Beaux Arts at 50

AFTER 50 YEARS OF PLAYING, TO HAVE AN ANNIVERSARY CONCERT, AND IN THE PLACE THAT I LOVE.

Narrator: IN JULY OF 2005, ONE OF THE WORLD'S BEST-LOVED CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLES CELEBRATED ITS 50th ANNIVERSARY.

JOIN PIANIST MENAHEM PRESSLER, VIOLINIST DANIEL HOPE, AN CELLIST ANTONIO MENESES AS THEY RECREATE THE BEAUX ARTS TRIO'S HISTORIC FIRST PERFORMANCE, AN ALL-BEETHOVEN CONCERT.

Man: WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY SOME OF THE GREATEST MUSIC EVER WRITTEN.

YOU KNOW, MASTERFUL WORKS BY SOMEBODY WHO WAS SO AHEAD OF HIS TIME, SO TALENTED, HAD SO MUCH TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD.

Man: WHEN WE STARTED PLAYING THE PIECES AND IT STARTED GETTING BETTER AND BETTER FROM CONCERT TO CONCERT, THIS MADE ME FEEL LIKE, YES, THIS IS HOW I WANT TO PLAY EVERY PIECE.

EVERY PIECE THAT WE PLAY, I WANT IT TO BE LIKE THIS.

[ MUSIC PLAYING ] THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY SMITHVILLE DIGITAL, AN INDIANA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, WHICH IS PROUD TO SALUTE THE OUTSTANDING FACULTY OF THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY JACOBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

AND BY A GRANT FROM THE LILLY ENDOWMENT, IN SUPPORT OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY'S NEW FRONTIERS IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES PROGRAM.

AND ALSO BY -- [ APPLAUSE ] [ PLAYING "TRIO IN C MINOR, OP.

1, NO.

3" ] [ MUSIC PLAYING ] Pressler: WHY DID IT LAST SO LONG?

I THINK BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT GAVE PEOPLE PLEASURE.

[ MUSIC PLAYING ] "PLEASURE" IS THE WRONG WORD TO SAY, BECAUSE IN MUSIC IT IS MORE THAN PLEASURE.

IT IS A KIND OF SATISFACTION, IT'S A KIND OF FEELING FULFILLED WHEN YOU GO TO A CONCERT, AND THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ALWAYS PART OF WHAT BEAUX ARTS TRIO WAS, THAT IT HAD A CERTAIN KIND OF SEARCH FOR THAT INDEFINABLE THING THAT WE CALL INSPIRATION.

[ MUSIC PLAYING THROUGHOUT ] SOMEHOW FROM THE BEGINNING, EACH ONE WHO WAS IN THE TRIO WAS CONCERNED WITH IT, THAT IS ACTUALLY THE REASON FOR ITS LONGEVITY.

Hope: WHERE WE ARE AT THE MOMENT IS A VERY HAPPY, VERY AMBITIOUS TRIO, WITH THREE VERY LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT BE FROM THREE DIFFERENT GENERATIONS.

BUT WE HAVE THE SAME GOALS.

[ MUSIC PLAYING ] Hope: LOOKING AT THE PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS OF THE TRIO, THEY TENDED TO SIT FURTHER APART.

THERE'S NO RIGHT OR WRONG IN THIS, I JUST PERSONALLY LIKE, ESPECIALLY TO HAVE THE CONTACT WITH ANTONIO, BECAUSE WHEN WE PLAY TOGETHER IN CERTAIN THINGS, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT VISUAL CONTACT, AND I FIND THAT SITTING CLOSER TO HIM I'M ABLE TO PLAY BETTER TOGETHER WITH HIM.

AND THE SAME GOES FOR MENAHEM, I LIKE TO HAVE THE VISUAL CONTACT, I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE HIM AND LOOK HIM IN THE EYES, WHEN NECESSARY, TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, TO OBSERVE THE SIGNALS THAT WE ARE ALL GIVING OFF.

WHETHER IT'S SLOW DOWN, SPEED UP, OR WHATEVER, WE'RE CONSTANTLY TALKING IN A SENSE, MUSICALLY, AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT, I LIKE TO HAVE US ALL THREE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE.

Meneses: THE FACT THAT I CAN SEE DANIEL VERY WELL HELPS ME, BECAUSE HE'S A BRIDGE BETWEEN ME AND MENAHEM.

AND ANOTHER THING, FOR INSTANCE, THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT, I'M ALWAYS WATCHING WHAT DANIEL IS DOING, BECAUSE I HAVE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF SPEED OF THE BOW HE'S USING, WHAT KIND OF VIBRATO, ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT SO THAT THE SOUNDS REALLY BLEND.

IT HAS TO BLEND PERFECTLY SO THAT WE BECOME ALMOST LIKE ONE INSTRUMENT BY ITSELF.

