String trio offers classical sounds

Gourgaud Gallery to host string trio for inaugural classical recital.

By: Josh Appelbaum
   The harmonious sounds of Mozart, Haydn, Schumann and Strauss will serenade art enthusiasts Sunday as the Arts Review Committee presents its inaugural classical recital.
   The committee will welcome a string trio, with Jerry Yochelson on violin, Patti Long on cello and Ilana Stroke on viola, to the Gourgaud Gallery at 1 p.m. The trio will play a one-hour program of chamber music to complement April’s new exhibit, "April Foolery," organized by the local art group Watercolorists Unlimited.
   The trio, which started rehearsing in February, was put together by Mr. Yochelson, who has struggled for several years to form a group to perform chamber music, and whose muse is what is believed to be a 300-year-old Dutch-made violin.
   "I got the idea a few years ago — when Cranbury was approaching its tercentennial — that since my violin was having its tercentennial in 2002 it might be nice to have an opportunity to play it with a string trio," Mr. Yochelson said. "The problem was finding the time to get together, having the music in hand, and finding the right people for a trio ensemble for classical (compositions)."
   Mr. Yochelson grew up in Washington, D.C., and started playing violin in his teens. He was given the antique instrument about 40 years ago by his neighbor Charles Motto. Mr. Motto, who didn’t play the violin, had stored the instrument in pieces in a hallway closet. Mr. Yochelson restored the instrument and has been playing it ever since.
   Experts on violins have told Mr. Yochelson they cannot pinpoint the exact age of the instrument, but said it is the style and size of violins made by Henry Jacobs at the turn of the 18th century in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
   "You can tell it’s a Dutch violin because the arches are higher and the ribs are thinner," Mr. Yochelson said. "This is smaller than a (modern) violin but still has the same range."
   The range of the instrument and the style of playing chamber music are ideal for the Gourgaud Gallery setting, said Ms. Long, the trio’s cellist. The string trio was originally developed for performances at art exhibitions, she said.
   "Art exhibitions and chamber music evolved together," Ms. Long said. "The idea is to look at artworks, with background music that is Mozart, Haydn, Strauss or Schumann. Chamber music is designed to be played like that."
   The interplay between music and art is something Ms. Long wanted to bring to the gallery’s patrons, and said music enhances the experience of "April Foolery."
   "The music we are playing is fun and cheerful," Ms. Long said. "I was thinking today about why art and music have endured throughout the ages, and it’s because (artists) express themselves the same way we express ourselves through music."
   Ms. Long said that Sunday’s recital is an important happening for patrons and for the Arts Review Committee because it is the first event to incorporate live music and art.
   "We really appreciate the watercolorists," Ms. Long said. "They’re friends of mine. It is very important that every town supports their artists."