There is a beautiful theater in the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco, the Gunn Theater. It is in the style of a jewel box grown up enough for 316 people to admire the walls’ decorations and appreciate a truly great chamber music performance. Every seat is taken far in advance for the trio performances by Alexander Barantschik, violin; Anton Nel, piano; Peter Wyrick, ‘cello. On December 1, 2024, the program was all Beethoven: two sonatas and one trio. It is difficult to describe the extraordinary performances; only a list of all the superlatives possible will come close.

The artists had planned the program so that each combination of instruments left the audience gasping with ever more wonder.

Alexander Barantschik, violinist

Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Opus 12, no.1 (ca. 1798) opened the program. It is notable for the partnership between piano and violin. At the time that Beethoven wrote this sonata, the violin was considered the junior partner which could even be left out. Beethoven had written “for the Harpsichord or the Pianoforte with Violin.” However, the two music sources played together and occasionally competed which they also did together. They had alternating roles fitting in like individuals jumping in to jump rope: the one jumping has to jump out just a breath before the new jumper enters with a jump. It was fascinating syncopation satisfying visual and audio senses. A critic of the Leipzig news claimed the sonata was too difficult and made so on purpose. It would exhaust the audience and the performer. He wrote that, “There are always many who love difficulties in invention and composition, what we might call perversities…” Two hundred and twenty-six years later, Beethoven’s audiences are lucky to hear these difficulties.

Peter Wyrick, ‘cellist

The Cello Sonata No. 1 in F major, Opus 5, no.1 was written in 1796. Beethoven created eight works for ‘cello and piano. At this time, he was gaining attention as a composer. This music surprises the listener. It begins slowly, Adagio sostenuto, and ultimately turns into a very, very quick Presto and a challenging Rondo. The musicians play with amazing speed and equally amazing technique. The whole Sonata is wonderful; the latter part was so brilliant that it is hard to remember the lovely beginning.

Anton Nel, pianist

The program’s finale was Piano Trio in E-flat major, Opus 70, no. 2. It interested me that the movements are Allegro ma non troppo, Allegretto, Allegretto ma non troppo, Finale: Allegro. Was Beethoven in a particularly good mood when he wrote this? It was written in 1808. He did put restraints on exactly how Allegretto or Allegro the music could be. The spirit of the Trio is graceful and calm. It seems to me that Beethoven is exploring. He gives us thoughtfulness that is not mulling over. There are patches of light like a falling star, it seems to have an improvisation energy. He is the creative artist pondering but never ponderous. It is a wonderful, Beethoven world.

Biographies of each artist would take too much space in a post. Here are brief summaries, offered in alphabetical order.

Alexander Barantschik joined the San Francisco Symphony as Concertmaster, in 2001. Before that, he had been concertmaster of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. He has been an active soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe. He has collaborated with Andre Previn, Antonio Pappano, and  Mstislav Rostropovich. As concertmaster of LSO, he toured Europe, USA, Japan.

Anton Nel was the winner of the 1987 Naumberg International Piano Competition. He tours as a recitalist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He has performed with leading orchestras in the US: Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Seattle Symphony. He has performed in Wigmore Hall (London), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Suntory Hall (Japan), and other major venues in China, Korea, and South Africa. He holds the Long Endowed Chair at the University of Texas, Austin. He is also on faculties at the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival.

Peter Wyrick was a member of the SF Symphony cello section, 1986-1989 and rejoined the SFS as Associate Principal Cello, 1999-2023 when he retired from the SF Symphony. He was previously principal cello withthe Mostly Mozart Orchestra and associate principal cello with New York City Opera. He has been soloist with SFS in C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A major, Bernstein’s Meditation No.1 from the Mass, Haydn’s Sinfonia concertante in B-flat major. He has collaborated with Yo=Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Jean=Ives Thibaudet,  among others.