Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre
March 25, 2014

On Tuesday evening the Sitkovetsky Trio performed an exemplary recital at the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall in front of a large and attentive audience beginning with a virtuosic and exciting account of the Smetana Piano Trio in G Minor.

Right from the opening violin solo, Alexander Sitkovetsky’s playing was superb as was Leonard Elschenbroich’s contribution on cello. Together with fine support from Wu Qian on piano, the trio produced some glorious playing in the opening exchanges and animated the developmental material and climactic moments with a lucid and elegant virtuosity. In the lyrical second subject of the first movement and the Andante of the second, the violin and cello playing was stunningly beautiful with a natural rubato that made Elschenbroich’s exchanges with Sitkovetsky a constant delight all evening. In the finale, the trio was impressive with tempos that always pushed forward with ardour but with striking clarity in Qian’s challenging piano part.

Next on the program was Carl Vine’s new Piano Trio titled The Village, an impressive composition that will be a valuable addition to the piano trio repertoire. The Sitkovetskys gave a fine account that attempts to re-imagine the architectural aspect of composition....