ConcertPulse
Season Opening: Leonidas Kavakos / Yo-Yo Ma / Emanuel Ax
Elbphilharmonie, Großer Saal (Hamburg)
If the term all-star team applies to one line-up, then it’s this one: violinist Leonidas Kavakos, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax are among the greatest in their respective fields – and are a force to be reckoned with as a trio. The Washington Post raved about the musical chemistry of their interaction as »almost supernatural«. For the opening of the Elbphilharmonie season, the three of them take to the stage of the Grand Hall, which they easily fill with their luxurious sound and concentrated charisma. On the programme: seemingly symphonic trios by Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven. Since their first encounter in 2014 at the Tanglewood Festival in the US, the three superstars have appeared together many times, and have released two albums with arrangements of his Symphonies Nos. 2, 5 and 6. »The fullness of sound here almost makes you forget that it’s not a large orchestra playing,«, marvelled Rondo magazine. The Archduke Trio, which Beethoven dedicated to his aristocratic patron and music lover, the Habsburg Archduke Rudolph, and a trio arrangement of his Sixth Symphony will now be performed in the Elbphilharmonie. The Trio in C major by Johannes Brahms was composed at almost the same time as his Second Piano Concerto. The piano part in the trio is also extremely virtuosic and soloistic, while the violin and cello become a miniature orchestra, but of course also appear as soloists repeatedly themselves. Yo-Yo Ma is looking forward to the concert: »We tend to put people in categories: soloists, chamber musicians, orchestral musicians and so on. Such pigeonholing prevents creativity and fruitful collaboration. That’s why we’re returning to a basic principle of music – interaction between friends who want to do something together.«