Lisa Sapinkopf Artists The Jacques Thibaud String Trio
performed along with others at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre this past
Wednesday.
By Howard Ho
Daily Bruin contributor
Last week the classical music world celebrated the birthday of
one of its most influential violinists.
The 56th season of the Music Guild’s concert series
highlighted Jascha Heifetz’s 100th birthday on Wednesday at
the Wilshire Ebell Theatre with a concert of his favorite pieces
performed by the Jacques Thibaud Trio.
Heifetz’s career remains unequaled in both the quality and
quantity of his performances and recordings.
The evening began with two adagios and fugues by Bach,
transcribed for string trio by Mozart (K.404a). The Jacques Thibaud
Trio, named after the famous French violinist, commanded the stage.
Violinist Burkhard Maiss skillfully led the group with his piercing
tones. Violist Philip Douvier gave a superb supporting performance,
while cellist Uwe Hirth-Schmidt added some fire and passion to the
mix. The Bach pieces were played with necessary precision and a
tinge of emotion.
Mozart’s Piano Quartet (K.493) came next with a pianist
accompanying the trio to create the fourth instrumentalist. Playing
piano was none other than Ayke Agus, Heifetz’s student and
accompanist for 15 years. While the Jacques Thibaud Trio gave a
sense of youthful energy, Agus provided experience and gravitas to
the ensemble. Agus proved her skill as she effectively held the
group together but didn’t overpower them.
“Jascha (Heifetz) believed that chamber music was like
life. If you know the other people’s parts, then you can do
your own even better,” Agus said immediately before the
performance.
The highlight of the quartet was the fanciful Allegretto, which,
according the show’s program, Albert Einstein once said
contained “the purest, most childlike melody ever
sung.”
Finally, the pièce de résistance of the evening was
Schubert’s “Trout” quintet. Adding to the quartet
was double bassist Christopher Hanulik, a UCLA faculty member.
The quintet gets its name from the fourth movement, which
includes a theme and variations on a Franz Schubert song,
“The Trout.”
While the ensemble had been playing on par the entire evening,
the stresses of Schubert began to show. Though a great pianist,
Agus occasionally crept too far into the background. Conversely,
the strings were unfortunately constantly in the foreground, even
when they were required to enter the background. This dilemma
became obvious when cellist Hirth-Schmidt entered too zealously and
preempted the piano cue.
Certainly, one could assign these problems to the Jacques
Thibaud Trio’s youth, forming at the Berlin School of Art
when they were students there in 1994, but its members really
showed no signs of immaturity. The professionalism of the trio
drove the crowd to tears and earned the group the resounding
“bravos” that come from such an exquisite reading of a
chamber masterpiece.
Heifetz, who died in 1987, was truly commemorated. In the world
of music, musicians come and go, but Heifetz remains a pillar for
violinists to live up to.
Having started their concert careers so young, the members of
the Jacques Thibaud Trio have the potential to usher in a new
generation of classical musicians.
Agus, who grew up in Indonesia, continues to remind us of
Heifetz’s legacy through her new book “Heifetz, As I
Knew Him” and also with CDs that feature her playing
Heifetz’s violin transcriptions of piano works.
Such celebration for a musician is rare. It is truly a unique
experience to witness the skillful and inspired performance of
these musicians.