by Layne Anspach
Hello musicians!
Nancy Van de Vate (1930-2023) was an American composer, most known for her large ensemble works. She studied at Wellesley College (MA), University of Mississippi, and Florida State University. In 1975, Van de Vate established the League of Women Composers. She taught at several universities in the USA, including the University of Hawaii. She also taught at the Jakarta Conservatory in Indonesia prior to moving to Vienna in 1985. Van de Vate launched the record company, Vienna Modern Masters, in 1990. She passed away at the age of 92 at her home in Vienna.
The Trio for Horn, Violin, and Piano (2006) was commissioned by Lin Foulk, Kevin Frey, and Abigail Pack. The first movement, Andante espressivo, begins with the horn alone, presenting a theme which recurs throughout this movement. The violin and horn work as a duo in contrast to the piano for much of the movement. The full ensemble plays together infrequently; even at full force, these moments fade quickly into a soft restatement of the opening theme (mm. 20, 66). Allegro molto is characterized by driving repeated eighth-notes. Each player shares in presenting this driving motif, which gives way to the piano alone. This short movement ends with the horn and violin returning in a similarly intense conclusion.
The third movement, Adagio espressivo, takes on a somber mood. The three voices exchange a slow rhythmic motif of eighth notes and eighth-note triplets. The section transitions to a quicker tempo with the violin and piano. The second section pits the violin and horn against the piano with a more driving sixteenth-note motif. It is short-lived, as the opening section returns, reestablishing the original atmosphere. The movement ends with the horn quietly passing the final two bars to the violin and piano. The fourth movement, Allegro molto, is an almost identical recap of the second movement; the only differences being a few octave displacements, use of mute in the horn, and pizzicato in the violin.
A six-bar Interlude: Lento immediately follows the fourth movement. The interlude is melodically identical to the last six bars of the third movement with the horn playing a second higher. The fifth and final movement, Allegro, follows an ABA form. The A section is characterized by running sixteenth notes, shared among all parts. Again, the texture returns to the violin and horn sounding together and then handing off to the piano. The section shifts abruptly to a cadenza-like section between the violin and horn. After the eleven measure B section, the driving sixteenth note motif returns in all three voices for the conclusion.
The reference recording features hornist Ferenc Leitner on the album Nancy Van de Vate—Chamber Music, Vol. VIII (Vienna Modern Masters, 2007).
