Program - Lyrebird Trio

Lyrebird Trio Friday 5 August

After an almost three year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Lyrebird Trio reunites to present this exciting program of masterworks.

Beethoven’s brooding yet lyrical C minor Piano Trio is one of his earliest and most popular works. With its violent eruptions contrasted with yearning pathos, this is a work that contains the full range of human emotions. Brisbane-based UkrainianAustralian composer Cathy Likhuta uses her piece “Tangle and Tear” to explore the juxtaposition between these opposing forces in everyday life, and represents any situation which might get out of control.

Completed in the last year of his life, Schubert’s first Piano Trio is a work of surprising beauty, rich in colour, texture and lyricism. Playful dialogue between the instruments and gorgeous melodies make this a masterpiece of the early romantic period.

BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van - Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 1, No. 3 I. Allegro con brio II. Andante cantabile con Variazioni III. Minuetto. Quasi allegro IV. Finale. Prestissimo Beethoven's decision to publish three piano trios as his Op. 1- his calling card to the world - was a mark of his coming of age in his own eyes, but little is known about when he began writing them or when he finished them. When all three trios were played at Count Lichnowsky's palace, probably in 1793, Haydn praised them but advised Beethoven to hold off publishing the third one, which was the boldest (and most Beethovenian) of the set. Haydn thought that including it in Beethoven's first publication would be a bad career move, because it would be hard to understand and be badly received; Beethoven, who thought the third trio the best of the set, didn't want to hear Haydn's reasons, and ascribed his advice to jealousy or ill will. In fact, Haydn was predicting exactly what Beethoven would be hearing from critics for the rest of his life. But the trios, published in 1795, were a hit with the buying public: the next year, in advertising Beethoven's Op. 2 piano sonatas, the publisher mentioned the public's approval of Op. 1.

If the modernity or difficulty of the C-minor Trio was a problem for some, it must have been a revelation for others. Here was a new, important, and bold musical voice, with powerful things to say. From the

very outset, it sets foot into the turbulent world that Beethoven would later explore in such works as the "Pathétique" Sonata and the Fifth Symphony. Seven notes into the first movement, the first theme suddenly moves up a half-tone. Shifts of a semitone introduce instability and tension, and often make for music that is impassioned and embattled. And while Beethoven does not use the device as memorably here as he would ten years later in the "Appassionata" Sonata, he does use it insistently in a movement of great urgency and power.

There is nothing urgent, or powerful, for that matter, in the second movement, a simple theme with five variations, or the following Minuet, both of which are marked by elegance and wit.

The furious, driving Finale returns to the intense mood of the first movement. Just as it seems to have settled finally into the home key of C minor in preparation for a big finish, it modulates down to B minor, in context the unlikeliest of keys and perhaps the biggest surprise of the whole Trio. Beethoven was fond of just-before-we-get-home detours (the sort of thing that critics found "strained and recherché"), probably because he had so much fun getting back on track. It is not the Trio's last surprise: the end itself is not what any listener is likely to expect. © Howard Posner

LIKHUTA, Cathy - Tangle and Tear, for Piano Trio (8’) Tangle and Tear (2018) was originally written as a trio for violin, bass clarinet and piano, commissioned

by Plexus, and later adapted for horn trio (for Peter Luff) and for piano trio (for Liam Viney). Inspired by the amazing musicians of Plexus and everything they do for Australian music, I wanted to use the concept behind the name Plexus as the base for the piece. One of the meanings of this word is “an intertwining combination of parts or elements in a structure or system [from Latin plectere–to braid]”.

As I was looking into this definition, the word tangle kept coming to mind. Then, as I enjoy juxtaposing musical ideas and characters behind them, I thought of the opposite of “tangle”– “tear”. The concept of tangle and tear grasped me immediately, and my brain kept coming up with various ways in which this concept applies to our everyday lives. For me, it represents any situation that gets out of hand and cannot be untangled or resolved in a destruction-free way. It can be something lighthearted, like having to cut blue tack out of your pre-schooler’s hair (don’t ask me how I know this...); something devastating from within, like life-threatening addictions; finally, something dramatic and terrifying, like the only possible way out of an unhealthy and violent relationship. This last one kept churning in my head, influencing several sections of the piece, perhaps due to our country’s out-of-control situation with domestic violence... The concept is also intentionally reflected in the form of the piece: unpredictable, with some sections taking a long time to tangle and some built around the struggle of tearing something irreparable apart. Musically, the entire piece is built on the opening’s emotional four-bar motif from the piano part. © Cathy Likhuta

SCHUBERT, Franz - Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat Major, D. 898 I. Allegro moderato II. Andante un poco mosso III. Scherzo. Allegro IV. Rondo. Allegro vivace Over the course of Schubert’s lifetime, the piano trio genre went through something of an extreme makeover. Evolving from what was essentially an accompanied keyboard sonata, each of the trio’s instruments would see an increase in independence, with the cello in particular moving from a role of support to feature more equitably in the ensemble. Beethoven’s widely acclaimed last trios (including the grand ‘Archduke’ of 1811) helped transform the trio genre. Schubert’s two trios, appearing some 16 years after the ‘Archduke’, confirmed Beethoven’s model with its large-scale, robust offerings, and assisted the trio to emerge from the shadows of the string quartet.

