The concert will open with Saint-Saëns’ Piano Trio in F major. Written in 1864 when Saint-Saëns was just 28 years old, the trio is a sparkling and exuberant work, brimming with lyrical melodies, playful energy and French elegance. The work was inspired by a holiday in the Pyrenees and Saint-Saens uses his gift for colour, charm and musical invention to evoke the beauty and mystery of the mountains.
Next, to get you in the festive spirit, Trio Taliesin will perform a piano trio arrangement of four movements from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky composed the ballet in 1892, 28 years after Saint-Saëns had written his Piano Trio. Although the full staged version of the Nutcracker ballet was initially not as popular as the shorter concert suite, the ballet and its music has become some of Tchaikovsky's most famous work.
The concert will finish with piano trio arrangements of a few festive carols and songs to send you home feeling warmed by an evening of musical cheer and happily humming your favourite tunes.
Trio Taliesin take their name from Celtic mythology: Taliesin was a renowned bard who entertained at the courts of the Brythonic kings. The trio formed in 2017 with the aim of engaging audiences in piano trio repertoire through collaborative performances and programming that links works with an underlying narrative. They have given concerts in London, Oxford, Sedbergh and Llanidloes, collaborated on performances with actress Holly Walters, and performed Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Cobweb Orchestra.
Saint-Saëns Piano Trio No. 1 in F major
i. Allegro vivace
ii. Andante
iii. Scherzo: Presto
iv. Allegro
Tchaikovsky - Four Movements from "The Nutcracker" for Piano Trio (Arr. H.J. Bosma)
i. March
ii. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
iii. Waltz of the Flowers
iv. Arab Dance
Followed by a selection of festive favourites to end the evening’s performance.
Tara Clifford - piano
Kirsten Wilson - violin
Alice Jones - cello
