When Is a Trio a Quintet?

When is a trio a quintet? When the violist doubles as a vocalist and the saxophonist keeps one hand at the ready to adjust the Indian bellows instrument called the shruti box. Those would be, respectively, Gareth Lubbe and Hayden Chisholm, complemented by cellist Susanne Szambelan for a slow, considered piece titled “Spectral Awakening.” This live performance is a production of the Netherlands-based ConcertLab, which specializes in audio-visual studio recordings of musicians. This mission is no small thing. The way the camera moves through the trio is part of the performance. What begins with Chisholm alone for well over a minute expands as Szambelan’s elbow and cello scroll come into view, just as her playing enters the piece. This experience culminates later, toward the end, when all three musicians are simultaneously eking out sympathetic drones, the viewer’s eye primed to itemize who is responsible for what sounds. This video is ConcertLab’s 97th recording on YouTube I’m excited to hear what they’ll have for the 100th.