Trio Shaham-Erez-Wallfisch

Read the review about the Regensburg concert here.

"Their programme of Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Schumann probed the depths of emotional music-making to a degree that is rare..." (Read the full review here)

”… they never get in the music’s way. It flows out of them unimpeded, as if balancing a piano trio were the easiest thing in the world, which goodness knows it is not… These performers evoke musical values that today are beginning to seem “old school”, yet are as sterling solid as ever. Erez is the most self-effacing of virtuosi, delivering glitter and dazzle… his tone always singing and tanslucent. Shaham’s sound recalls the great violinists of the mid 20thcentury: rich and gorgeous, yet never sugary, his use of portamenti judiciously applied. Wallfisch’s cello seems virtually an extension of himself as he blends into vivid musical conversations or briefly takes centre stage to bowl out the big tunes… Notable qualities that leapt out of this performance included the choice of contrasting palettes… Erez’s piano tone turned utterly luminous, as if by magic.”

”… rich, expressive intensity…Wallfisch played with exquisite beauty of tone… Shaham gave us some gorgeous sustained melodies while Erez brought lovely Romantic colouring to the piano writing… Shaham dispatched some of the virtuoso passagework with aplomb. The players were as one in their approach to the various shifts of mood and tempo… their thrilling rendition of the coda… Erez excelled in Rachmaninov’s swirling virtuoso passagework, ensuring the string players were never overwhelmed and the balance of sound remained excellent throughout… There was an ease and fluency in the way all three players approached the constantly evolving thematic material… I particularly enjoyed the striking double stopping of the string players and the tenderness and lyricism … a terse energy and exceptionally clear and tight articulation brought out the diabolism of the work… the performers brought a spontaneity and freshness to the music with the inventive nature of the material really shining through. Overall, this was an evening of first rate music making and the performances of the Arensky and Brahms trios were exceptionally fine. ”

”This was playing that communicated a fresh enthusiasm and a good sense of emotion… quite beguiling in its combination of strength, wit and sensitivity… As things progressed, what impressed me most is just how tender and genuine much of the expression was. Combined with crisp articulation (Wallfisch was particularly impressive), this took the trio pretty much from beginning to end with continuous delight… The ensemble was outstanding in the way they got the underlying flow of the music in place, anchoring their potential to be really expressive and, in the case of Shaham in particular, very passionate.  I also liked the way the ensemble could move between varied textures: from surging feelings to the most quiet and pensive reverie, shaded so subtly… This is a most sensitive and perceptive ensemble…”

”A real joy of creativity and supreme musicality. Wallfisch joined the long established Israeli duo and fits in perfectly. The sound this trio produces is intoxicating, their style is simply perfect… there are no extreme exaggerations, which can so often occur in performances of this style, but the proportions are just right in this recording… The selection of four Russian composers’ works is excellent and wise… It has been a long time since I enjoyed such chamber playing as in this Shostakovich performance.”

”… three masterly skilled musicians… They are united in their interpretation: music needs to be expressive… sounds of almost orchestral quality… gloriously sonorous cello sound… One is left in amazement… And such a style can only be achieved when backed up by dashing technical abilities such as pianist Erez displayed … Brilliance and virtuosity … deep passion… The audience applauded like crazy whilst stamping their feet.”

“… with this concert the Trio Shaham Erez Wallfisch made sure that it will no longer be considered a well kept secret … Ease, temperament and a refined sound […] were captured and displayed by these musicians with technical brilliance, with a great awareness of shape, with absolutely gorgeous precision and in particular through highly sensitive interaction… Hagai Shaham (violin), Arnon Erez (piano) and Raphael Wallfisch (cello) knew how to enchant with the finest of colours and the very softest of shades… a miracle of sound that kept the audience in a tight grip until the very end… The trio was given a huge ovation which they responded to with an encore of Mendelssohn’s scherzo [from the opus 49 trio], played with magical ease.”