CRITIQUES

"The three mastered the thematic chase scenes in Stefan Wolpe's demanding "Trio in Two Parts" with complete self-assurance; the complex rhythms in Dietrich Hahne's "Fourtunes" were brought out with remarkable precision; and the eloquence with which Lesley Olson and Scott Roller made the fragile middle section in Elliott Carter's "Enchanted Preludes" speak was just marvelous. Also in Scott Roller's tension-ridden "Trio Set", the group was impressive not only in their technical perfection and extreme homogeneity of ensemble playing, but also in their strong stage presence. In the Wolpe Trio, three mature soloists come together to discover the unknown with eloquent ensemble playing. Actually, one could not wish anything more for new music." (Westfälische Allgemeine Zeitung)

"Following the one-and-a-half hour performance in the Gießhaus, calls for an encore were heard in the midst of the applause. But the three artists, well-known in Kassel since their debut at the documenta 1992, had already shown such virtuosic and artistic mastery of their instruments in the course of the evening that there was no need for an extra culinary tidbit to further prove their exceptional capabilities. Unquestionably, Lesley Olson (flute), Susanne Achilles (piano) and Scott Roller (cello) were sovereign in mastering the complexity of their music and were compelling as competent interpreters of their own (Scott Roller's "Trio Set") and other composers' works." (Hessisch Niedersächsische Allgemeine)

"Only gradually are the works of the composer Stefan Wolpe becoming known in his native country. A Berliner by birth, Wolpe went into American exile during the Nazi period and continued living there until his death in 1972. Three young instrumentalists who joined forces in 1992 call themselves in his honor the "Wolpe Trio". In the Aula of the Folkwang-Hochschule they demonstrated their competence performing contemporary music. One notices with his "Trio in Two Parts" (1963) that Stefan Wolpe held uncompromising, substantial compositional virtues in esteem, as far-removed from mathematical soullessness as from experimental effect-making. The transparence and organic interlacing of the three voices were remarkable, as were the austerity and concentration with which the three performers delved into the work. The same could be said of Elliott Carter's "Enchanted Preludes" (1988), an impressive-emotional dialogue between flute and cello with lyrically beautiful passages, moments of musical obstinacy and pointillistic sound pictures. Demonstrating that younger composers still can practice the art of pregnant brevity was Dietrich Hahne's eight-minute-long "Fourtunes" (1992), a dense chamber music work whose finely differentiated playing techniques were exquisitely mastered by the Wolpe Trio, to whom the work is dedicated. The "Trio Set" (1993) of cellist Scott Roller made a strong impression with its determination, seriousness, and the formal clarity of its musical ideas." (Neue Ruhr Zeitung)

"Sound/Sculpture was a marvelous evening not only for technology, but also because of the WOLPE TRIO. In Roland Pfrengle's piece "Für Drei", Lesley Olson (flute), Scott Roller (cello), and Susanne Achilles (piano) demonstrated their superior ensemble playing not only among themselves but also in conjunction with the live electronics. Furthermore, the musicians presented virtuosic individual performances." (WAZ)

"Solistically, Lesley Olson brought out the coloristic affinities between the flute and computer sounds in James Dashow's "oro, argento & legno". Scott Roller dove energetically into the "Music for Cello and Electronic Sounds" (from Michael Manion), a composition which, in its atmosphere and expression, is worthy of being listened to. Susanne Achilles showed both a virtuosity of pianistic handwork and unleashed the primal musical force in Dirk Reith's interesting sound interaction "Nested Loops II" for piano and 6-channel tape." (NRZ)

"The program conception of the Trio, founded in 1992 and named after the composer Stefan Wolpe, was an excellent choice (as such events seldom are) for conveying new impulses, even to audience members with little new music listening experience. Thanks to the detailed information in the program booklet and the technical perfection of the players, Gerald Eckert's metamorphosis from fragile, drawn-out sounds to pointillistic structures was as comprehensible as was Ludger Brümmer's gradual stretching-out of time, transforming the listening process from a mere "absorption" to an introverted "listening into oneself". In this opening concert, the Wolpe Trio confirmed the absolutely first-rate level of their concert series..." (Rheinische Post)

"One has already had many opportunities to hear plenty of new music before in the Marktkirche. This time it was the Wolpe Trio, who pleased their listeners with a concert in their series "50 Years of New Music in NRW". The Trio has long been a household name amongst New Music fans. Since 1992 their programming has manifest a remarkable musical diversity - an evening for refined ears." (WAZ)

"The Wolpe Trio mastered the diverse material in all the works presented excellent in their instrumental execution" (Neue Westfälische)

"The concert, one in a series taking place throughout cities in North Rhine - Westphalia, presented an interesting perspective into new styles of composition, extraordinary discipline and excellent ensemble playing." (WAZ)

"In the Trio in D-major from Josef Haydn : here the musicians demonstrated that they are indeed capable of presenting convincing performances of the classics. Lesley Olson, Scott Roller, and Susanne Achilles presented these delicacies of chamber music in beautiful harmony." (Recklinghäuser Zeitung)

"The exhibition "InterAct!" in the Duisburg Lehmbruck-Museum ended yesterday with a well-attended concert of the Wolpe Trio entitled "Hommage à John Cage". The concept of the exhibit was taken up and transported to musical spheres with a selection of new music in which the performers entered into a dialogue with computers and electronic devices. In the intense and concentrated one-and-a-half hour concert, the performers were very convincing in their precision and vast technical ability. The audience was presented not only with an acoustical counterpart to the visually-oriented content of the exhibit, but also with very interesting insights into the newest music for acoustic instruments and electronic sounds." (NRZ)