Astatine Trio

Music can be so therapeutic. I was under the weather before this concert and so much better after. Rain thundered on the roof as these well focused players came on. It could have drowned out the music but their delightful Haydn cut through as the storm calmed down. Witty, elegant and full of interesting turns, I could be describing both the Haydn and these endearing artists. I was enchanted by the fascinating Allegretto second movement. It must have seemed very old-fashioned to Haydn’s original audience.

The Japanese work, on the other hand, was very modern. An intense amalgam of shifting sounds, glissadi, scratching, and eerie adjustments of pitch played over and with repeated chords, bell-like notes and gentle flourishes from the piano. This too was fascinating and very unfamiliar – I would find it difficult to enjoy if played by less sensitive musicians. It is not ‘everyday’ music.

Astatine Trio

Astatine Trio’s final offering was glorious proof of the genius of Mendelssohn, melodious, expressive and joyful. This well-balanced and virtuoso ensemble communicate so well each to the other and with their audience. Berniya Hamie shone particularly brightly in the exquisite Scherzo and that insistent theme of the last movement will be with me all day.

Andrew Connal
Brighton Dome Studio Theatre,
13 May 2026

Rating:

Astatine Trio
Maja Horvat – violin
Riya Hamie – cello
Berniya Hamie – piano

Programme:
Haydn – Piano Trio No.44 in E Major Hob XV:28
Hosokawa – Trio
Mendelssohn – Trio No.1 in D minor