Early in the evening, as part of the “Apéro Series”, we meet up with Les Violons du Roy for the concert Dvořák et Cie: Trios inattendus. The concert, shorter in duration than Les Violons du Roy’s usual concerts, draws its repertoire from pieces written for bourgeois or noble private settings: receptions, dinners… So many occasions to be entertained by smaller instrumental ensembles.
The first piece, Mozart’s String Trio in B-flat major, features two violins accompanied by the double bass, an uncommon alliance in Baroque trios, but one that was surely practiced at the time to carry the bass a little more than the cello at private parties. The “Adagio” gives us a chance to hear some lovely exchanges between the three musicians, while the “Menuetto” is much more bouncy. The musicians play nicely together, and all the variations, whether in the phrasing of the eighth notes or in the rallentandos, are gracefully executed. The trio format lays the musicians bare, and there are occasional tiny bow snags, particularly on the double bass, but that’s also part of the charm of these small ensembles.
The concert continues with Dvořák’s Terzetto for two violins and viola in C major, alternating between rapid homorhythmic passages, very well executed, and gentler question-and-answer games. The viola is superb in the “Larghetto” and energizes the “Scherzo”. The final section of the piece features a magnificent surge of energy and emotion from the first violinist, Pascale Gagnon, who gives a splendid performance. The audience is won over. This is followed by Kodály’s Serenade for two violins and viola, a much more modern piece in which Hungarian music colors are mixed with more experimental approaches for the time. From the outset, the hall is captivated by the high-pitched playing of violinist Katya Poplyanski, who had already won me over as first violinist at a previous Les Violons du Roy concert. The latter possesses a sharp musical sense and total mastery of her instrument, but always retains a central place for emotional phrasing and flights of fancy: playing that is both methodical and free. The “Lento” presents an exchange between violin 1 and viola, supported by a chordal texture from violin 2; a truly special section, but one in which we really see the two soloists conversing. The final movement, “Vivo”, is more playful and brings the piece to a beautiful conclusion.
To end the concert, the viola gives way to the double bass, which returns to perform Strauss’s Wiener Carnaval-Walzer. A much simpler piece, perhaps even too much so, after the previous two daring ones. The whole thing is well-executed and amusing, without shining through.
A fine musical success, this concert is also an opportunity to get to know the musicians of Les Violons du Roy in a different, more intimate setting.
