Trio Noga played in our living room last night. All three of the musicians are superb professionals. Idit Shemer is an extraordinary flutist whose tone has exceptional intensity. She also plays baroque flute and is a consummate artist. The cellist, Orit Messer-Jacobi, is an equally distinguished musician, the first cellist of the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, where Idit also plays when there is a call for a flute. The pianist, Shira Shaked, made our aging Yamaha baby grand sound fantastic. The three women are clearly good friends and communicate with each other as they play.
They also communicated with the intimate audience that gathered in our living room, creating a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere. Their program was varied and creative, from a Beethoven trio in which the cello played a part originally written for the bassoon (Op. 37). They then played a lively piece, written for them, by Aharon Harlap, a contemporary Israeli composer. They followed it with a piece by Mel Bonis, a French composer who was neglected in her lifetime because she was a woman. They concluded the recital with a trio (in which the flute part was originally written for clarinet) by Nino Rota, who was mainly known for his film scores.
The creative variety of the program is a reflection of the unusual composition of the trio, as it is much more common to hear a piano trio consisting of piano, violin, and cello. Having a wind instrument take the upper part gives the trio a unique flavor: the percussion nature of the piano, with its hammers, the suave, bowed tone of the cello, topped with the clear notes of the flute offer a fascinating range of tones, making them almost a miniature orchestra. Of course it is challenging to blend the voices of such different instruments, and Trio Noga does so to an outstanding degree.
Only about thirty-five people could squeeze into our living room, while another ten or fifteen listeners sat in the adjoining room, where one can hear every note but not see the performers so well. Usually the audience consists mainly of friends of ours, but in this case Idit, Orit, and Shira invited friends of theirs. We were afraid too many people would come, but we fit everyone in. The concert was a great success both for the musicians and the audience.
It gives my wife and me great satisfaction to host concerts like this. We don't make a penny, of course. In fact, between keeping the piano tuned and providing the refreshments, we are out of pocket, but it's money well spent. Especially in tense and conflicted times like the present, hearing such great music strengthens one's soul. For us it is a privilege and a blessing to open our home to the Noga Trio and musicians on their high level, and share their artistry with guests.
We're fortunate to have a roomy home and to own a decent piano (a wedding gift from my wife's parents), what better use could we make of our privilege than to share it with music lovers?
