Seattle Chamber Music Society begins its Winter Festival

Pianist Alon Goldstein also spoke before the performance of Schumann’s Trio in D Minor for violin, cello and piano, putting it in context. Earlier, instead of the preconcert recital, he gave an illustrated lecture on Schumann whose 200th birthday is this year. Goldstein, violinist Ilya Kaler and cellist Amit Peled are performing all three of Schumann’s trios in the festival. Kaler is new to SCMS but not new to Seattle. Those who remember the International Chamber Music Festival here in the 1990s may remember him as concertmaster of the European orchestra brought here by Dmitry Sitkovetsky, and he is a frequent chamber music collaborator with Goldstein and Peled.
The sweep of the trio allows plenty of work for violin and cello but this is a pianist’s piece. The three played with intensity and passion, urgency and propulsion, with a gentle mourning feel to the slow movement, where Kaler’s warm silken tone shone, and happiness in the last. There was complete silence in the audience between movements, intent on the compelling performance.
 Philippa Kiraly on January 30, 2010