THE Gould Piano Trio initiated the Music in the Round series in the intimate surroundings of The Sage Gateshead's Hall Two with an electrifying evening of contrasting works spanning three centuries.

The concert began with a poised opening to Mozart's Trio in C. There was a sense the trio were finding each other at first (possibly overawed by the sheer immediacy of the pin-sharp acoustics), but it didn't take long for that indefinable something to kick in.

Gelling with a fluency that did full justice to the work, they goaded each other on. The andante oozed pathos, with pianist Benjamin Frith completely immersed in the moment; his eyes clenched shut, brows knitted and with a pained expression written all over his face as he swayed from side to side. The allegro was sharply articulated.

Next up was James Macmillan's Fourteen Little Pictures, representing the Stations of the Cross. Stitched together to form a sweeping canvas, the composition conveys a gamut of emotions as it veers wildly from raging violence to sublime calm.

Frith's ferocious attacks on the piano vividly simulated a throbbing rumbling thunderstorm, while cellist Alice Neary and violinist Lucy Gould were perfectly matched with their brilliantly intertwined melodies.

The recital concluded on an inexorable thumping note, with the last strike sustained for what seemed an eternity.

The second half of the evening was devoted to Tchaikovsky's awe-inspiring piano trio, which grew organically with its shifting moods and colours gloriously painted in. A veritable musical feast.

Published: 27/01/2005