[ MUSIC PLAYING ] Pressler: THOSE ARE THREE PAIRS OF EARS THAT WATCH NOT ONLY THEMSELVES, BUT WATCH THE OTHER ONE.

AND BY PLAYING TOGETHER, WHEN WE PLAY TOGETHER, ISN'T IT TRUE, WHEN WE PLAY TOGETHER, WE FIND WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE GROUP.

IT'S NOT JUST WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU, WHAT'S RIGHT FOR ME.

IT IS WONDERFUL TO FEEL THAT, THAT YOU ARE PART OF SOMETHING.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU BECOME BIGGER AND STRONGER AND HAPPIER.

[ PLAYING "TRIO IN D MAJOR OP.

70, NO.

1" ] Pressler: MAYBE NOT.

NO, MAYBE IT'S NOT.

NOT AT MUCH, HUH?

WHAT?

NOT AS MUCH.

[ PLAYING MUSIC ] YEAH, JUST DO THIS -- YEAH, OKAY.

HOW'S THAT?

WE HAVE THIS, WE'RE PLAYING A LITTLE LESS AT 155... WE START.

WE SHOULD PROBABLY CRESCENDO THAT.

ABSOLUTELY.

WE SOMETIMES STAY... NO, NO, NO.

Hope: WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING INTO TECHNICAL DETAIL.

THAT MEANS, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE PIANO HAS A NUMBER OF FAST NOTES, AND ONE OF US HAS TO JOIN AND PLAY AT THE SAME SPEED, WE'RE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY TOGETHER, THAT WE MOVE AT THE SAME SPEEDS, PARTICULARLY IN THE MUSIC OF BEETHOVEN, WHICH IS VERY COMPLEX, THERE ARE MANY PASSAGES WHERE YOU HAVE TO PLAY TOGETHER AT HIGH SPEEDS OR YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE SPEED VERY QUICKLY, AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE SPEND HOURS WORKING AT TO SEE THAT EVERY WORD OR EVERY NOTE IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

[ MUSIC PLAYING ] Hope: YEAH, WE NEVER PLAY LIKE THAT.

NOW, THAT WAS IN TIME.

NOW, THE BEAT, ONLY WE GIVE THE BEATS TOO MUCH.

IN ORDER TO SHOW IT, BUT HE IS RIGHT.

I GO WITH THAT.

YEAH, BUT IT'S ALWAYS FINE UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THAT, THIS PART.

THIS IS WHERE IT HAPPENS.

HERE WE'RE ALWAYS TOGETHER.

NO, WE WENT ONE, TWO, THREE...

BUT IT'S FIVE AND SIX IS WHERE WE GET OUT ALWAYS.

SEVEN, EIGHT, ONE.

AT LEAST, THAT'S WHAT I DO.

TRY IT ONCE NOW WITHOUT THE LITTLE ACCENTS... Meneses: IT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.

WE PRACTICE AND REHEARSE TO A POINT WHERE WE REALLY BREATHE TOGETHER AND TELEPATHIC FEELINGS ARE THERE WHERE WE REALLY KNOW WHAT EACH ONE OF US IS GOING TO DO DURING THE NEXT PHRASE.

[ MUSIC PLAYING ] YEAH.

IT WAS GOOD.

BECAUSE I DO COUNT.

IT'S, OF COURSE -- I COUNT WITH GOOD INTENTION, AND THEN MAYBE SOMETIMES THE GOOD INTENTION GETS LOST SOMEWHERE ON THE WAY.

BUT LET'S DO IT ONCE MORE THEN FROM HERE.

Pressler: OF COURSE, YOU ENJOY IT AFTER YOU START.

WHEN YOU THINK OF IT, YOU SAY, OH, MY GOD, I HAVE TO DO THAT TODAY?

BUT THEN YOU START DOING IT.

AND YOU START -- DISCOVERING THINGS.

EXACTLY.

AND THEN YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN FEEL MUCH MORE ALIVE.

YEAH, WHEN HE ENTERS -- [ PLAYS MUSIC ] IT SHOULD BE -- Pressler: IT HAS TO BE LIKED BY EVERY ONE OF US.

THE MORE BEAUTIFUL EACH OF US PLAY, THE MORE PLEASURE EACH OF US HAVE.

[ MUSIC PLAYS ] THAT'S BETTER.

THAT WAS GOOD, ALSO HE IS RIGHT WHEN YOU ENTERED THERE.

I'M JUST PLAYING -- I KNOW THAT, I KNOW THAT, BUT I THINK, I'M GLADLY GOING WITH YOU.

[ MUSIC PLAYS ] YES.

Pressler: IT DOES THAT WHICH IN CHAMBER MUSIC SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE CASE.

