Carson Stringham
Staff Writer
The Equinox Trio recently filled Cameron University’s McCutcheon Recital Hall with music.
The concert, which was open to the Cameron and Lawton communities, was held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 4. Dr. Gregory Hoepfner, a Professor in the CU Department of Music, invited the group – comprised of Ann Homann Mottl on oboe, Jeanine York-Garesché on clarinet and Donita Bauer on bassoon –as part of the New Music Festival Concert Series.
Hoepfner said: “I met Jeanine at a reception for another CU Music Professor Dr. Hyunsoon Whang. We were chatting, and she happened to mention her ensemble and how they liked to do more contemporary music. I asked if she and her group would like to come perform at Cameron, and she said they would.”
When the doors to the recital hall opened, it did not take long for every seat in the hall to be filled. After an introduction by Hoepfner, the Equinox Trio entered the hall, took their places and began their program with a haunting piece titled “Windjammer” by contemporary composer Mary Jane Leach.
The trio then performed “Solstice Songs,” a collection of five short pieces commissioned from Hoepfner especially for the event. Hoepfner said the inspiration for each song came from a group of haikus written by his wife after a trip they took together.
“I wanted to write pieces that would take turns highlighting each of the three players,” he said. “They would all still be playing together, but one of the instruments would take a more prominent role in the music.”
The first piece was a solemn tune based on a prairie hill covered in wildflowers.
The second was a livelier thematic tune which portrayed a praying mantis on the hunt; the music allowed the audience to hear the praying mantis as it stalked, and ultimately seized, its prey.
The third piece, based on the close observation of an autumn leaf in mid color change.
The inspiration for the fourth piece was a feather left behind in the grass after the bird has flown away. The piece brought back a solemn tone to the evening, painting a picture of agony over beauty lost and appreciation for what is left behind.
Finally, the last song of the collection was a playful tune, which told the story of an ancient redwood tree falling in the forest before a crowd of onlookers. This poem was written about an actual event that happened during the winter solstice.
After the Trio completed his collection, the audience applauded as the group asked Hoepfner to stand and be recognized.
The next part of the program featured the French composer Eugene Bozza. His “Suite Breve en trio, Op. 67” is a collection of four short pieces: “Allegro Moderato,” “Allegro Vivo,” “Adagio Espressivo,” and “Final-Allegro Vivo.” Overall, the collection was comprised of lively music which allowed the trio to dazzle the audience just before the brief intermission.
As the lights dimmed a second time in the recital hall, music lovers were treated to more entertainment by two different composers.
The Equinox Trio opened the second half of their performance with a collection of works titled “Trio d’Anches,” written by Rudolf Escher. The collection contained four pieces: “Pastoale-Largo,” “Rondeau-Moderato; Vivace,” “Fugue-Allegro deciso” and “Pastorale-Lento.” The four pieces were fun and whimsical, elevating the atmosphere in the hall.
The trio finished the concert with Henri Tomasi’s “Concert Champetre” which consisted of five separate songs. The songs – “Overture,” “Minuetto,” “Bourree,” “Nocturne” and “Tambourin” – made up a musical sandwich of solemn tunes juxtaposed between a lively opening and closing.
[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/86344127[/vimeo]