After a fresh dump of snow, there’s a good chance WindRose Trio is yearning for A Trip to Brazil.
The first of their three-season concert, it is loaded with sizzling repertoire that launches tomorrow (Sunday) at Robertson-Wesley United Church.
Right off the top, these Western Canadian Music Award winners have included two prominent Brazilian composers — Heitor Villa-Lobos and Francisco Mignone.
Matthew Howatt, the group’s bassoon player, discovered Mignone’s 16 Waltzes for Solo Bassoon when researching new compositions for his instrument.
It was originally commissioned for the Sao Paolo Waltz Festival after a bassoonist who was invited to attend, declined because of inadequate repertoire. The festival commissioned Mignone to write a waltz, and the composer was so inspired he composed an additional 14.
“It’s very natural, very evocative of Brazilian folk tunes,” says Howatt. The trio is complemented with Beth Levia on oboe and St. Albert’s Jeff Campbell on clarinet.
The other biggie is Trio by Villa-Lobos, a composer/musician they first promoted on their 2008 award winning CD Path of Contact.
“Villa-Lobos is the anchor piece. It is spectacular. It is so inventive, so colourful. In chamber repertoire, it has a pretty popular place.”
Filling in the body of the concert is Charles Koechlin’s Trio d’anche. Koechlin, who had special interest in the Medieval and Baroque periods, created Trio showcasing long flowing lines.
They also perform a second, different piece entitled Trio d’anche, a delicate blend of mystery and frivolity by Dutch composer Rudolf Escher.
The threesome’s final choice is the late Edmonton Roger Deegan’s two-minute Musette.
“It’s just a tiny gem.”
For more information check out WindRose Trio’s new website at www.widrosetrio.ca
Preview
A Trip to Brazil
Windrose Trio
Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.
Robertson-Wesley United Church
10209 - 123 St.
Tickets: Indivdual $15-$20 or season pass $40-$50
