Mainstage Chamber Concert 4: Thursday, July 28, 2022 - 7:30 PM, Arkell Pavilion, SVAC
Robert Schumann (b. Germany | d. Germany; 1810 – 1856)
Fantasiestücke for Cello & Piano, Op. 73 (composed 1849)
Robert Schumann often composed in furious bursts of creative activity, and these three short “fantasy pieces” were composed in just two days. Originally scored for clarinet and piano, Schumann indicated that violin or cello may substitute the clarinet, thus these works have enjoyed ubiquity owing to their versatility (and infectious beauty). The first piece is melancholic, tender, and lyrical. The second is also lyrical, but offers a more hopeful perspective throughout. The opening gestures of the third movement quiver enthusiastically and eventually recede into introspective queries in the middle area. The opening material reemerges in full, ultimately yielding an ecstatic coda.
Johannes Brahms (b. Germany | d. Austria; 1833 – 1897)
Trio in E-flat Major for Horn, Violin, & Piano, Op. 40 (composed 1865)
Johannes Brahms felt special affection for the French horn, particularly the valveless “natural” horn. This particular chamber work became a vehicle for Brahms to celebrate the natural horn’s majesty and lyrical beauty, qualities he masterfully exploited in other works such as his Symphonies and the Piano Concerto No. 2.
The first movement is moderately paced and tender, composed within a suggestive, rather than blatant, romantic style. On its heels follows a lively scherzo that jives raucously with short, staccato gestures, quick arpeggiations, and charming folk tunes. The third movement – likely an elegy for his mother, who passed away earlier that year – descends into deep mourning as a haunting expression of Brahms’s personal grief. The finale that follows wipes away the tears, and it features rousing hunting calls that soar with breakneck speed.
Rebecca Clarke (b. United Kingdom | d. United States of America; 1886 – 1979)
Morpheus for Viola & Piano (composed 1917)
Inspired by the Greek myth of Morpheus – the god of sleep and dreams – Rebecca Clarke composed this short work for herself (Clarke was a world-renowned violist). This mesmerizing composition was written in an evocative post-impressionist style reminiscent of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Arnold Bax.
Gabriel Fauré (b. France | d. France; 1845 – 1924)
Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15 (composed 1876 – 1879)
Gabriel Fauré spans a fascinating fork in the road between distinct musical movements: the waning stages of late-romanticism, and the waxing of impressionism. To put his lifespan in perspective, Frédéric Chopin was still alive when Fauré was born, whereas at the time of his death fully atonal composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schönberg were in full swing. Under the tutelage of Camille Saint-Saëns, Fauré attained superb command of the piano, organ, and composition; and his signature style – unmistakable for a subtle approach to harmony and texture – emerged to widespread acclaim across France. As the teacher of younger protégés such as Maurice Ravel, Paul Dukas, and Nadia Boulanger, Fauré’s pedagogy influenced a generation of major figures, in turn shaping the very ethos of the 20th century.
Perhaps the most conservative aspect of the Piano Quartet No. 1 is its structure, with a lush first movement, quirky scherzo, profound slow movement, and a nonstop finale that glides effortlessly toward a bold climax. The work nonetheless distinguishes itself by successfully utilizing the string instruments as a blended coloristic unit and the piano as an omnipresent vehicle for texture and atmosphere. Individual lines do emerge in the foreground, exchanged as comments lovingly passed among friends, yet there is a sense that the strings and piano occupy different, but complementary, musical spheres. Traditionally, composers strove to unify the timbres of all instruments within an ensemble to achieve maximal cohesion, whereas Fauré instead permits the piano to retain its identity as an independent entity above which the strings weave a sensuous tapestry of themes, motives, and gestures, all grounded in intoxicating harmonic modulations.