Ax/Kavakos/Ma Trio Sunday 9 September 2018 3pm, Hall

Brahms Trio No 2 in C major Brahms No 3 in C minor interval 20 minutes Brahms Piano Trio No 1 in B major

Emanuel Ax piano Leonidas Kavakos Yo-Yo Ma

Part of Barbican Presents 2018–19 Shane McCauley

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If anything limits your enjoyment please let us know The City of during your visit. Additional feedback can be given Corporation is the founder and online, as well as via feedback forms or the pods principal funder of located around the foyers. the Barbican Centre 2 it some35years on,anditisthislater just 21, thoughhedidthoroughly revise in Bmajor, was publishedwhenhewas The triosspanBrahms’s career –theFirst, recorded to great criticalacclaim. piano triosof Brahms, which they have cellist Yo-Yo Ma.They perform thethree Ax, violinistLeonidasKavakos and charismatic musicians:pianistEmanuel of theworld’s mostoustanding and The concertbringstogether three Barbican ClassicalMusicSeason2018–19. concert, whichmarks theopening of the A warm welcome to thisafternoon’s Welcome

Available on iTunes, Soundcloud and the Barbican website Barbican the and Soundcloud iTunes, on Available Nico Muhly. Harrison Birtwistle,Evgeny Kissin,Maxim Vengerov and Andrew Norman,IestynDavies, Joyce DiDonato, Sir Jonathan Biss,SirJamesMacMillan, George Benjamin, artists from around theworld. Recent artists include for exclusive interviews andcontent from thebestclassical Stream ordownload ourBarbican ClassicalMusicpodcasts Barbican Classical MusicPodcasts Huw Humphreys, Head of Music,Barbican concert. Ihopeyou enjoy it. It promises to beavery memorable more compressed andfullof fiery drama. unfolds onalarge scale,No 3ismuch While theSecondisnotably ardent and – inAustria andSwitzerlandrespectively. and were written duringsummersojourns Trios Nos2and 3both date from the1880s by thelegacy leftby Beethoven. the pianotriomedium,asifundaunted striking ishow confidently Brahms handles incarnation thatwe heartoday. Whatis as Ihave from thesetwo movements.’ Hewent on: from your manuscriptsof sucheffortless creativity Billroth told Brahms, ‘have Ihad theimpression known abouttheEflat majormovement: ‘Seldom’, his response we gleanwhatlittlethere isto be among themthesurgeon TheodorBillroth. From showed thepiecesto someof hisclosestfriends– completed theopeningmovement of each, and piano trios,oneinCmajor, theother inEflat. He town of Ischl,Brahms beganwork ontwo new In June1880, duringaholiday intheAustrian spa grazioso 3 Andante energico 1 Allegro Trio Cminor,Piano 101 3 in Op No giocoso Allegro 4 Finale: 1 Allegro Trio Cmajor,Piano 2 in 87 No Op Johannes Brahms very eager for thefollowing movements. impressions. You mustknow better …I’mnow turned inonitself … Buttheseare justfirst almost too soft, melodicallyandrhythmically characteristic. To methesecondsubject is rather more seriously, rhythmically very becoming ponderous. TheCmajorbegins it appearsincreasingly beautifulwithoutever Through itscontrapuntal furtherdevelopment first appears onthestringedinstrumentsalone. the secondsubjectmakes through thefact thatit way. Itisparticularlycrowned by theimpression from thebeginning,andcontinuesinsame has remained withme:theEflat issolively right on themoodof themoment.Myfirst impression pleasure inEflat majororinCdepends movements. Asto whetheronefinds more these beginningswillnot bearheavy middle in sosmooth andlively afashion; Ithink Salzkammergut. May thingsonlycontinue can sooften make onefeel outof sortsinthe let up.There isalsonotrace of therain that even andgood, sincenowhere doesthepace the term. ThepathsinIschlmustbeparticularly popular chambermusicinthebestsenseof They are inboth form andcontent classical – . 2 Andante con moto moto con 2Andante . 2 Presto non assai non 2Presto . 4 Allegro molto . 3 Scherzo: Presto – Poco meno presto meno –Poco Presto 3Scherzo: the violinandcelloalone,ashadowy chromatic imperious first subjectgiven outinoctaves by an unusualwealth of thematicmaterial: an The openingAllegro of theOp 87Trio contains addition of three furthermovements. C majorTrio again, andcomplete itwiththe 1882 didBrahms take upthethreads of the actually preferred to itscompanion.Not until privileged enoughto seethetwo triomovements, who was another memberof theBrahms circle composed – apiecewhichClara Schumann, and destroyed theonemovement hehad self-critical Brahms abandoneditaltogether, As for theEflat majorproject, thealways time to seetheremainder of theCmajorTrio. As thingsturnedout,Billroth had to wait along new rhythmic pattern of the major-mode variation expansive legato melodyof great beauty. The music turnsfrom minorto major, creating an gypsy style.For thepenultimate variation the betrays Brahms’s fascination withtheHungarian itself, withitscharacteristic ‘short–long’rhythm, the violinandcelloplaying inoctaves. Thetheme melancholy themeinAminorwhich again finds The slow movement isasetof variations ona in thedevelopment makes asplendidreturn. augmented version of themainthemefirst heard a substantial coda,inwhichasweeping reprise of thesecondsubject.There isalso recapitulation, rightupto thestraightforward argument through theopening stage of the Brahms continuesthemusic’sdevelopmental except thelast;andincharacteristic fashion, section finds room to elaborate allof these in adotted rhythm. Thecentral development strings inoctaves, andagracious closingtheme subject, afurthersmooth ideaplayed by the (1833–97)

