Byron Schenkman Friends season four 2016-2017 page 1 Tickets start at $52 SEATTLE CHAMBER MUSIC 2017 SEASON SOCIETY JAMES EHNES Artistic Director WINTER FESTIVAL // JANUARY 20-29 BOX OFFICE SUMMER FESTIVAL // JULY 3-29 (206) 283-8808 seattlechambermusic.org ILLSLEY BALL NORDSTROM RECITAL HALL at Benaroya Hall Dragonfly Nutrition Bars Energy, nutrition, and happiness. • Made with raw nuts, • Nutritious and tasty organic dried fruits, and egg white protein • Made in Kirkland, WA from raw nuts • Fits perfectly into paleo, and organic dried gluten-free, and raw fruits all sourced in food diets the USA for fans of Byron Schenkman & Friends 10% OFF Coupon code: FRIENDOFBYRON www.dragonflybars.com Welcome to the fourth season of Byron Schenkman & Friends! I am very grateful for the joyful enthusiasm which has surrounded this series, from our first concert of Beethoven Piano Quartets three years ago up to the present. Our programs often juxtapose familiar works, such as a beloved Bach concerto or Mozart quartet, with wonderful music we may be hearing for the first time, including works by women such as Fanny Mendelssohn and Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. Each year we reconnect with old friends and cover, back cover & welcome page photos by will austin by photos page & welcome cover back cover, meet some new friends too, both onstage and among the audience. This season I am especially delighted to welcome Margy Special thanks Crosby, our new General Manager. Margy to our series founders, will keep things flowing smoothly throughout Robert DeLine and Carol Salisbury, the season and is already helping to plan and to all our donors, for our fifth season and beyond. These are volunteers, and patrons! Special thanks also to Tom Lewandowski for exciting times for BS&F and I am happy that all his generous support and assistance. you are here to enjoy this music with us! Byron Schenkman & Friends is an Associated Program of Shunpike. page 3 September Bach & 18 the Mendelssohns 2016 Ingrid Matthews & Liza Zurlinden u V iolins Susan Gulkis Assadi u V iola Geoffrey Dean u Cello Byron Schenkman u Piano Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Sonata in G Major, BWV 1027, for viola and piano Adagio u Allegro ma non tanto u Andante u Allegro moderato Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847): Fantasy in G Minor for cello and piano Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Il Saltarello Romano, op. 6, no. 4, for piano solo Allegro u Andante and variations u Tempo di Minuetto Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto in F Minor, BWV 1056, for piano and strings Allegro u Adagio u Presto intermission Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847): Trio in C Minor, op. 66, for violin, cello, and piano Allegro energico e con fuoco u Andante espressivo u Scherzo: Molto allegro quasi presto u Finale: Allegro appassionato page 4 notes on the program By Byron Schenkman The music of the Mendelssohns the right hand of the harpsichord, Most of Bach’s keyboard concertos would not exist without that of while the left hand plays the began as concertos for violin or Johann Sebastian Bach. Both continuo part. The entire sonata oboe. The middle movement of Fanny and Felix were entirely is written in a three-voice texture, Bach’s Concerto in F Minor exists steeped in the music of the great often with the same material passed in an oboe version as the sinfonia Baroque master. Likewise, Bach’s around from voice to voice. to Cantata 156. It also bears a close music would not exist as we know resemblance to the opening of a it if the Mendelssohns had not The Mendelssohn family hosted flute concerto by Georg Philipp worked tirelessly to bring it to the musical salons which were Telemann, a friend of Bach’s public. The idea of performing frequented by the intellectual and one of the most celebrated music of the past was new in the elite of Europe. Contemporaries composers of his time. 19th century. Felix Mendelssohn described Fanny Mendelssohn as was a leading figure in establishing being either as talented as or more Bach’s influence can be heard a standard concert repertory, talented than her brother Felix. throughout Felix Mendelssohn’s often with the support and Their younger sister Rebecka Trio in C Minor, most notably in mentorship of his older sister. complained that in any other the way melodies are embedded His 1829 performances of Bach’s family she would have been highly in extended passages of running St. Matthew Passion, which Fanny regarded as a musician but that sixteenth notes. Mendelssohn’s helped to prepare, were among the she could not compete with Fanny use of a chorale in the last most important musical events of and Felix. Fanny wrote songs movement (as in his “Reformation” the century. for Rebecka to sing and wrote Symphony) also