MUSIC REVIEW : Members of Vivo Trio Separated at Group’s Birth : Three exceptional musicians remain largely individuals playing simultaneously at chamber ensemble’s debut at UC Irvine.

Orange County became just a little better place to live over the weekend: It has a new chamber ensemble. Better yet, a good one.

Granted, chamber ensembles take a while to congeal, and the Vivo Trio showed a few signs of being a new group in its Sunday afternoon concert--its first--in the Fine Arts Concert Hall at UC Irvine. It also showed considerable promise.

This is because individually the players are exceptional musicians. Both violinist Jan Tawroszewicz and cellist Gayle Smith--UCI faculty members--possess a commanding technique and strong musical personality. The pianist, John Steele Ritter, is a veteran of the big leagues, perhaps best known as accompanist to Jean-Pierre Rampal. There is no shortage of talent here, to be sure.

Sunday, however, they remained largely individuals playing their music simultaneously. There wasn’t much exchange of nuance or musical conversation between the players--at least it wasn’t strongly projected. Happily, things such as basic ensemble unity, intonation, balance--major, essential things--could be taken for granted.

The meaty and technically demanding program began with Mendelssohn’s Sonata No. 2 in D for cello and piano--surging, soaring and tense music, not frequently encountered. Smith offered a fervent, long-limbed reading in bright yet burnished sound, with Ritter, gliding through the extremely busy piano part in solid support.

Ritter and Tawroszewicz then gave a forceful account of Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata. Though the violinist’s tone and intonation occasionally suffered in his aggressively dramatic approach, his reading was overall thoughtful, compelling and technically proficient. His lyrical playing had a sweetness and simplicity to it. Again Ritter provided sturdy accompaniment, though it wasn’t fully integrated.

After intermission, the three players banded together for Brahms’ cherishable Trio in B, Opus 8, in an unswervingly ardent, well-executed performance. Indeed, one could have used a little relief from this almost nonstop barrage of emotionalism, but then this is the style of most Brahms performances these days.