragato)
Piazzolla: Tango Suite (arr. by Reiko Clement)
Piazzolla: Grand Tango (arr. by Reiko Clement)
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