Review: Striking combination of instruments at Toru Trio concert

The Toru Trio. Photo/supplied

What: Toru Trio
When: Tuesday
Where: St Lukes Church
Review by: Hanno Fairburn

This new and fruitful partnership by section principals from Orchestra Wellington gave a vivid and eloquent concert with a striking combination of instruments.

The contrasting tones from flute, harp and viola gave an appealing mix of sounds, and one which a range of composers have exploited over the last century for its musical expressions like charm, colour and whimsy.

Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp showed how these instruments can give a gamut of feelings.

Arnold Bax's Fantasy Sonata for Flute and Harp was an amiable piece, being based on Irish folk tunes, but it suffered in comparison with the Debussy by being too nebulous.

Impressions, a new work from the composer Tabea Squire, expressed some of her feelings on coming to this country.

It had twists and turns, but there it gave great pleasure as one could relate easily to its New Zealand themes.

Three fabled animals were played from German composer Wendelin Bitzan's Zoological Garden for Flute and Viola, and the instruments vied skilfully with one another to draw out its witty and imaginative ideas.

William Mathias's Zodiac Trio is based on some astrological signs which were each strongly characterized, let each instrument take the lead at times, but the jazz-like interplay between them made a spirited finish to the concert.