Mendelssohn Trio № 1 in d minor

During 2003, students from the Music Divi­sion asked if they could join ours in the Audio Con­trols course, and col­laborate on a perform­ance we would record. All agreed, and here is the de­lightful result.

First, the musicians. This was to be a trio, so already we knew how many were needed.

Next came the performance, which was splendid.

Hear it for yourself. Duration is ten minutes.

Enthusiasm ran high; a pub­lic perform­ance was arranged. A class project became available to all. Joy and applause were tremendous. This occurred during my last year on the job, making it especially rewarding.

Technical note: Perhaps you felt the piano vol­ume during the video was not as strong as it ap­­peared in the original audio-only recording. And you’re right. This is due to the fact that multiple mics were posi­tioned around the performers while in the Audio Lab, but the video was shot with a cam­corder by someone in the audience, putting the piano farther from the mic than the violin and the cello, causing a weaker sound to be picked up.

One thing is for sure: The performers amazed us with their musical skills. Last words heard from them mentioned a shot at a recording contract, and a CD album was put together. Are you familiar with sforzandi? If so, you know they bring with them a surprise. Treat this as a hint, and imagine you’re on a treasure hunt. What you do next is entirely up to you.