WE DO THAT WHICH THE FAMOUS MUSICAL "ANNIE GET YOUR GUN" ALWAYS USED TO SAY -- WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, I CAN DO BETTER.

AND SO WE TRY TO BETTER EACH OTHER, AND BY JUST THAT, IT IS MORE BEAUTIFUL.

[ PLAYING "TRIO IN B-FLAT MAJOR, OP.

97" ] WHEN IT COMES TO A CONCERT, IT IS MAKING IT PERFECT, BUT IT HAS TO BE NOW.

IT HAS TO BE YOU.

IT HAS TO BE HUMAN.

I HAS TO HAVE AN ABANDON THAT YOU CAN NEVER DARE TO DO, OR SELDOM DO IN A RECORDING STUDIO.

YOU HAVE TO ABANDON YOURSELF, YOU HAVE TO AIM TO REACH FOR THE STARS.

AND YOU MAY FALL ON YOUR FACE DOING THAT.

BUT IF YOU DON'T TRY TO REACH, YOU'LL NEVER GET THERE.

[ MUSIC PLAYS ] WHAT HAS TO BE PERFECT IN A CONCERT IS THAT DIRECTNESS IN WHICH YOU SPEAK TO SOMEONE.

[ MUSIC PLAYS ] Meneses: AS SOON AS I PLAY THAT FIRST NOTE, IT'S PLAYED, YOU CANNOT UNDO IT ANYMORE.

THAT NOTE, IF IT WAS BAD, IT WAS BAD, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

A PHRASE, IF IT WAS PLAYED WELL, WONDERFUL.

IF IT WAS NOT, IT IS ALREADY OVER.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU GO ON STAGE TO PLAY A CONCERT, IN A DIFFERENT KIND OF MENTALITY THAT YOU GO TO MAKE A RECORDING.

[ MUSIC PLAYS ] Hope: AND IF YOU HAVE AN AUDIENCE THAT'S CLOSED OFF TO YOU, YOU FEEL IT, YOU HAVE TO WORK DOUBLY HARD TO TRY AND COMMUNICATE SOMETHING, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, IF YOU HAVE AN AUDIENCE THAT YOU FEEL IS REALLY BEHIND YOU, THAT'S WITH YOU, THAT'S LISTENING WITH YOU, IT'S A TREMENDOUS HELP AND INSPIRATION.

IT'S SOMETHING YOU GAUGE INSTANTLY, ALMOST FROM THE MINUTE YOU WALK ON THE STAGE YOU HAVE THIS FEELING.

[ MUSIC PLAYS ] I REMEMBER ONE CONCERT IN BERLIN, AT THE VERY END WE'D FINISHED WITH THE OPUS 11 AND THE BEAUTIFUL SLOW MOVEMENT OF BEETHOVEN, WITH ANTONIO'S WONDERFUL SOLO ON THE CELLO, AND AS WE FINISHED IT, IT WAS VERY QUIET AND SOMEBODY SAID FROM THE BACK OF THE HALL IN BERLIN, VERY CLEARLY, "THANK YOU."

AND THAT WAS REALLY QUITE SPECIAL TO HEAR THAT, BECAUSE IT WAS SO HEARTFELT AND IT WAS REALLY MEANT THAT WAY.

AND THAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION, THAT'S WHY WE DO THIS.

[ PLAYING "TRIO IN B-FLAT MAJOR, OP.

11" ] [ APPLAUSE ] [ MUSIC PLAYING ] Pressler: IT HELPS ME TO FIND MYSELF, TO FIND THOSE REASONS IN ME THAT DRIVE ME TO CONTINUE.

Hope: WE THINK ABOUT NOW, WE THINK ABOUT THE MOMENT, AND THAT'S ALL WE REALLY CAN DO, ALL THAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO DO, ACTUALLY.

Pressler: WHAT?

WE LIKE WHAT YOU DID.

[ LAUGHTER ] I WILL DEFEND MY TITLE AS THE SOFTEST PIANIST THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN.

I SIT RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM, SO I HAVE THE GREATEST PLEASURE OF ALL.

OF COURSE, HE PLAYS BEAUTIFULLY, ALSO.

[ LAUGHTER ] "BEAUX ARTS AT 50" IS AVAILABLE ON VIDEO CASSETTE OR DVD WITH ADDITIONAL FEATURES.

TO ORDER, CALL -- THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY SMITHVILLE DIGITAL, AN INDIANA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, WHICH IS PROUD TO SALUTE THE OUTSTANDING FACULTY OF THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY JACOBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

AND BY A GRANT FROM THE LILLY ENDOWMENT, IN SUPPORT OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY'S NEW FRONTIERS IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES PROGRAM.

AND ALSO BY -- WE ARE PBS.