(1880–2) (1880–2) (1886) (1886)

3 Programme notes 4 1 Allegro con brio brio con 1 Allegro Trio Bmajor,Piano 1 in 8 No Op Johannes Brahms Schumann in Düsseldorf. To the astonished To astonished the Düsseldorf. in Schumann Clara and Robert of house the at called 1853 Brahms September of day last the On of the rising scale. As in the C major Trio, the Trio, Cmajor the the in As scale. rising the of version abroadened on based is octaves, in out sing again once cello and violin the which in subject, second relaxed more much the even and movement; opening the of part greater the propel that ideas two these is It phrase. sinuous the left his and figure, scale the playing hand right pianist’s the with exchanged, are voices bar, two the second the as early As bass. the in scale arising and voice, upper its in line sinuous a limbs: two has theme power. That orchestral of asonority in forth hurled immediately is theme main the here: preliminaries no are There Brahms’s concentrated most and intense scores. Trio, 101. Piano Op C minor of Trio one The is dramatic the 100, and Op Sonata, Violin lyrical 99, and Op Sonata, arelaxed Cello conceived agrandly works: chamber different very three completed he Thun, Lake of surroundings idyllic the in There, Hofstetten. of resort Swiss the at Brahms found 1886 of summer The the procedure adopted intheopeningmovement. subdued augmented form, asthoughinechoof towards theendthatthemereappears ina the pianoaccompanies itsopeningtheme;and of thestaccato repeated-note figure withwhich which Brahms was soadept. Muchplay ismade variation form thrown infor goodmeasure) at humoured rondos (withmore thanahintof section. TheFinaleisoneof thosegood- confidence of thesoaringmelodyintrio shadowy character isoffset by theCmajor dynamic markingis mysterious, fleeting piecewhosepredominant The scherzoturnsback to theminor. Itisa allows themusicto dieaway into thedistance. accompaniment inripplingsemiquavers which stringed instrumentsdiscourseabove apiano is maintained inthelastone, inwhichthetwo pianissimo . 2 Scherzo: Allegro molto molto Allegro 2Scherzo: , though its , thoughits melody not dissimilar to the theme of the trio trio the of theme the to dissimilar not melody aflowing into subject main the transforms violin the and major the to turns music the last, at Here, coda. the of onset the until unrelieved almost is minor the on concentration its and form, asonata be to out turns piece the fact, In theme. rondo a‘hunting’ of form intensified an as described be might what with off sets finale The and strings piano. basic alternation between its and bar) the to beats five of is here created impression (the irregularity music’s metrical the both maintaining section amiddle for quickens pulse The lead. the taking cello and violin the with alternating, strings and piano the has Brahms beats. two of by two followed beats three of bar asingle of pattern arecurring into metre the divide to instead opting bar, the to before beats seven producing time-signature unusual an with movement slow the notated originally Brahms atmosphere. nocturnal the disturb to little does – sense conventional the in atrio –hardly section middle the and muted, are strings the time, This Trio. Second the from scherzo the of character spectral the share does it but fast, that all is piece the that child’. Not by, afrightened like ‘hurries that Trio apiece as Cminor the of scherzo the Tovey Francis described Donald writer music great the similes, evocative his of one In developmental argument. the prolongs which coda alengthy is there and passage; evolving acontinually in recapitulation, development is fused with the stage first of the them ‘more like veiled symphonies’), and and symphonies’), ‘more veiled like them found (Schumann sonatas his piano to play couple, composer proceeded the 20-year-old interval began. it as powerfully as ends work the and undiminished, remains sweep however, music’s dramatic the stage, this at Even 87’s Op from scherzo. section . 20minutes 3 Adagio 3Adagio . 4 Allegro (1853–4; 188 9)

