And when three first-class musicians like Cho-Liang Lin, Li Jian and Liwei Qin come together, the resulting performance is a rare and unforgettable musical treat.

On Sunday evening, the three international stars joined the China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) and captivated the audience at one of the Immortal Beethoven series of concerts being held in the Forbidden City Concert Hall.

Its score alone makes the Triple Concerto stand out among all the concertos of the 19th century. With this work, Beethoven set a new standard in the development of the concert style.

And Sunday's performance of this unusual concerto was hugely enjoyable.

Two lively outer movements, the last in polonaise rhythm, frame a brief, reflective slow movement and throughout there are memorable moments for all three soloists.

Chinese-American violinist Lin thrilled the packed hall with his usual superb technique and passion, secure intonation and forthright articulation in the finale. Paris-based pianist Li played a rather dramatic and extensive solo piano to make the work a mixture of timbre. And the brilliant young Australian-Chinese cellist Qin, with his 1721 Joseph Guarnerius cello, owned by the Australian Council and on loan to Qin since July 2000, played the slow movement main theme with glorious tone and expression.

Together, the three interpreted Beethoven's characteristic perfection of detail, grandeur of effect, and intense emotion.

Then in response to the audiences' lasting rhythmic curtain call, they played the second movement of Mendelssohn's Concerto for violin, cello and piano in D major.

Musical empathy

Rehearsals gave a clue of what was to come on the actual night of the long-awaited concert. The three soloists performed with an extraordinary level of empathy, and the CPO's rehearsal hall was filled with a fiery passion.

"The Triple Concerto is a challenge for three soloists. Sometimes each maybe has his own perfected style, but can not collaborate well with another at first, let alone when we have only three days to rehearse," explained Lin.

"But the first day's rehearsal was unexpectedly wonderful," he said. "We soon played with one mind including conductor Yang Yang...with a little reconciliation."

The empathy between Lin and Li lies in their nearly 20 years of collaboration, while that between Li and Qin may in part be due to the fact that they come from the same hometown. During rehearsals they could often be heard chatting fluently in their Shanghai dialect.

Their ties go down their family line. About 20 years ago, Li's mother, violinist Yu Lina and Qin's mother, pianist Lin Enpei were both members of the Shanghai Women's Quintet and their two sons often spent time together as boys. When Li left for the United States, Qin was only nine years old and had just begun to learn the cello.

Lin and Li first met 23 years ago. In 1981 Lin was invited to perform in Shanghai where he was introduced to 16-year-old prodigy Li who had just won the top prize at the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud competition in Paris.

"I remembered the young man who was born the same date, but five years younger than me at that first meeting," said Lin.

Li, meanwhile, still recalls Lin giving him US$100 to buy a ticket for a concert by the prestigious Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. "I admired the orchestra so much but I could not afford to go," Li said. At that time, he was studying with the legendary Mieczyslaw Horszowski at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Those, once young men, whose memories of that first meeting when they were 21 and 16-year-old promising musicians are today internationally recognised virtuosos. Besides their achievements in music, they have developed a special friendship between established musicians and have performed together a number of times, although they live far apart in New York and Paris.

Next month, they will feature in "La Jolla Chamber Music Festival," an annual event organized by Lin in southern California.

"We are naturally close friends and collaborative musicians," said Lin. While for his part, Li said, "During rehearsals I know what he wants without me seeing him."

Li spoke of Lin's innate humility. "He is modest and easy to approach. He never puts on airs because he is a master."

Despite being the most renowned among the gathering, Lin joined the rehearsals whole-heartedly. Although serious and dedicated when playing, a smile invariably swept his face when communicating with others.

Although necessarily strict with the orchestra, with whom he was co-operating for a second concert, he was quick to acknowledge their skill, describing them as a "high-level orchestra." At breaks in rehearsal he offered his advice to the conductor and often exchanged ideas on the use of the bow with Wu Yang, the first violinist.

But he was really modest and always prefaced his suggestions by saying: "Just a little..." or "If I could..."

"I do not think I am better than them, so I do not want to be different," Lin said. "When we are playing Beethoven, he is the greatest musician while we are all nothing."

Music of tomorrow

All three spoke highly of the CPO as well as the rapid development of classical music in China.

"My memory of mainland orchestras was the Central Symphony Orchestra (now National Symphony Orchestra) of 20 years ago when I performed with it. But now the CPO has become an outstanding orchestra in Asia.

"It is a very dedicated, professional orchestra and I believe it will eventually be listed among the world's top orchestras due to their hard work," Lin told China Daily.

Li said he was impressed by the standard of venues in many major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

He has also found that classical music education has been strengthened among young people. Last year, he and his mother were conferred with the titles of honorary professor by Nanjing University, when it celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Both of the musicians feel happy to see so many talented young Chinese players emerging, but they warn them not just to aim for a few competitions in pursuit of instantaneous fame. Classical music is not the same as pop in which a star can rise overnight, but then disappear within one or two years.

"Classical music is a career you should devote your whole life to, and time is the best measure to gauge your achievements," said Li .

(China Daily July 1, 2003)