There were triple riches at Wigmore Hall on Saturday night: a stellar triumvirate in a triad of trios. The three piano trios Brahms composed between 1854 and 1886 were the work of a lifetime, as witness the spread of their opus numbers, but that alone doesn’t convey the whole story of their composer’s passion for the form. The Piano Trio no. 1 in B major, still registered as his Op.8, may retain a youthful grace but it also became (so the composer joked) his ‘Op.108’, after extensive revisions in 1890 brought Brahms a summer of contentment.
The Op.8 trio is the longest of the three but it never outstays its welcome. From the poetic opening melody for cello and piano to a strangely bleak conclusion some 40 minutes later, the music is a cascade of moods that showcase the instrumentalists both separately and together. Cellist Julia Hagen, still in her 20s, played with a forthright timbre and luxuriant freedom of expression that occasionally seemed at odds with violinist Renaud Capuçon’s even and sweet-toned lyricism. Both musicians gripped the ear, especially in the many duo passages where Brahms scored their partnership in octaves, but they were not cut of the same cloth.
Perhaps that’s a good thing. After all, when Igor Levit sprinkled his fairy dust on the Mendelssohn-like Scherzo, all three instruments melded into a harmonious sound that was practically orchestral, while in the ensuing Adagio the two string instruments intertwined like a pair of ill-matched lovers – to captivating effect.
Levit led from the back, not just literally (his piano was placed to the rear, as per tradition) but figuratively too, since for all his pianistic discretion and generosity those Steinway keys showed the way and did dual service as magic wand and conductor’s baton. It’s not that he took over, more that his interpretations had a consistent rightness to them and a sensitivity in their ravishing sound.
Meanwhile, Capuçon brought his customary taste, refinement and intellect to music he has played many times over the years with a variety of partners. He sees the big picture when he performs and the foreground belongs to him. If this trio were a rock band, Capuçon would be the front man. His familiar gilded sound wasn’t just warm, it was the lantern that glowed.
The C major trio is a cataract of musical ideas and textures, varied but ultimately joyous with glistening fragments, unbridled tuttis and explosive moments that brought dizzy playing from the three musicians. Hagen’s cello was elevated in the Andante con moto, her interplay with the violin opulent and true. It’s unfortunate that her playing in the Op.101 trio had a degree too much freedom in the Andante grazioso – compared with Capuçon and Levit, that is – as that unbalanced the impact of its opening statement. The lopsided time signatures demand precise teamwork rather than individualism.
