Beethoven & Brahms
Live Concert: December 7th, 2020 @ 7:30 PM
Streamed Concert: December 9th, 2020 @ 7:30 PM
Streamed Concert: December 9th, 2020 @ 7:30 PM
As a genre, the Clarinet Trio (clarinet, cello, piano) is not often touched by composers, perhaps due to the potential balance issues that are solved by substituting clarinet for violin. Yet what we do have in Beethoven’s and Brahms’s trios are two masterpieces that highlight the unique timbre of the clarinet, and that have become standard repertoire for all three instruments. Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio, op. 11 is jaunty, lyrical, and incredibly catchy. Even for an early work of Beethoven influenced by Haydn and Mozart, this piece is especially jovial and speaks to the light approach to woodwind writing during the classical era. But just as in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, this trio is not without profound lyricism (second movement). Brahms’s Clarinet Trio, op. 114 is one of his final works, inspired by the lyrical playing of clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld whom the composer called “his dear nightingale.” Unlike Beethoven’s take on the unusual instrumentation, Brahms’s comprehensive work is somber, nostalgic, and subtle – until its fiery finish.