With the announcement that 2008 will mark the farewell of the Beaux Arts Trio, its every remaining performance is precious. Cofounded in 1955 by pianist Menahem Pressler, who remains with the group (in his 84th year), the Beaux Arts Trio has, for many of us, served as a model of great piano trio interpretation.
Just as earlier generations were schooled on the trio recordings of Thibaud, Casals, and Cortot, so have many in our own generation educated themselves by listening to some of the more than 50 recordings the Beaux Arts Trio has made in its various incarnations. Its string component may have changed, with Antonio Meneses coming onboard in 1998 as only the third cellist in the Trio's history, and with Daniel Hope joining in 2002 as its fifth violinist. Yet if Saturday's performance was any indication, the greatness remains.
Thanks to Daniel Levenstein's Chamber Music San Francisco, a sold-out audience of 333 (minus a few no-shows) spent Saturday afternoon listening to the Trio in the remarkably natural and relaxed acoustic of the Florence Gould Theater at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. The repertoire, which was to have consisted of two works by Schubert plus Beethoven's "Archduke," was changed after the program booklet was printed.
As Levenstein explained at the start of the concert, you can go to a fine restaurant and order two steaks and a potato, but an astute waiter might suggest that you cultivate a more varied palate. Such was the case with the Beaux Arts, which begged the audience's indulgence in its substitution of Shostakovich's spicy, emotionally gripping Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 67, for Schubert's Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 100 (D. 929).
Within the first 10 seconds of Schubert's extended Adagio, the Notturno in E-flat Major, Op. 148 (D. 897), it became clear that the Beaux Arts retains its magic. The playing was exquisite, with chords sounding as if suspended in space. Pressler's gossamer touch defined the Trio's interpretation, his muted tones the essence of refinement. With music-making this exquisite, taking notes was out of the question. All I could do was close my eyes and pray that, whenever my life comes to an end, I may be blessed to exit this plane in such a holy state of grace.
Jason Victor Serinus regularly reviews music and audio for Stereophile, SFCV, Classical Voice North America, AudioStream, American Record Guide, and other publications. The whistling voice of Woodstock in She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown, the longtime Oakland resident now resides in Port Townsend, Washington.