Peabody Trio Performs New, Old Works With Passion, Polish

The Peabody Trio has been playing the music of contemporary Israeli composer Shulamit Ran for years now, and certainly has the courage of its convictions. The ensemble from Baltimore began the season finale Friday of the Da Camera Society of Mount St. Mary’s College soiree series at the Doheny Mansion with the Los Angeles premiere of Ran’s “Soliloquy.”

Based on themes from Ran’s opera “The Dybbuk,” “Soliloquy” opens in still, haunted beauty. It soon develops edgier issues, however, moving purposefully through volatile expressive episodes to a sonically satisfying but programmatically enigmatic conclusion.

Ran exploits the character and resources of the piano trio instrumentation with skill and imagination. Violinist Violaine Melancon, cellist Thomas Kraines and pianist Seth Knopp responded with pertinent passion, confident detail and rich sound.

Ravel’s equally moody Trio proved an apt match for the 2-year-old Ran work. The Peabody Trio illuminated Ravel’s larger form with incandescent playing of great verve and sensitivity, taking rewarding risks with timbre and rubato.

The three are also quite at home in less febrile material. Beethoven’s Trio in E flat, Opus 70, No. 2, which they played locally several times three months ago, emerged robust but unexaggerated, with much gracious and playful humor.