La Cafamore performing in Trail, September 21
By Rossland Telegraph
La Cafamore is delighted to return to Trail as a piano trio, performing works for piano trio written by siblings — and performed by siblings as violinist Carolyn Cameron and violist Angela Snyder are also siblings. The piano trios were written by brothers Philipp and Xaver Scharwenka, as well as the brother/sister duo of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.
“You can be certain that there would have been a fair bit of competition among the siblings as both pairs were quite close in age and were educated in the same way” says Cameron. Was this her experience, growing up with a musical older sister? “Absolutely. But in our case, not only did we have the same musical training, we did almost all of the same activities. People were always mixing us up even though we did not look alike at all,” Cameron adds. “Our parents would always lump us together, referring to us as ‘the girls’, and I wonder if our relatives even knew which one of us was which.”
Maybe this would have been the fate of the Scharwenka brothers, but there would be no confusing the brother/sister duo of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn. The Mendelssohn dynamic was heavily influenced by their social status and accepted gender roles. While they were educated musically in exactly the same way, Fanny was told in no uncertain terms that music for her would be an “ornament” rather than a career option. By today’s standards, this seems hugely unfair, but she likely didn’t feel hard done by. Felix went on to become one of the greatest composers of the 18th century, and throughout his very brief life, he relied on the musical expertise of his older sister.
He even published some her works under his own name, which she likely approved of. There is no question that Fanny’s piano trio would have had to pass Felix’s scrutiny, and vice versa. Felix’s piano trio, composed when he was 10 years old, would have also been examined by his older sister.
Whether the Scharwenka brothers were competitive as adults would be pure speculation, but more than likely as youngsters. As professionals, they were more collaborative and complementary to each other’s interests, as the younger Xaver was more of a performer whose composition output was less than his brother’s. The older brother, Philipp had a much larger output, and a greater interest in teaching. How much they influenced each other’s compositions is unknown.
“One of the great advantages of performing as siblings, is that we know what to expect from each other, having performed together since we were kids” says Cameron. “And yes, we absolutely can get under each other’s skin. That’s why it’s good to have Hendrik, our pianist, as mediator.” Hendrik Mendes and Carolyn Cameron perform regularly in the Trail/Rossland.
La Cafamore has always made Trail the final stop in its Kootenay tours, and appreciates the love and support of the home crowd. They also appreciate the financial support of the Trail and District Arts Council which has contributed to this performance.
What: La Cafamore presents – Sibling Rivalry: piano trios written and performed by siblings.
When: Sunday September 21, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Trail United Church – 1300 Pine Ave. Trail
Tickets: $20 – Children 12 and under – free
Advance tickets: tickets.trail-arts.com
Tickets also available at the door.
