Young Tel-Aviv Trio electrifies audience

The engagement of the Tel-Aviv Trio at the Mandarin Oriental further strengthens the venue’s unofficial reputation as Makati’s cultural center.

The Trio has collaborated with such titans as Isaac Stern and Leon Fleischer and by its performance, it appears to be following the music trail of the two icons. Members of the remarkable Trio, still in their twenties, are Jonathan Aner, 24; violinist Matan Givol, 20, and his cellist brother Ira, 23.

Violinist Matan went beyond mere virtuosity. Besides polish and agility of execution, he conveyed spirit, brio and dazzling brilliance. Further, the former prodigy was obviously setting the pace, leading both pianist and violinist in the dramatic pauses and pulsating rhythms, the incredible teamwork electrifying the audience.

Two qualities were obvious in the renditions: The stylistic differentation of the three works from one another, and equally significant, the emphatic differentiation of one movement from another in each selection, with admirable musicianship and expressivity. The one-hour program consisted of Haydn’s Trio in C Major, Brahms’s Trio in C Major and Jonathan Keren’s Medley of Beduin Debkas, a modern piece with varied, rich harmonizations and propulsive beats accented at one point with violin pizzicatos.

The opening passages of the Haydn Trio immediately called attention, creating tension and tautness as the strings of the violin and those of the cello seemed ready to snap, the phrases ending with a flourish. In the exquisitely lyrical Andante cor moto, the listener reveled in the exciting interaction between violinist and cellist, and in the fleet, light-fingered runs of the pianist in the final allegro giacoso.

The youngest of the Trio, former violin prodigy Matan Givol, 20, manifested singular brio and brilliance throughout, understandably compelling more interest than his cellist brother Ira whose tones seemed rather wanting in luminosity, volume and resonance – limitations which could be attributed in part to the instrument itself.

With astonishing talent, incredibly close rapport and exceptional musicianship already so conspicuous in the youthful ensemble, its admirers can safely predict a great future for it.

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Ambassador Irit Ben-Abba introduced the marvelous Trio before the recital, justifiably observing that its visit points up Israel’s love for music and the arts, which love has continued to inspire the world.

Among those who lustily applauded the ensemble were members of the diplomatic corps – Ambassador Ruth Pearce, Imgard Krepela, Lena Hakansson, Ambassador Stanislav and Binh Slavicky whose pianist son Marek served as page-turner, Indian Ambassador Navreka Sharma, Tony Rufino, Bambi Harper, pianists Jiovanney E. Cruz, Jonathan A. Coo and Menchu Padilla, Mr. And Mrs. Leslie Murray, French Cultural Counsellor Franck Hebert, Israeli Second Secretary Roi Dvir, and Mandarin’s indispensable Charisse Chiudian.