Top-notch trio kicks off festival

PARK CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL, St. Mary's Catholic Church, additional performances through July 23 (943-0169, 435-649-5309, www.pcmusicfestival.com)

PARK CITY — The Park City and Salt Lake City Summer Music Festival kicked off its 23rd season Thursday in typical fashion — with a well-chosen program blending known and lesser-known pieces played by top-notch musicians.

The concert opened with Beethoven's Piano Trio in D major, op. 70, No. 1 ("Ghost"). Of the piano trios that Beethoven wrote, this one, along with the later "Archduke" Trio, is certainly one of the most popular.

In the "Ghost," the three instruments are melded together wonderfully, and the interplay is exquisite. This was brought out forcefully by the musicians performing it. Violinist Monte Belknap, cellist Armen Ksajikian and pianist John Jensen captured the ebullience of the opening movement beautifully, as well as the otherworldly atmosphere of the Largo (from which the work gets its nickname) and the airiness of the finale.

The three are a dynamic ensemble. This is only the second festival for Belknap (who teaches at Brigham Young University) and Ksajikian (who is the associate principal cellist with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra). But with Jensen, a frequent and welcome artist at the Park City festival, they played with a naturalness and a wonderful sense of ensemble, sounding as if they've been performing together for years.

The same held true for the musicians playing Shostakovich's Piano Quintet, op. 57, which closed out the evening. In this work, Belknap, who played second violin, Ksajikian and Jensen were joined by violinist Manuel Ramos, another long-term festival performer, and violist and festival founder Leslie Harlow.

Once again, one had the feeling that these five artists play together on a regular basis and not just occasionally whenever they gather in Park City in the summer. The group captured all the expressiveness and emotions in the piece vividly with their articulate playing and honest and intelligent approach to the music. This was in fact chamber music at its pinnacle of eloquent expression.

Particularly striking was their account of the second movement fugue. They captured the ethereal glow of the music with playing that was poetic and, quite frankly, inspired.

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