Ben Capps | New York Concert Review, Inc.

The Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation and the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (USA) present The Olympus Piano Trio

Regi Papa, violin; Ben Capps, cello; Konstantine Valianatos, piano

Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Arts Center, New York, NY

November 5, 2015

These Greeks definitely bear gifts, and they’re not Trojan horses. They are the gifts of immense musical talent, coupled with the fearless technique of youth, and passionate commitment to every note they play. Also, the two foundations that presented the event gave New Yorkers another gift: an absolutely free, no tickets required event.

The Olympus Trio, as a whole, created an incredibly velvety tone at all times, scrupulously balanced (sometimes overly so), with unanimity of phrasing. I especially enjoyed the cellist Ben Capps’ expressive left-hand vibrato and his facial involvement: too often the cellist is in the “thankless” role in a trio. The violinist Regi Papa was less demonstrative, but there was much finesse in his understanding of how to expand a phrase, and in his beautiful sound.

The concert began with a ravishing performance of Rachmaninoff’s Trio élégiaque No.1 in G minor (1892), less often heard than the second one (Op. 9). It was composed in four days, and certainly this shows in the overwhelming preponderance of the piano part, but none of this was apparent from the gorgeous reading given by the Olympians. It emerged from “nothing,” just as Rachmaninoff intended, and progressed to its big climaxes elegantly. The coda’s funeral march was particularly haunting.

Next came a Mount Olympus of a different sort: Ravel’s Piano Trio. Here I had high expectations, and I would have to say that this was a “good” performance, but if the group is still together in ten years, it has the potential to become a “great” performance. The sins were mainly those of youth, and I do apologize for nit-picking. The first movement was far too “gooey,” although it is marked (unusually for Ravel) with numerous tempo changes, the players added too much un-French expressive rubato. The excellent pianist Konstantine Valiantos has a distressing habit of playing with his hands not together (I don’t mean where Ravel has so notated, but elsewhere): this may be allowed, perhaps, ONCE per entire concert, but not so often as here, it’s a careless mannerism. Also, Mr. Valianatos was so careful in his balances that there was often not enough piano (!), which is usually not the issue in this piece. He played a misprint that I have spent a lifetime trying to get people to correct (just because the Beaux-Arts Trio recorded it that way doesn’t make it true): the final note in the first movement piano part (right hand) is an E and G in BASS clef, please.

The second movement, Pantoum, was taken at an appropriate, breakneck tempo, with excitement, despite almost derailing the pianist a couple of times. That he did not get flustered at all is to his credit—so scary is this movement. The Passacaille third movement had the right mood, but oddly here Mr. Valianatos played his opening eight measures too loudly and with intrusive, fussy phrasing, thus ruining the “emergence from darkness.” The two strings’ haunting duo between rehearsal numbers 8 and 9 (Durand edition) was perfection. The Finale was robust, with the piano finally asserting itself fully.

After Intermission, the Trio played the New York premiere of an excerpt from a longer multi-media work called “Constantinople” by contemporary Greek-Canadian composer Christos Hatzis. They played “Odd World,” which was a good play on words, as the folk materials whizzed by in quintuplet meters, and other asymmetrical folk-inspired divisions. It was very accessible, and pleased the large crowd greatly.

Finally, they turned their talents and attentions to another pillar of the repertoire: Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66. It was finely phrased, and the quick movements were marvels of clarity. The desynchronization of the pianist’s hands reached epic proportions here (second movement), and it detracted from my total enjoyment, as I began wondering when it would happen next. The pianissimi, which are rarely observed, were perfect. At the fff statement of the “Doxology” hymn in the last movement, Mr. Valianatos truly broke free, honoring the dynamic with his biggest sound of the evening; I imagine he felt that since no one else was playing he could indulge, for he returned to his deferential style immediately after.