hearkens back to the Fantasy in G Minor for their German Baroque traditions. Bach’s Sonata in G Major for younger brother Paul, an excellent viol and harpsichord (which we cellist. Il Saltarello Romano is from are performing on viola and piano) one of the books of “Songs for is a reworking of his own earlier the Piano” (much like Felix’s trio-sonata for two flutes and “Songs without Words”) which continuo. Bach assigns one flute Fanny published near the end of part to the viol and the other to her short life. page 5 October 30 Music for 2016 the Sun King Andrew Fouts & Ingrid Matthews u V iolins Elisabeth reed u V iol Nathan Whittaker u Cello Byron Schenkman u Harpsichord Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (1665-1729): Sonata in D Major for two violins, viol, and continuo Marin Marais (1656-1728): Symphonie in D Major from Pièces en trio for two trebles and continuo Louis Couperin (c.1626-1661): Pieces in F Major for harpsichord Prélude u Allemande grave u Courante u Branle de Basque u Gaillarde u Tombeau de M. Blancrocher François Couperin (1668 - 1733): Sonata in D Minor, La Sultane, for two trebles, two basses, and continuo intermission Jean-Féry Rebel (1666-1747): Sonata in C Minor, Tombeau de M. Lully, for two violins, viol, and continuo Jean-Henry D’Anglebert (1629-1691): Prelude in G Minor and Passacaille d’Armide (after Lully) for harpsichord Marin Marais: Suite in D from Pièces en trio for two trebles and continuo Prélude u Sarabande grave u Fantaisie champestre u Gavotte en rondeau and Double u Gigue u Branle de village page 6 notes on the program By Byron Schenkman The court of Louis XIV is best Marin Marais was one of the entertainment. La Sultane is richly known in music history for the greatest viol players of all time and scored for two treble and two bass work of Jean-Baptiste Lully, the a composer of consistently gorgeous instruments plus continuo. Its development of French Baroque music. In 1692 he published a large title is typical of early 18th-century opera, and the powerful influence collection of Pièces en trio for pairs fascination with the exotic other. of the French court on all of of melody instruments (flutes, Western music for years to come. oboes, or violins) with continuo. Jean-Baptiste Lully, the towering “The Sun King” loved music for Many of these pieces also appeared figure of the French Baroque, wrote dancing and for dazzling spectacle, in a manuscript collection of Trios no instrumental chamber music. but also to accompany his more pour le coucher du Roi (“trios for the However, many transcriptions private daily activities. Our king’s bedtime”). were made of music from his program focuses on the intimate operas, such as D’Anglebert’s music from his court, with works French harpsichord music was as harpsichord version of the famous by composers close to him and widely influential as the operatic Passacaille from Armide. One of including music for the king’s music of Lully. Bach’s famous Lully’s students was the virtuoso bedtime. keyboard suites, for example, violinist Rebel who paid tribute would not exist without that to his teacher in his heartbreaking Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre came French influence. D’Anglebert and Tombeau de M. Lully. to court as a child prodigy and Louis Couperin, both employed remained one of the king’s favorite by Louis XIV, were two of the best musicians throughout her career. harpsichord composers of the 17th Although she chose to remain an century. independent musician in Paris, she was one of very few musicians François Couperin was referred to allowed the honor of dedicating as Le Grand (“the great”) in part her works to the king. Jacquet to distinguish him from other published an unusual amount of musical members of his family, music for any composer of her such as his uncle Louis. This time, including harpsichord suites, younger Couperin’s duties at court violin sonatas, sacred and secular included providing chamber music cantatas, and an opera. for the king’s Sunday afternoon page 7 December 29 Bach & Corelli 2016 Ingrid Matthews u V iolin Byron Schenkman u Harpsichord Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713): Sonata in C Major, op. 5, no. 3, for violin and continuo Adagio u Allegro u Adagio u Allegro u Allegro Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914, for harpsichord (Adagio) u Un poco allegro u Adagio u Fuga: Allegro Arcangelo Corelli: Sonata in G Minor, op. 5, no. 5, for violin and continuo Adagio u Vivace u Adagio u Vivace u Allegro intermission Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata in G Minor, BWV 1001, for violin Adagio u Fuga u Siciliana u Presto Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto in G Major, BWV 986, for harpsichord (Allegro) u Adagio u Allegro Arcangelo Corelli: Sonata in A Major, op.