APRIL PENDARVIS (Contralto)
THE HENRY BRONKHURST TRIO :
Julius ROSTALL (Violin) ; EDWARD ROBINSON
(Violoncello) ; HENRY BRONKHURST
(Pianoforte)
SCHUMANN once, with characteristic enthusiasm, wrote of this Trio by Schubert :
' One glance at it, and this poor world of ours appears fresh and bright.'
It is the first of Schubert's two Piano Trios
(which were written in close succession), and is in four separate Movements.
FIRST MOVEMENT (Moderately quick). Schubert sets out at once with a splendid, exulting tune, played by Violin and Violoncello in octaves. Presently Piano takes up the tune, accompanied by a soft, repeated chord in the Violin, and a few low plucked notes in the Violoncello. Then all three get busy with fragments of it.
After a while the music quietens down,
Violoncello pauses on a high note, then, starting with that note, begins the tender second main tune.
A third tune is used to round off this section ; then a long development section follows, in which the two main tunes are beautifully varied and combined. Finally, the first section is repeated with only slight alterations.
SECOND MOVEMENT. (At a steady pace).
It is noticeable in this Movement that the Violoncello is almost continually playing in its highly poetic upper range.
THIRD MOVEMENT, SCHERZO (Fast). The
Italian word ' scherzo,' as we know, means a joke, but it is here, as frequently, used as the title of a piece which is, in general, very lively and full of good spirits.
FOURTH MOVEMENT, RONDO (Quick and lively). This Rondo is a long Movement, and is, in reality, rather complicated. But in effect it is very light and rather frivolous. The main tune is a gay one, started by Violin in its higher range, and carried on by the Piano, the Violoncello merely murmuring occasional assent. But though this is the main tune, which continually returns, the greater part of the Movement is made out of a second tune which appears very early. This tune has two distinct sections—a rather pompous emphatic phrase, played by all three instruments, and a more irresponsible phrase in a jerky rhythm, played first by Violin. 4.30 APRIL PENDARVIS Selected Songs
(Continued in column 3.)