Classical Sessions: Gautier Capuçon & Capucelli

Made up of six former cello students from Gautier Capuçon’s class at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, plus Gautier himself, the Capucelli (playfully named by blending the words “Capuçon” and the Italian word for “cellos”) bring a mix of film and video game soundtracks, opera arias, and jazz to their Classical Session. Each track works as brilliantly as the next, thanks to the versatility of this type of ensemble. “A group of cellos has the potential to sound so much like an orchestra,” Capuçon tells Apple Music. “It’s the instrument that’s closest to the human voice, and can cover the whole register from the bass to the highest notes. So, you can do all the accompaniments as well as the melody.” The Capucellis prove this and more in their opening track, Henry Mancini’s swaggering theme to The Pink Panther. It begins with the cool, nonchalant sound of fingers clicking before the chromatic bass accompaniment rumbles in, preparing the ground for Mancini’s great melody. Next, Giovanni Sollima’s effervescent Marcia showcases the group’s sheer rhythmic vitality and brilliant ensemble. “We used to play this piece at every final concert of the season at the Louis Vuitton Foundation,” says Capuçon. “It’s such a funny piece—we really love playing it.” The main theme from League of Legends takes us into the realm of the fantasy video game, the Capucellis adding cinematic drama with a battery of percussion, also deployed for the theme to the TV series Game of Thrones, which growls with a renewed menace, the raw cello bass reflecting GoT’s medieval world perhaps even more vividly than the original soundtrack. Finally, we’re taken to the opera with the beautiful “Flower Duet” from Delibes’ Lakmé, arranged by Capuçon’s long-term musical partner, the pianist Jérôme Ducros. Like much of the music in this Classical Session, Delibes’ duet has a life of its own outside the concert hall, its starring role in TV commercials bringing it to millions across the world. “Even if people don’t think they know classical music,” Capuçon suggests, “it turns out they actually do.”