Review: BBC PROMS: PROM 54: BEETHOVEN FOR THREE, Royal Albert Hall

With soloists Leonidas Kavakos, Emmanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma on violin, piano and cello respectively coming together to form a mighty trio of classical musicians, audiences are in for a treat, regardless of what is being played. Indeed, during the simpler parts of the two pieces, I found myself thinking that the musicians could have just performed scales and I would have been left satisfied with what I had seen. 

The original programme was billed as a celebration of Beethoven, including one of his symphonies and a piano trio that would be making its debut at the Proms. These two pieces, Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major, “Pastoral” and Piano Trio in B flat major "Archduke", Op. 97, made for a sharp contrast in the works of the composer, which promised an interesting two hours. Unfortunately, there was a change in programming and the first performance was changed to Brahms’s Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, Op. 87. 

Kavakos, Ax and Ma have an incredible ability to be so in sync that at times it was difficult to define the individual instruments, the three blending together beautifully. There were a few times that, due to a lack of sound amplification, it was difficult to hear quieter moments, but these were quickly forgotten during the more powerful moments in which it feels as though an entire orchestra is in the Royal Albert Hall with us.

To quote Donna Moss from the hit television series, The West Wing, “Yo-Yo Ma rules!” It is a pleasure to watch Ma perform, from the more tender moments to those that were so intense he lifted himself from his seat. I found it impossible not to smile along with Ma as he performed, grinning at Kavakos and simply smiling while performing, clearly doing what he loves on stage. 

There are other aspects to attending a Prom that make it appealing. I enjoyed watching Ax’s page turner, whose movement was so well-timed it felt like choreography. It is at shows like these that one can understand why John Cage created “4’33”,” a work in which the performers do not actually use their instruments, allowing the sounds from the audience to make up the performance. The coughing, whispering and sounds of things being dropped contributed in their own strange way, reminding audiences that what they are seeing is live and imperfect, unlike what they may hear on CDs or through streaming services. 

Along with the two listed pieces, we were treated to two encore pieces, the first being Schubert Piano Trio No.1 In B-Flat Major, D.898, II Andante un poco mosso as a tribute to Rosemary Gent, who worked as an artistic administrator for the BBC Proms for a decade. There was then a special performance of the “Theme from Schindler’s List,” arranged especially for the trio by John Williams himself. It was a lovely surprise and something truly special to see, knowing that it had been created for these three performers. 

Prom 54: Beethoven for Three was a powerful programme of Brahms and Beethoven, giving audience members the opportunity to see three masters of classical music at work. Kavakos, Ma and Ax came together for a wonderful performance, regardless of whether it was all Beethoven or not. 

The BBC Proms run at the Royal Albert Hall until 14 September

Photo Credits: BBC/Chris Christodoulou

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