By Eileen Wingard in La Jolla, California
World-renown French cellist, Gautier Capucon, and pianist, French compatriot, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, paired up to present a memorable recital April 15 at the Conrad, under the auspices of the La Jolla Music Society.
Even though the cellist sat in the customary position, behind the pianist, facing the audience, thus making eye contact nearly impossible, their ensemble was flawless. It was as if they were communicating telepathically.
The recital consisted of three cello-piano sonatas by Brahms, Debussy and Shostakovich, introduced by Schumann’s Fantasiestuecke (Fantasy Pieces), written originally for clarinet and piano. The three brief movements, Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with expression), Lebhaft, leicht (Lively, light), and Rasch und mit Feuer (Rapid and with fire), were played with rich romantic fervor.
Sonata in E minor, which followed, was written by Johannes Brahms when he first moved to Vienna and it was dedicated to his cellist friend, Josef Gaensbacher, who helped Brahms secure his first post in Vienna, as director of the Singacademie, a choral society.
The first movement, Allegro non troppo opened with a nostalgic melody emanating from the lower strings of the cello, followed by a surging second theme. The development section was filled with turbulence, as was the recapitulation, calming to a quiet ending.
The second movement, Allegretto quasi Menuetto, brimmed with elegant charm, while the last movement opened with a stirring fugal theme, reminiscent of Contrapunctus XIII from Bach’s Art of the Fugue. Brahms’ great love of Bach’s music was reflected in this movement. The Presto conclusion further demonstrated the consummate virtuosity of the two artists.
Capucon’s 1701 Matteo Goffriller cello sang out with clarity and warmth, never covered by the grand piano, whose lid was fully opened.
After intermission, the 44-year-old cellist and the 64-year-old pianist returned to perform Debussy’s Sonata in D minor, a work of austere beauty, which was written three years before the composer’s death, when he was suffering from colon cancer. The short first movement, Prologue: Lent had numerous tempo changes, giving it a quality of unpredictability. The second movement, Serenade, opened with angry sounding string plucking. The Finale: Anime had abrupt changes of mood, concluding with a single pizzicato.
The final sonata on the program in the Baker-Baum Concert Hall of the Conrad was by Dmitri Shostakovich, also in D minor, but of much thicker texture than the previous selection.
The composer completed it a week before his 28th birthday and its design was similar to the cello-piano sonatas of Beethoven and Brahms.
The slow movement, Largo, was particularly intense with its dark beauty, and the final movement contained variations with Shostakovich’s characteristic sardonic humor. The piano part, premiered by the composer, confirmed Shostakovich’s technical prowess and was executed with great flair by the acclaimed Thibaudet.
The audience’s standing ovation drew the performers back on stage for an encore, a sublime rendition of Massenet’s “Meditation,” from the opera, Thais.
Cellist Gautier Capucon is not only a household name in his native France because of his outstanding artistry, but he serves as an ambassador for the Orchestre a l’Ecole Association which brings classical music to school children throughout France.
In addition, he launched his own Foundation to support young talented musicians.
Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is also a dedicated educator, currently serving as Artist-in-residence at the Colburn School in Los Angeles.
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Eileen Wingard, a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.