Advance Program Notes Chamber Music Series June 13-29, 2016 These Advance Program Notes are provided online for our patrons who like to read about performances ahead of time. Printed programs will be provided to patrons at the performances. Programs are subject to change. Chamber Music Series June 13-29, 2016 All performances are free and will be held in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, Street and Davis Performance Hall in the Moss Arts Center unless otherwise noted. Thursday, June 16, 2016, 7:30 PM Saturday, June 25, 2016, 7:30 PM SUMMER NIGHTS AND MELODIES FOLK INSPIRATIONS AND ECHOES Nikola Djurica, clarinet Katharina Kang, viola Nikola Djurica, clarinet Michael Strauss, viola Mathias Tacke, violin Dmitry Kouzov, cello Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin Emanuel Gruber, cello David Ehrlich, violin Richard Masters, piano Mathias Tacke, violin Richard Masters, piano David Ehrlich, violin Our June chamber series brings music guaranteed to set your spirits soaring into the summer stars. We Drawing inspiration from many lands and folk start out with Beethoven’s Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and traditions, this evening features rich works, including Piano in B Flat Major, op. 11; Dohnányi’s Quintet for the Arutiunian Suite for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano; Piano and Strings, no. 1 in C Minor; and a buoyant the Kodály Serenade for Two Violins and Viola; and selection of Klezmer Music for Clarinet and String other repertoire. Quartet. Thursday, June 16, 2016, 7:30 PM Tuesday, June 28, 2016, 7:30 PM INFORMAL JAZZ CONCERT FEATURING CLARINET ELEGANCE AND EMOTION AND PIANO Squires Recital Salon P. Buckley Moss Art Gallery, 223 Gilbert Street, Blacksburg Nikola Djurica, clarinet Katharina Kang, viola Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin Michael Strauss, viola Nikola Djurica, clarinet Albert Newberry, piano David Ehrlich, violin Emanuel Gruber, cello Enjoy art and jazz in this casual gathering hosted by The evening’s concert puts lyricism in the spotlight, the P. Buckley Moss Art Gallery. with Mozart’s fancifully romantic Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A Major, Pártos’ Concertino for String Quartet, and Mendelssohn’s String Quintet in B Flat Thursday, June 23, 2016, 7:30 PM Major, op. 87, with its passionate and mysterious QUINTET FERVOR undertones. Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin Michael Strauss, viola Mathias Tacke, violin Dmitry Kouzov, cello David Ehrlich, violin Richard Masters, piano Wednesday, June 29, 2016, 7:30 PM Katharina Kang, viola SUMMER INTENSIVE CHAMBER MUSIC SEMINAR Two of the world’s most admired quintets are featured CLOSING CONCERT in this program filled with German passion. Brahm’s Squires Recital Salon expansive and heroic Quintet for Piano and Strings in Featuring the young artist ensembles taking part in F Minor, op. 34 and Beethoven’s String Quintet in C this year’s intensive seminar, the evening’s program Major, op. 29, The Storm, show the composers at the will be drawn from the rich range of repertoire they top of their forms. have developed through coaching and rehearsals over the past two weeks. Program Notes Thursday, June 16, 2016, 7:30 PM SUMMER NIGHTS AND MELODIES Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, Street and Davis Performance Hall, Moss Arts Center Nikola Djurica, clarinet Katharina Kang, viola Mathias Tacke, violin Dmitry Kouzov, cello David Ehrlich, violin Richard Masters, piano Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano in B Flat Major, op. 11 Ludwig van Beethoven Allegro con brio (1770-1827) Adagio Tema: Pria ch’io L’impegno Klezmer music for Clarinet and String Quartet Traditional Arranged by Lev Zurbin INTERMISSION Quintet for Piano and Strings, no. 1, in C Minor Erno Dohnányi Allegro (1877-1960) Scherzo: Allegro vivace Adagio, quasi andante Finale: Allegro animato Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano in B Flat Major, op. 11 Quintet for Piano and Strings, no. 1, in C Minor Ludwig van Beethoven Erno Dohnányi A very entertaining, light-spirited work, which was The C minor piano quintet is the first of almost 70 probably composed for the clarinet virtuoso, Joseph early works that the composer considered worthy Beer, from Bohemia. This was composed before the of an opus number. Brahms endorsed Dohnányi’s first set of six string quartets, op.18; it shows off the enthusiasm for the piece by arranging for it to be players and does not pretend to be a deep, serious, played in Vienna soon after the premiere in 1895. The and complex work. The first movement has a couple of work is full of passion and youthful energy, and it has false endings just to keep us on our toes. The second been a popular chamber music work with music lovers movement starts with a beautiful, expressive, slow everywhere. The opening allegro begins as the piano introduction to the