Trio (in the end, the original opus number was was number opus original the Trio end, the (in Bmajor his to out carried Brahms revisions The sight. of out dropped less or more has work the of version original the that so much –so affirmative the in by posterity answered been has question Brahms’s rhetorical better?’ be it will – but before as chaotic so be not will It 8. Op of 108 instead Op it call now can and trio major my B 1889. of rewritten autumn have the ‘I in Schumann summer,’ Clara lovely told the he away Itrifled how imagine ‘You cannot one. twenty- barely of age the at written had he trio the recast to opportunity the seized eagerly Brahms music earlier his of some revising Simrock invited the composer to consider When Berlin. of Simrock Fritz publisher, principal composer’s the to imprint their under appeared had that Brahms’s in music rights the sold Breitkopf 1888 In itself. presented revision athorough make to occasion the that publication trio’s the original after years 35 until wasn’t it but movement, opening the shortened 1871 in apparently Vienna in Brahms in order to make For changes. a performance confessed to his violinist friend Joseph Joachim, it, he to on held have gladly would He it. about thoughts second had Brahms than & Härtel Breitkopf of firm Leipzig by the accepted been piece the had However, sooner 8. no Op his 1854 as November in appeared major, which key B of unusual Trio the in Piano early his of publication the sanction day, of did he light the see to music his allowing about reticence his all for but, Schumann; to showed he pieces the of several destroyed have to known is Brahms my trios.’ of any publish not Ishall Ithink publish. to material of my choice in cautious extremely be to me leads it all, Above them. to justice do to able be will I how know Idon’t that degree extraordinary an such to my abilities of expectations public raised have ‘will Schumann, told print’, he in me on lavished you praise ‘The discomfort: some of source the was article that Brahms, To Messiah. amusical as Brahms hailed entitled ‘New Paths’,famous article Schumann year, a in following The written. already had he music chamber the of some them showed further, and actually ends his work with the the with work his ends actually and further, Haydn’s astage takes idea Brahms conclusion. amajor-mode through resolved is tension music’s the case minor, each in the in but is half first whose afinale have quartets string late Haydn’s of two that true It’s pages. closing its until all at tonality home the establish to firmly fails also minor, it the in but finale its is only not that fact the was respect did Brahms Trio mature the Bmajor early the of feature unusual, highly One impetuous, youthfully rift. stylistic discernible no with score, the into seamlessly them integrate to managed Brahms material, original the over improvement vast a such were insertions new the although Miraculously, movement. slow the of portion middle the and movement, opening the in working-out subsequent its and subject fugue movements, a somewhat academically-inclined outer both in subject second the included sections discarded The material. new entirely with passages extended replaced he but theme), finale’s the main of character unsettled the instruments; stringed two the disturbingly by answered melody piano’s chorale-like calm the with movement, slow the of subject initial serene wonderfully the cello; and piano the for broad opening melody of the movement first (the version first his of inspirations memorable most the retained Brahms Elsewhere, unscathed. less or more –emerged lightness only the – a scherzo piece of Mendelssohnian movements, four the Of arecomposition. to amounted they that thorough so were retained) Programme notes ©MishaDonat awhole. as work the to conclusion dramatic astartlingly forms it certainly, but question; open an remain must asylum) an in confinement voluntary by his 1854, followed (the composer’s suicide in attempt February about to unfold in the Schumann household were that events tragic the of by apremonition Trio inspired was Bmajor the of finale bleak a peaceful ending in the major. Whether the to resorting without not 78 –but Op Sonata, Violin Gmajor the Symphony, and Third –the occasions further two on major the in otherwise awork to finale aminor-mode write to was minor. He the in despairingly still music

