The Belmont Trio consists
of cellist Maxine Neuman and guitarists
Karin Scholz and Peter Ernst. This is
an unusual combination so it’s no surprise
that only two of the six pieces on this
interesting disc should have been written
for this instrumentation. However I
find that the lack of variety in tonal
colour palled before the end of the
album.
It opens promisingly
with Piazzolla’s Libertango where
the infectious, and slightly disturbing,
rhythm of the tango grabs the attention.
It may be a meaningless myth of national
character, but the guitar does seem
to suit the ‘Latin temperament’ with
its ability to switch, in seconds, from
delicate sound to a full-blown violence
that seems to threaten the instrument’s
very existence. Radamés Gnattali,
a Brazilian composer new to me, writes
for the combination but his Sonatine
of 1970 is fairly anonymous.
The other pieces are
arrangements: Bach’s Viola da gamba
sonata, pieces for cello and piano by
Nadia Boulanger and Rachmaninov, the
latter’s Vocalise – for voice
and piano – and Bizet’s opera in a reduced
form. Arrangements were common in the
Baroque era, indeed there is often debate
as to what instrumentation Bach was
actually writing for, but usually arrangements
are simply a result of trying to increase
the repertoire for instruments, or combos,
that are ill-served by composers. I’m
sure the Belmont Trio would rapidly
run out of repertoire without the services
Holger Reuning, who transcribed the
Boulanger, Bach and Rachmaninov’s Danse
Oriental. So much for the performers;
the listener requires, from new versions,
some addition to the original. Otherwise
what is its purpose other than novelty?
In the case of the Boulanger, the Trois
Pièces are welcome with their
seductively gorgeous sonorities. However,
the mind’s ear did insist on transcribing
the guitar part back to the piano (for
reasons that remain unclear).
As noted above, it
is no novelty to hear Bach pieces in
arrangements and this sonata is effectively
done with a particularly entrancing
Andante. The extracts from Bizet’s Carmen
suite, arranged by cellist Neumann,
however, seem pointless and the guitars
are reduced to some frenetic strumming
to try and generate some electricity.
The Entr’acte is the most successful
movement. The final piece, an anonymous
arrangement of Rachmaninov’s Vocalise,
is a peculiar choice as it was originally
written for soprano. Unsurprisingly
much of the vocal line does not sit
happily in the cello’s ‘natural’ range
and Neumann’s playing is uncomfortable.
Overall, however, the performances are
good with a decent recorded sound.
I can recommend this
disc to those who enjoy cello and guitar
music and to those who are curious to
hear this combination. Listened to individually,
there is much pleasure to be gained,
particularly from the Boulanger, but
the sum is less than the parts.
Nick Lacey
Belmont Trio 