Although the precise composition date of Schubert’s first trio is subject to conjecture, it is believed that Schubert worked on the score between October and November, 1827. In what was to be his final twelve months, suffering badly from the chronic illnesses that would eventually claim him at the age of 31, he pushed himself to produce what he termed ‘more substantial’ works. The result was a rather imposing set of masterpieces. In addition to his two trios, this was the time of his “Great” C major Symphony, the F minor Fantasie for piano duet, the Cello Quintet, the three last Piano Sonatas; and perhaps most stunningly, the song-cycle Winterreise.

Many of these late works are filled with a sorrow and a pervading sense of melancholy: even his closest friends were shocked by the sustained sense of gloom in Winterreise. But his first piano trio, though composed concurrently with the song-cycle, imparts little of the weariness or sense of the inevitable, nor of the parallel torment that he was facing in his own life. Indeed, when Robert Schumann heard the trio, he declared, "One glance at it and the troubles of our human existence disappear and the whole world is fresh and bright again”.

The trio opens in the cheerful key of B-flat major – the same key and using the same five initial notes of Beethoven’s ‘Archduke’. Giving the movement a distinctive swagger of self-confidence, there is much rhythmic interplay between the strings – unified in rising melody – and the striding, dotted figures in the left-hand piano part.

From this exuberance and optimism, Schubert presents the Andante movement as he does in many of his songs: the piano’s accompaniment gently sets itself in the background, and the cello sings its expressive theme, relishing its time in the upper register. In this movement, it is these beautiful melodies that take precedence. The theme is passed between each of the instruments, as if all three players are engaged in eloquent dialogue. The composer chooses not to develop the tunes in any major way, instead, subtly changing their presentation by way of fine nuances of expression, harmony and colour. It appears Schubert originally intended a different second movement, posthumously published as the Notturno, D897, but later changed his mind and composed the present movement in its place.

Whereas the second movement is flowing lines, the light-hearted third movement teases with merriment. Its brief trio section portrays a graceful Viennese waltz led by the violin, before a restatement of the playful scherzo and its colourful key changes closes the movement.

Schubert scholar Alfred Einstein (not to be confused with his distant cousin, the scientist Albert Einstein) suggests that the theme of the trio’s final movement bears likeness to the composer’s 1815 song, Skolie.

Not only does the theme correspond but its lyrics seem to aptly express the spirit of Schubert’s optimism in this final movement: “Let us in the bright May morning take delight in the brief life of the flower, before its fragrance disappears”.

Like many of Schubert’s works, the first trio was not publicly performed or published during his short lifetime. Instead, it appears to have received its first performance at an informal gathering of friends in either December 1827 or January 1828. The trio would have been beyond most amateur musicians of the time, but Schubert enjoyed the company of distinguished professional instrumentalists Ignaz Schuppanzigh (violin), Josef Linke (cello) and Carl Maria von Bocklet (piano), who gave the informal premiere. (Incidentally, they were the very same string players that had given the premiere of Beethoven’s ‘Archduke’ some 13 years earlier.)

Taking eight years to finalise publication after the composer’s death, the arrival of the B-flat trio was announced by Robert Schumann with his usual insight: “Let the work, which he bequeathed to us, be a cherished inheritance. Time, though producing much that is beautiful, will not soon produce another Schubert!” © Angela Turner, originally written for Musica Viva

The Lyrebird Trio is comprised of Australian musicians Glenn Christensen (violin), Simon Cobcroft (cello) and Angela Turner (piano), all distinguished graduates of the Queensland Conservatorium. Formed in early 2013, the trio takes their name after the remarkable Australian native lyrebird, also an important emblem of their alma mater for much of its history.

In July 2013, Lyrebird Trio won all piano trio prizes at the quadrennial Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition: the Beluera Prize for best piano trio, and the Peter Druce Audience Prize. Subsequently, they featured in the ABC International documentary “Ivory, Strings and Bows”, broadcast in over 40 countries across Asia, North America, the Pacific and Indian subcontinent. As Winter Musicians-inResidence at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada, they gave numerous performances across the region in January/February 2014. The trio made a welcome return to Banff in January/February 2015, recording their debut CD for the Master Performers label, hailed by The Australian as “exquisite and exhilarating” and “an impressive recording that augurs well for a long and enriching life by three stellar young Australian musicians.”