When a group is this good, they deserve to grow and become even better. I hope they will be encouraged, for they obviously give audiences a great deal of pleasure with their music.

by Frank Daykin for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Capps-Primakov-Lavrova: Passion-Romance-Fire

Ben Capps, cello; Vassily Primakov, piano; Natalia Lavrova, piano

Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY

March 14, 2015

Take one New York cellist, two Russian pianists, and a South African composer, and you have the beginnings of a rather unusual recipe for a concert. Serve generous amounts of Rachmaninoff and Chopin, plus a premiere for zing, and one can satisfy a full house for approximately two hours. With champagne afterwards to complete the party atmosphere, this was the recipe for Passion-Romance-Fire, a concert featuring cellist Ben Capps, pianists Vassily Primakov and Natalia Lavrova, and composer Braam van Eeden, presented by the artists at Merkin Concert Hall on March 14, 2015. Unusual as the recipe was, it made perfect sense in light of the friendships among these musicians, and the rapport was quite apparent.

Mr. Primakov and Ms. Lavrova opened the evening with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 1894 work, the Six Morceaux for piano four-hands, Op. 11. Telling native Russians the “proper” way to play Rachmaninoff may seem a bit like telling the sun how to rise, but I would like to express one reservation I had, and that was that the Barcarolle was a bit on the heavy-handed side. This minor matter notwithstanding, it was a stunning performance one would expect from two such highly accomplished pianists.

Abraham van Eeden (b. 1989), or Braam, as he prefers to be called, hails from South Africa. Mr. van Eeden is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Pretoria in piano and compostion and theory. He is currently studying composition in New York City with one of America’s finest composers, Lowell Liebermann. It is already paying dividends, judging by the quality of the work presented at this performance. Variations on a theme by Schumann, for cello and piano four hands, written especially for Mr. Capps, Mr. Primakov, and Ms. Lavrova, was given its world premiere. The theme, Fast zu Ernst, is from Kinderszenen. There are ten variations with a closing section. Cellist Ben Capps described this work as “Shostakovich and Piazzolla had a baby,” a humorous, but apt analysis. This is a highly dramatic and effective work, filled with eerie moments and excitement, all brought to a finish that Mr. van Eeden likens to an explosion. Mr. Capps, Mr. Primakov, and Ms. Lavrova wrung out every last drop of drama in a superb performance that was the highlight of the evening for this listener. Mr. van Eeden was in attendance, and stood to acknowledge the cheers of the appreciative audience.

The unusual scoring will likely limit extensive performances. It might be a good idea for Mr. van Eeden to work out a version for cello and piano, two hands, as well.

It is indisputable that Mr. van Eeden is a natural talent with seemingly limitless potential, given his youth. What remains to be seen is if he can fully develop those gifts and grow into a composer with a truly distinctive voice. The preliminary indications are looking favorable, as the Variations on a theme by Schumann is a leap forward from some of his earlier works.

Cellist Ben Capps offered two of the warhorses of the repertoire, Chopin’s Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op 65, and Rachmaninoff’s Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op .19. Expectations are high for any cellist who programs these masterpieces. Woe be to any cellist who is not up to the mark, as these works are so well known that even the average listener will easily detect flaws. There were no worries about this, as Mr. Capps “delivered the goods” with assurance in dynamic performances, further enhanced by the technical wizardry of Mr. Primakov, who made child’s play of the ferociously difficult piano parts. This is a pairing of talents with great potential! Interested listeners would be well-advised to seek out the CD of these works that Mr. Capps and Mr. Primakov recorded, which will be released on April 15, 2015- go to LP Classics for details.

Mr. Capps is all business in his demeanor- there is none of the incessant undulating that so many performers seem to feel is necessary (note to such performers: It isn’t). Playing a 1782 cello made by William Forester, Mr. Capp produces a tone that is rich, warm, and full-bodied, without any stridency in loud passages. He makes the most difficult passagework seem effortless. The closing of the Rachmaninoff sonata was scintillating and brought the audience to their feet. It was a fine end to a fine concert. Bravo to all!

by Jeffrey Williams for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

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