Jessica Boyer
Staff Writer

The Millersville University Department of Music presented an exceptional performance by the Lancaster based ensemble, Xun Pan and the Trio Clavino, at the Ware Center on Saturday, Nov. 14. The Trio filled Steinman Hall with the rich tones and captivating harmony of piano, woodwind and strings as they performed a six-piece program, entitled “Serenade of Three.” The Trio consists of Dr. Xun Pan on grand piano, Ms. Doris Hall-Gulati on clarinet, and Mr. Simon Maurer on violin and viola.

Xun Pan and the Trio Clavino played at Steinman Hall. (Jessica Boyer/Snapper)
Xun Pan and the Trio Clavino played at Steinman Hall. (Jessica Boyer/Snapper)

The program, which featured musical selections from the 18th-20th centuries, opened with Robert Schumann’s Märchenerählungen (Fairy Tales), Op. 132. As Maurer introduced the piece, he asked the audience to take a moment to reflect on the terrorist attack that had just happened in France over the past week, and then he respectfully announced that the performance would be dedicated to the people of France. This set the mood for an emotional interpretation of the music as the Trio swayed side to side while the story in the song came to life. They played through four very distinct movements, which had been brilliantly composed by Schumann in 1853.

For the next piece, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Four Waltzes, Hall-Gulati and Maurer took turns playing a duet with Pan. The first movement, “Spring Waltz,” featured clarinet and piano. The second movement, “Waltz-Joke,” was written for piano and violin. The Trio came together for the next two movements, “Waltz” and “Barrel-Organ Waltz.” Although it was originally written for flute, clarinet and piano, the piece proved to be an excellent selection for an ensemble with violin.

Mozart’s Sonata in G, K. 301 for piano and violin was the third piece of the night. Maurer played emotionally and expressively as his violin became the other half of Pan’s piano, adding sustain and a smooth transition from one phrase to the next.

“It was the first sonata I ever learned. I was this tall,” Maurer said, as he extended his hand toward the ground, emphasizing just how young he was, as he discussed the Mozart piece. Maurer said that it was a good example of what people call “in-house music,” meaning that children learned to play these songs, and the families would play them together.

Sonatina for clarinet and piano, by Malcolm Arnold, was a shining moment for Hall-Gulati on clarinet. The first movement allowed for expressive play over Pan’s jazz rhythm on piano. The second movement began with a lovely dreamy feeling that evolved into a more dark and forlorn sound with longer notes, which eventually faded to silence. The third movement introduced chaos, embodied by mesmerizing arpeggios in a triple-metered dance that left even the audience breathless.

Hall-Gulati introduced the next piece, Suite from L’Histoire du Soldat “The Soldier’s Tale,” by Stravinsky. She told the audience the story behind the song is that the Devil entices a soldier to trade his fiddle in return for great economic gain. The song was originally performed by a septet, and included several dancers, as well.

“We are considering doing this with dancers in the future,” Hall-Gulati said.
As the Trio played on, the music itself enticed the audience to lose themselves in the music as it took everyone along for the soldier’s journey.

The program concluded with Peter Schickele’s Serenade for Three. The Trio let loose and had a little fun with their final piece, as Hall-Gulati and Maurer smiled and danced to the rhythm of Pan’s piano. The audience loved it, and a great applause filled the room as the Trio Clavino took their final bow for the evening.

Xun Pan and the Trio Clavino not only put on an entertaining performance at Steinman Hall, but they also provided an educational experience for the audience, as they shared much of their knowledge about the pieces and composers they chose.

When the members of the Trio Clavino aren’t busy playing music both locally and around the world, you can also find them sharing their musical expertise with young students at Millersville University. They are all music teachers involved with the Pre-College Music Division Program, which enriches the music education of gifted high school students through degree and certificate programs.