Beethoven & Brahms 

December
7
Monday
7:30 PM
Live Concert

December
9
Wednesday
7:30 PM
Streamed Concert
Beethoven’s and Brahms’s trios for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano 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.
Mozart & Bruch

February
1
Monday
7:30 PM
Live Concert

February
3
Wednesday
7:30 PM
Streamed Concert 
Ever the pioneer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart broke ground when he composed his substantial Trio for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano, K. 498 (nicknamed “Kegelstatt”). Along with his Clarinet Quintet and Clarinet Concerto, this trio further popularized the new woodwind instrument and highlights its singing qualities with soaring phrases and gorgeous lyricism. The viola too, which was used to an accompanimental role at the time, is offered as much of a soloistic spotlight as the others. A gracious dialogue persists throughout the piece, culminating in a comprehensive Theme and Variations to finish. Along with Robert Schumann, Max Bruch would carry the torch from Mozart with this unique instrumentation into the Romantic era, with his Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano. Autumnal and heartfelt, these personal works can evoke the sentiment of Schumann or Brahms.
Quartet for the End of Time

April 
19
Monday
7:30 PM
Live Concert

April
21
Wednesday
7:30 PM
Streamed Concert
A synesthetic composer who associated vibrant colors with different chords and harmonies, French composer Olivier Messiaen composed his epic Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) while in a prison camp during World War II. Systematic and economical yet profoundly expressive, Messiaen’s music evokes an other-worldly spirit, at times eternally calm (Movement V: Praise to the Eternity of Jesus), and at other times robust and even violent (Movement VI: Dance of Fury, for the Seven Trumpets). Messiaen composed this eight-movement work for the accomplished musicians imprisoned with him: violinist Jean Le Boulaire, clarinetist Henri Akoka, and cellist Etienne Pasquier. They premiered it for the prisoners one evening, with Messiaen himself on a shoddy upright piano. This unique work is now a cherished staple of the chamber music repertoire, and a gripping spiritual journey from beginning to end.
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