cello. Afterwards we have some sets out the broad, ardently mobile first subject idea, conversations between the cello and the clarinet, and which will return to end the entire work in the coda after a more dramatic section, we have the repeat in of the finale. The strings develop the opening motif a more ornate way. The last movement, titled Before in a majestically sonorous unison, which is the sound What I Intended, has a theme and nine variations, Brahms uses in his first piano quartet, op. 25. The which were mainly created to entertain and show off scherzo is complex rhythmically and is reminiscent of the performers’ skills. It was based on an aria with the Furiants of Dvořák. The trio is much gentler and the same name from the opera, L’Amor Marinaro, very melodious. The adagio is the most Romantic by Joseph Weigl. This work became very popular, so movement, using a haunting melody introduced Beethoven re-wrote it for a violin, cello, and piano as by the viola and passing through the instruments in well, so he could sell more copies of the music and different combinations. The finale, a strutting rondo in get more players interested in performing it. 5/4 time, takes as its theme a proud Magyar-inspired idea, and is very imaginative. The coda brings back Klezmer Music for Clarinet and String Quartet the opening theme of the entire work, played by the Traditional; arranged by Lev Zurbin piano and followed immediately by the strings, in preparation for a grandiose reiteration of the Magyar Program notes will be given from the stage. motif. Dohnányi’s op. 1 ends triumphantly. Program Notes Thursday, June 23, 2016, 7:30 PM QUINTET FERVOR Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, Street and Davis Performance Hall, Moss Arts Center Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin Michael Strauss, viola Mathias Tacke, violin Dmitry Kouzov, cello David Ehrlich, violin Richard Masters, piano Katharina Kang, viola Quintet for Piano and Strings in F Minor, op. 34 Johannes Brahms Allegro non troppo (1833-1897) Andante, un poco adagio Scherzo: Allegro Finale: Poco sostenuto INTERMISSION String Quintet in C Major, op. 29, The Storm Ludwig van Beethoven Allegro moderato (1770-1827) Adagio molto espressivo Scherzo: Allegro Finale: Presto-Andante con moto e scherzoso Quintet for Piano and Strings in F Minor, op. 34 These three components are juxtaposed throughout Johannes Brahms the movement. The finale opens with a pensive, Johannes Brahms began work on the quintet in slow introduction, fueled by deeply-felt chromatic 1862, the year he decided to leave his hometown harmonies. The body of the movement, in fast tempo, of Hamburg to settle in Vienna. Originally the piece is a hybrid of rondo and sonata forms. Despite the was cast for string quintet with two cellos. In August buoyant, Gypsy flavor of the movement’s thematic 1862 he sent the first three movements to his friend material, the tragic tenor of this great quintet is and mentor, Clara Schumann, and to violinist Joseph maintained until its closing page. Joachim, who responded enthusiastically at first, but expressed reservations about the piece during the String Quintet in C Major, op. 29, The Storm following months. Brahms destroyed that version. By Ludwig van Beethoven 1863 he decided to revise the work for two pianos The only original viola quintet by Beethoven was and performed it with Karl Tausig at a concert in composed shortly after the six op. 18 quartets and Vienna in 1864. During the summer of 1864 Brahms was published a year later in 1802. This beautiful work revised the score, this time as a quintet for piano looks back at Mozart, who composed a famous viola and string quartet. The quintet’s opening movement quintet in the same key and showed it to Beethoven. is tempestuous and tragic in mood. The dramatic The first two movements are very classical and main theme is stated immediately in unison by violin, transparent, while the last two give us a glimpse into cello, and piano and then repeated with greater force Beethoven’s future, the more Romantic style. Right by the entire ensemble. The development section from the beginning, the lyrical character, beautiful treats the main and second themes and ushers in the melodies, and delicate voicing show his admiration recapitulation on a great wave of sound. The slow and respect of Mozart. The fourth movement, second movement is very tender and warm. The nicknamed The Storm, reminds us somewhat of the outer sections of the three-part form are based on a last movement of op. 18, quartet no. 6. However, this gentle, lyrical strain in sweet, close interval harmonies, movement is more positive and entertaining in spirit while the movement’s central portion uses a melody and is interrupted twice by short Menuet sections that incorporating an octave-leap motive. The scherzo is serve as a contract to the fast pace of the rest of the one of Brahms’ most electrifying movements.