The Rothko Trio

louth | arts and media | news report Sunday February 11, 2007 20:42 by Sean Crudden - impero sean.crudden at iol dot ie Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co Louth. 087 9739945

Afternoon Concert in Holy Trinity Church, Carlingford

While the big rugby international match in Croke Park between France and Ireland was taking place a young string trio - Rothko - gave a recital this afternoon of an interesting program of music in Holy Trinity Church, Carlingford, Co Louth. The church is also known as Carlingford Heritage Centre.

The Rothko Trio. Robin Michael, Cliona Ryan, Cian O'Duill.

The players were Cliona Ryan (violin), Cian O’Duill (viola) and Robin Michael (cello).

The program was

Schubert: Trio in B flat D581

Ian Wilson: Bone Icon, String Trio No 2 (2000)

INTERVAL

Beethoven: Serenade in D major, Op 8.

The trio gave an encore of a modern piece featuring Latin American dance rhythms. The piece was not identified from the platform and I did not recognise it although I would recognise it again if I heard it.

The Wilson piece started off with a "Children of Lir" type of tone but it later proved to have quite a rich palette of sounds. I seemed to me to be well structured and it had good forward movement and dramatic effect. The trio got stuck in to the piece and their timing and use of special effects was impeccable.

Similarly in the encore the trio seemed to be seriously engaged with the music and, again, they seemed to lend more power to what, I think, was a relatively modern piece of music.

However, apart from one or two movements, the Schubert and the Beethoven fell relatively flat on my ear. Perhaps this was due to a lack of articulation in the playing. Maybe it was my own mood but my impression was that large swathes of this music seemed to be hackneyed and unexciting.

Mel O'Loane, Dundalk: Siofra O'Donovan, Bray: Maura Clancy, Dromiskin, pictured in Carlingford Heritage Centre after the concert.

Sean Leahy (Blackrock) and Fr Tom Hamill (Dundalk) snapped after the concert.

Michael Ryan (Cliona's Dad), Carlingford, poses for the camera after the recital.

Fergus Flynn-Rogers, Omeath, having a think after the concert in Holy Trinity Church.