MUSIC REVIEWS : Golub-Kaplan-Carr Trio at Wilshire-Ebell

The two-thirds American, one-third British Golub-Kaplan-Carr Piano Trio played well-known trios--Mozart’s K. 548, Dvorak’s “Dumky” and Beethoven’s “Archduke”--for a full Music Guild house at the Wilshire-Ebell Theatre Wednesday night. In many ways it was an exciting, intensely musical experience.

Led in both emotive and dynamic power by English cellist Colin Carr, whose last appearance here was a performance of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto with the Pasadena Symphony in January, the 11-year-old ensemble brought world-class technical and musical skills to the program.

The most successful performance Wednesday night was the Dvorak trio, which profited from Carr’s passionate virtuosity, pianist David Golub’s poetic phrasing and colorful palette, and the ensemble’s explosive characterizations of the fast sections using faster than usual speeds and more highly clarified textures. The only problem was that Mark Kaplan’s sweet-toned violin, as it did all night, only intermittently broke through Carr’s huge sound and stirring portamentos.

Beethoven’s “Archduke,” which concluded the concert, was also swift, fluent and full of ravishing musical phrases, but it consisted too often of one- and two-bar phrases and never developed its characteristic sweep and majesty. Again, Carr’s use of excessive volume proved a problem as he often overshadowed one or both his partners in sections where he had only an accompanying line.

Opening the program, Mozart’s C-major Trio proved energetic and tender by turns, but lacked the delicacy and charm it needs to avoid sounding formula-driven, especially noticeable in an evening when it was followed by two such original masterpieces.