En Couleur: Saint-Saens, Ravel, Tailleferre, Debussy, Milhaud; Trio Colores (Fabian Ziegler, Luca Staffelbach and Matthias Kessper); Solo Musica
Reviewed 7 October 2024
Sensitivity of contact and an ear for timbre and color deliver a way of timbral magical to those reinventions of French music for a bunch taking part in marimbas, vibraphones and glockenspiels
The artwork of a very good transcription is to reinvent the unique in a manner which stays true however exploits all of the traits of the brand new style. Generally this may be radical and generally fairly discreet; taking part in a lot of Bach’s keyboard music on the piano requires solely minor adjustment whereas Busoni’s piano transcription of the Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2 has a major quantity of Busoni added to the Bach. How may it not, as the unique was for a single instrumental line with concord simply touched in.
On this new disc, En Couleur on Solo Musica from Trio Colores (Fabian Ziegler, Luca Staffelbach and Matthias Kessper, mallett percussion) now we have Saint-Saens’ Danse Macbre, Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, Germainne Tailleferre’s Toccata, Debussy’s Petite Suite and Daius Milhaud’s Scaramouche transcribed for a trio taking part in two marimbas, three vibraphones and two glockenspeils. That is the debut CD of a trio based at Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (Zurich College of the Arts) by three Swiss and Austrian musicians.
They start with Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre which appears predestined for efficiency on mallet-played percussion, however the trio confounds expectations with a gap that shimmers splendidly earlier than we get the acquainted tune, and sure we are able to think about skeletons clicking however past this, the group’s sense of color is totally magical.
After we transfer on to Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin (transcribing all six actions of the piano authentic) what we admire is the best way the trio acts as one single large complete. The Prelude shimmers because the three dazzle with the quick notes, while the Fugue has a way of timbre that makes it somewhat otherworldly (this was one of many actions Ravel didn’t transcribe for orchestra). Forlane combines color with a pleasant swing to it, while Rigaudon makes essentially the most of these mallets in a finely rhythmic account of the motion. Menuet is delicate, while Toccata provides vent to all these mallet percussion alternatives. Color and timbre are to the fore in these magical transcriptions, we transfer additional away from Ravel’s 18th century inspirations, however the trio take full benefit of their devices’ potentialities.
Subsequent comes a brief Toccata by Germaine Tailleferre, a bon-bouche that’s virtually gamlan-like in its environment. That is adopted by Debussy’s Petite Suite, initially written for piano 4 fingers. En Bateau is delicate and somewhat authentic in its fantastic sound world, the piano is a great distance away, however the music is a beautiful evocation of Debussy’s authentic. Cortege and Menuet are equally delicate and light-weight, the gamers revelling in excessive, clear timbres and an actual lightness of contact, creating an airyness that will be the envy of many pianists. The ultimate Ballet introduces a properly perky method to rhythm.
Lastly comes Milhaud’s Scaramouche, a 3 motion written for piano duet in 1937. Vif is simply that, quick, vivid and stuffed with jangly sounds, enchanting. Then Modere slows issues down however retains us being enchanted with its haunting melody, and at last the perfect identified motion, Brazileira the place all of the rhythmic impetus implied by the Brazilian origins of the piece come out.
It is a utterly magical disc. The trio discover the surprise within the
colors and timbres of an enormous vary of sounds, and every motion of every
work isn’t solely enchanting however takes us on a journey into completely different
elements of the composers’ originals.
Based in 2017, the group
clearly is one to look at. They’ve commissioned a triple concerto from
Avner Dorman which they are going to premiere in January 2025 with Staatstheater
Braunschweig.
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| Trio Colores (Picture: Clara Evens) |
Camille Saint-Saens – Danse Macabre
Maurice Ravel – Le Tombeau de Couperin
Germaine Tailleferre – Toccata
Claude Debussy – Petite Suite
Darius Milhaud – Scaramouche
Trio Colores (Fabian Ziegler, Luca Staffelbach, Matthias Kessler, mallet percussion)
Recorded 18-21 April and 14-17 August 2023, Angelika Kauffmann Saal, Schwarzenberg
SOLO MUSICA SM 467 1CD [61:37]
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