Concert review: Gautier Capuçon (cello) Frank Braley (piano)

At the end of a sunny spring weekend in London which had already seen Gautier Capuçon giving three concerts and a masterclass, the indefatigable French cellist walked onto the Wigmore Hall stage as fresh as ever with Frank Braley to perform all five of Beethoven’s cello sonatas.

This was an exceptional concert, with the capacity audience spellbound, hanging on every note. It was obvious that the pair, who recorded the sonatas back in 2016, were still finding fresh pleasure in them, occasionally looking towards each other and smiling in delight.

Capuçon played with typical finesse, making each note count and honouring the subtlety of Beethoven’s dynamic and articulation markings so that every phrase was brought to life and every detail heard. It felt as if he was in total control of his instrument, a true master craftsman of the cello, drawing a whole range of colours from his 1701 Gofriller.

In Capuçon’s hands the mood could change totally within an upward arpeggio, such as that which opens the last sonata, or even in a single long note. The Allegros were virtuosically fast and Braley’s pianism throughout utterly accomplished, the ensemble spot-on. Only in the A major’s first movement did it suffer slightly as Capuçon pushed the tempo on with his cross-string semiquavers.

It felt as if nothing could follow such a monumental cycle, but in the event Elgar’s Salut d’amour, in an exquisitely poignant performance, proved the perfect choice for the setting.

JANET BANKS