My plan to invite the Bechstein Trio to Breinton started from an email from pianist Emmanuel Despax. In it, he introduced the upcoming brand-new concert hall in London, Bechstein Hall, then yet to be completed. He explained that a piano trio was being formed to open this concert hall – would I be interested in engaging them? I grabbed the opportunity right away.

The evening with the Bechstein Trio was everything we wished for. Their programme of Fauré, Beethoven and Mendelssohn was filled with lively excitement and joyful brilliance.

There were numerous heavenly moments in the recital, and the Andantino of Fauré’s sole piano trio was one of them for me – wistfully nostalgic: the singing duet of violin and cello with piano as if gently humming; and the violin and cello in octave doubling a beautifully haunting melody to a heart-wrenching singing by the piano.

The second movement of Beethoven’s Ghost piano trio had the effect of glue on the audience. Sure, the character of this slow Largo is spooky and eerie, but I felt every note played by each instrument was definitive and their artistic expression sublime. The audience was feeling the thrill and breathing with the music. The whispering conversation between the violin and cello was haunting, and the gradual crescendo sounded as if the piano was wrapping them from behind.   

Then the gorgeous Mendelssohn piano trio No. 1. Compelling melodic charms, unsettling turbulence, and the masterful interweaving of themes was achieved by the instrumentalists’ dazzling virtuosity. The trio showed an incredible dynamic range of sounds, tones and volume, in a splendid fluidity. It was a one hundred percent crowd-pleaser, and the evening finished with tumultuous applause.