During 2014-2016, Lyrebird Trio were Ensemble-In-Residence at the Queensland Conservatorium, and since 2018 are Ensemble-In-Residence at the Mackay Chamber Music Festival. In addition to their core season, other appearances have included engagements at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera

House, the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival (Victoria), Tyalgum Festival (NSW), Ukaria Cultural Centre (South Australia), Musica Viva QLD, 4MBS Festival of Classics, Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with The Metropolitan Orchestra (Sydney), and recordings and broadcasts for ABC-Classic FM, and the MBS networks.

Outside of the trio, Glenn Christensen is Principal 2nd Violin and Deputy Concertmaster of Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen; Simon Cobcroft is Principal Cello with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and Angela Turner is a Specialist Keyboard Lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, and School of Music, University of Queensland.

Glenn Christensen, violin Australian violinist Glenn Christensen was born and raised in the regional Queensland town of Mackay, where he received his early music education through the Suzuki Method with local teacher Diane Powell.

Glenn then studied with Michele Walsh at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Music, First Class Honours. He was also the first person ever to be awarded the three highest prizes – the Conservatorium Medal, the Music Medal and the University Medal.

Glenn is in demand as a soloist, chamber musician and guest principal musician in Australia and internationally. Currently based in Germany, he holds the position of Principal 2nd Violin and Deputy Concertmaster with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, prior to which he was a full-time member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra from 2014 to 2020, and Principal First Violin in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra from 2012 to 2014. He has appeared as guest concertmaster with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Le Cercle de l’Harmonie, and the Queensland Symphony orchestra on multiple occasions, and in 2022 as Principal 2nd Violin of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

As a soloist, Glenn has performed with the Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions. He has had performance broadcast live on ABC Classic FM, was a finalist in the 2014 ABC Young Performer Awards, and in 2009 won every category in the prestigious Kendall National Violin Competition. Glenn is also the violinist in the Lyrebird Trio, which won both the audience choice prize and the Piano Trio prize in the 2013 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition.

Glenn has appeared at festivals and masterclasses around Australia and internationally, such as the Musica Viva Festival, Bangalow Festival, Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, Tyalgum Festival and the International Musician’s Seminar, Prussia Cove. In 2018, Glenn started a successful annual festival in his hometown - the Mackay Chamber Music Festival.

Simon Cobcroft, cello Simon Cobcroft is Principal Cello with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and has previously held principal positions with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and is currently a member of the Lyrebird Trio, winners of the 2013 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition.

Simon studied at the Queensland Conservatorium and the Australian National Academy of Music. Since graduating, he has performed with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony, Denmark’s Esbjerg Ensemble, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and as principal with the Tasmanian and Singapore Symphony Orchestras. He has appeared as principal and soloist at the Aldeburgh, Pacific and Salzburg Music Festivals. Simon has performed the cello concertos by Elgar and Saint-Saëns with the Adelaide Symphony, winning the 2016 Adelaide Critics’ Circle Award for his performance of the Elgar Concerto. In previous years he appeared as soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic, Sydney’s Metropolitan Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria.

Simon studied with Matthew Farrell, Janis Laurs, Alexander Baillie, David Strange and Michael Goldschlager. He plays on a beautiful English cello made in 1840 by Thomas Kennedy.

Angela Turner, piano Australian pianist Angela Turner enjoys a multifaceted career as performer and lecturer. Regularly broadcast on Australian radio as soloist and chamber musician, Angela has enjoyed a focus upon chamber music in recent years, most notably with the Lyrebird Trio, winners of all piano trio prizes at the quadrennial 2013 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition.

Angela’s engagements have included appearances at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House, Ukaria Cultural Centre, Port Fairy and Tyalgum Festivals, 4MBS Festival of Classics, Kawai Keyboard Series, Australian Piano Duo Festival, Queensland Symphony Orchestra Chamber Series, and for Musica Viva.

Angela has been on staff at the Queensland Conservatorium since 1998. and is currently head of the Intermediate Piano Program at the Young Conservatorium. Angela also lectures in piano at the University of Queensland. She is an AMEB Keyboard Examiner and Federal Syllabus Consultant, and author of the best-selling “Exploring Piano” series for publishers Hal Leonard.

A Queensland Conservatorium medallist & winner of numerous national awards, Angela completed her Master of Music on exchange at the Royal College of Music, London.