5 Programme notes 6 Shane McCauley whom EmanuelAx records exclusively. the Brahms pianotriosonSony Classical,with USA following therelease of theirrecording of Yo-Yo Maispartof atour of Europe andthe Tonight’s concertwithLeonidasKavakos and Belgium, France andItaly. touring withtheBudapestFestival to Hamburg, Hanover andMunich,aswell as Orchester Berlin,andtheradio of di Santa CeciliainRome, DeutschesSymphonie- Orchestra, Amsterdam, Accademia Nazionale Rotterdam Philharmonic,Royal Concertgebouw recital inCarnegieHall.InEurope hereturns to the Portland, Oregon, concludingtheseason witha Washington, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Nashville and San Francisco, LosAngeles,Minneapolis, Cleveland, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, This seasonhereturns to theorchestras in Fisher Prize. Competition, theMichaels Award andtheAvery the ArthurRubinstein International Piano a Young ConcertArtistAward, First Prizein as ayoung boy. Hisawards have included Poland, andmoved to Winnipegwithhisfamily Emanuel Axwas borninmodern-day Lvov, Emanuel Ax About the performers Emanuel Ax,Yo-Yo MaandLeonidasKavakos piano Chamber musicisalsoavital strand of his Adams’s added HKGruber’sPianoConcerto andSamuel Sheng andMelindaWagner. Mostrecently hehas Christopher Rouse, Krzysztof Penderecki, Bright music, withworks written for himby JohnAdams, He isalsoacommitted exponent of contemporary He was thefirst to record theoriginalSibelius the 1988 Paganini andNaumburg competitions. competitions: the 1985 SibeliusCompetitionand playing. Bytheage of 21, hehad won three major his superbmusicianshipandtheintegrity of his an artistof rare quality, known for hisvirtuosity, Greek violinistLeonidasKavakos isrecognised as Leonidas Kavakos music from Yale andColumbia Universities. and Sciencesholdshonorary doctorates of He isaFellow of theAmericanAcademy of Arts Yoko Nozaki,with whomhehastwo children. He resides inNew York Citywithhiswife, pianist Laredo andIsaac Stern. Lin, Yo-Yo Ma,EdgarMeyer, Peter Serkin,Jaime with suchartistsasYoung UckKim,Cho-Liang music-making andhehasworked regularly Impromptus violin to hisrepertoire. performing new orfamiliar works from thecello to generate trustandunderstanding. Whether to hisenduringbeliefinthepower of culture Yo-Yo Ma’smulti-faceted career istestament Yo-Yo Ma Stradivarius violinof 1734. Artist of theYear 2014. Heplays the‘Willemotte’ Sonning MusicPrizeandwas Leonidas Kavakos isthe2017 winnerof theLéonie for Decca,BISandECM. Solo Sonatas andPartitas. Hehasalsorecorded violin. Thiswillbefollowed by thecomplete Bach Violin , whichhewilldirect from the His first soloproject withSony istheBeethoven the artistswithwhichheappearsthisevening. He hasrecently recorded theBrahms trioswith violin of MendelssohnandMozart. the labelfor whichhepreviously recorded the contract withSony Classical,markingareturn to This summerhesignedanexclusive recording Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. trios andwillbetheArtist-in-Residence withthe Emanuel Ax,performing Brahms andSchubert North AmericaandEurope withYo-Yo Maand orchestras andconductors. Thisseasonhetours relationships withsomeof theworld’s leading Over theyears hehasdeveloped close Gramophone a Violin Concerto (1903–4),him won which cello Award in1991. Gramophone ’s ’s awards, among themtheAvery FisherPrize Harvard University. Hehasreceived numerous the Juilliard Schoolandin1976 graduated from began studying the cello at the age of 4, attended who later moved thefamily to New York. He Yo-Yo Mawas borninParis to Chineseparents in theircommunities. opportunities audienceshave to experience music and onincreasing thenumberandvariety of music canhave inthelives of individuals, His work focuses onthetransformative power Symphony Orchestra’s NegauneeMusicInstitute. Joyce Green Creative Consultant to theChicago commissioned. Healsoserves astheJudsonand and for whichmore than80works have been of theSilkroad Ensemblewhichtours annually together to transform theworld. He isamember where education,businessandtheartscome performances andcollaborations atthepoint He founded Silkroad to promote cross-cultural imagination andreinforce ourhumanity. strives to foster connectionsthatstimulate the engaging withunexpected musicalforms, he institutions to explore culture’s socialimpact, or repertoire, collaborating withcommunitiesand the 56thInaugural Ceremony. invitation of President Obamaon the occasionof eight Americanpresidents, mostrecently atthe Institute Board of Trustees. Hehasperformed for Honoree. Mostrecently, hehasjoinedtheAspen 2011 hewas recognised asaKennedy Center the Presidential Medalof Freedom (2010). In (1978), theNationalMedalof Arts(2001) and

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