Hanna Loew
September 23, 2010
Glendale Philharmonic Trio-News story
The Glendale Philharmonic Trio preformed two instrumental pieces on Thursday, September 23 at Pierce College’s Performing Arts Building as part of the student sponsored performances every Thursday.
The trio consisted of Ruslan Biryukov who played the cello, Limor Toren who played the violin, and Leonid Levitsky who played the piano.
Ruslan Biryukov is the founder of the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra. He was born in Baku, Azerbaijan and has graduated from Baku Music Academy, Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory, and USC Thornton School of Music.
Biryukov, the concertmaster, came on stage first and was greeted by a huge applause from the packed stadium. Followed by Biryukov were Toren and Levitsky and the crowd’s applause grew louder.
Once Biryukov and Toren were seated behind their podiums, and Levitsky was seated at his piano, the audience’s attention shifted toward Biryukov. Biryukov thanked everyone for coming and began a small speech about the pieces he was to perform.
“These pieces [that will be performed] are large,” said Biryukov.
He then went on to describe briefly how the Soviet Union had a major impact on orchestras and that much of Soviet talent ended when the Soviet Union ended.
The lights then dimmed, and all focus was on the stage.
The first piece played was a symphony written by Dmitri Shostakovich, who was a Soviet Russian composer; one of the 20th century’s most celebrated composers.
Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 was written by Shostakovich in 1944 as a tribute to Jewish folk music. Today, the performance was inspiring to the crowd, just as Shostakovich had intended it to be, over 60 years ago.
The portions of Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 were called Andante, Allegro con brio, Largo, and lastly, Allegretto
“The first piece was very moving,” said Alyssa Bonino, a student who attended the concert. “It was every bit inspiring.”
After the first piece, the crowd broke into applause. Smiles appeared on the trio’s faces.
“We’re not done yet,” said Biryukov.
The trio repositioned themselves to begin the second piece. Biryukov glanced at Levitsky, who was sitting behind him and nodded to tell him they were ready to begin
The second piece was played because it works as a score for a standard trio; which consists of a violin, cello, and piano.Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 was written by Felix Mendelssohn, a German composer, pianist, conductor, and organist in the early Romantic period and was completed by Mendelssohn in 1839.
Molto allegro e agitato, Andante con tot tranquillo, Scherzo, and Finale were the four pieces in Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49.
The Glendale Philharmonic Trio performed an hour of uplifting, moving symphonies. When the show was over, the trio got up and bowed twice to an applauding crowd. The applauding lasted for several minutes. Members of the crowd stayed, even after the trio was finished, as if they were not yet ready for them to exit the stage.
The crowd was moved by the trio’s perfection with their instruments. They were so precise that they flipped their music sheets while mid-song.
Its performances like The Glendale Philharmonic Trio’s that keep everyone from students to citizens coming every Thursday to enjoy a spectacular show. With free admission, thanks to the ASO of Pierce College, there’s no better way to enjoy Thursday afternoons.