Sunday, September 17, 2023, 3:00 p.m.
Gershwin Performing Arts Center | Murrieta Mesa High School
Today’s Program
Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)
In spe (In the Hope)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1790)
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E flat Major, K. 447
I. Allegro
II. Larghetto
III. Allegro
Darby Hinshaw, Horn
Intermission
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Pelleas and Melisande Suite, Op. 46
I. Am Schlosshof (At the castle-gate)
II. Melisande
IIa. Am Meer (At the seashore)
III. Am Wunderborn im Park (A spring in the park)
IV. Die drie blinden Schwestern (The three blind sisters)
V. Pastorale
VI. Melisande am Rocken (Melisande at the spinning wheel)
VII. Zwischenaktmusik (Entre’acte)
VIII. Melisandre’s Tod (The death of Melisande)
Thanks to the Murrieta Valley Unified School District for their support of this concert.
About our Soloist
Darby Hinshaw was born into a casually musical family in San Francisco. His mother is a former organist who holds a Master of Music degree from SDSU, and his father is a great enthusiast of traditional Irish music. During his childhood he experimented with the Irish tin-whistle, the piano and the great highland bagpipes, and he frequently attended organ recitals, highland games and Irish sessions with his parents. He began playing the horn at the age of 12 and attended the “School of the Arts” high school in San Francisco. He joined the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1996, where he played principal horn on several critically acclaimed European tours. While still in the youth orchestra, Mr. Hinshaw attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with SF Symphony hornists Bruce Roberts, Jonathan Ring and Robert Ward. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 2005 and pursued his professional options instead of attending graduate school.
Darby is the Assistant Principal Horn in the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Prior to arriving in San Diego, he made a place for himself in the many regional symphony orchestras in Northern California, playing principal horn in the Marin Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony and Stockton Symphony. Over a period of six years as a freelancer, he would appear with the horn sections of 16 different orchestras, traveling all over the Bay Area and parts of the San Joaquin Valley. He also performed frequently with the San Francisco Symphony and appears on their recent recordings of Mahler’s 2nd and 8th Symphonies on SFS Media, as well as the Mahler episode of the Keeping Score series on PBS.
About Our Artistic Director and Conductor
Dana Zimbric is marking her 14th season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the California Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to her work with us, she is Music Director of the Classics Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs educational programs for San Diego area students, and recently made her conducting debut with the San Diego Symphony.
Dana’s past conducting experience includes positions with the San Diego Youth Symphony, Avante Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Nova San Diego, and the University of Wisconsin Chamber and Symphony Orchestras.
An accomplished clarinetist, Dana holds a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Wisconsin. She lives in San Diego with her husband and two young daughters.
Members of the California Chamber Orchestra
Violin I
Missy Lukin (Concertmaster)
Nicole Sauder
Andrew Kwon
Tiffany Modell
Violin II
Sarah Schwartz (Principal)
Tommy Dougherty
Randy Brinton
Lynne-Marie Friedrichs
Viola
Michael Molnau (Principal)
Linda Piatt
Greg Perrin
Cello
Andrew Hayhurst (Principal)
Margaret Tait
Elizabeth Brown
Bass
Kevin Gobetz (Principal)
Orchestra Personnel Manager and Music Librarian
Michael Molnau
Flute
Pam Martchev (Principal)
Oboe
Rodion Bolusov (Principal)
Clarinet
Frank Renk (Principal)
Sheryl Renk
Bassoon
Valentin Martchev (Principal)
David Savage
Horn
Darby Hinshaw (Principal)
Tricia Skye
Timpani/Percussion
Beverly Reese Dorcy (Principal)
California Chamber Orchestra musicians in this concert are members of The American Federation of Musicians, Local 325
Program Notes
Welcome to the California Chamber Orchestra’s 2023-2024 season. This season we embrace the joy of performing and sharing our art. In today’s concert, “Soundscapes,” we delve into the works of three composers who span different eras, countries, and compositional styles. Despite their diversity, each composition on this program masterfully crafts unique soundscapes that evoke powerful emotions.
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) premiered “In Spe” in 2010. Based on an earlier choral piece from 1976, Pärt’s composition draws inspiration from Gregorian Chant. His minimalist style, characterized by the avant-garde technique called tintinnabuli, yields melodies of serene simplicity and profound concentration. “In Spe,” lasting 8 minutes, features the principal woodwinds and strings, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and introspection.
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791) crafted Horn Concerto No. 3 in 1787 for the virtuoso horn player Joseph Ignaz Leutgeb, a close friend of the Mozart family. This concerto, comprises three traditional movements (fast-slow-fast), showcaseing Mozart’s musical dialogue between orchestra and soloist. The slow middle movement, where Leutgeb’s lyrical talent would have been highlighted, provides a captivating interlude. The concerto employs two clarinets, two bassoons, and strings, beautifully complementing the horn’s rich tones and culminating in a thrilling, hunting-horn-inspired finale.
Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) unveils his mastery in the Pelleas and Melisande Suite, Op. 46. Commissioned in 1905 for a popular play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck, Sibelius’ suite takes us through the play’s various scenes and characters. From the grandeur of the castle gate to Melisande’s haunting melody on the English horn, and the turbulent seashore depicted through musical waves, Sibelius paints a vivid auditory picture. The suite includes a whimsical waltz and pastoral respite, leading to a poignant conclusion with the death of Melisande, masterfully capturing the play’s romantic and emotional essence.
— Dana Zimbric
Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors
Society Sponsors
Judy Call
Prudhomme Associates, CPAs
City of Temecula
Leslie and Joseph Waters
Season Sponsors
Mark Margolin
Nicola Helm & Stephen Ryder
Education Sponsors
Craig Carper, LaPointe Wealth Management
Murrieta Rotary
Concert Sponsors
Susan & Ken Dickson
Walt Fidler
Soloist’s Circle
Kiyoe MacDonald
Concertmaster’s Circle
Terry Kvitky
Kathryn McCarty
Barry Weiss
Rudy Wokoek
Principal’s Circle
John Welniak
Musician’s Circle
Candace Flint
Karen Hartnett
Susan Humphrey
Sarah Ivar
Martha Minkler
Sana Quijada
Join us at The Merc on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month for recitals by some of the region’s best musicians. These intimate performances include opportunities to hear from the musicians about their art, their careers, and the music being performed.
Isaac Allen & Batya MacAdam-Somer, violin
Alex Greenbaum, cello
Alison Luedecke, harpsichord
Mary Ruth Miller, Soprano
Today’s Program
Arcangelo Corelli (1653 – 1713)
Sonata in G Major, Op. 2, No. 12
Ciacona
Georg Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759)
Armida abbandonta
Dietro l’orme fugaci
Ah! crudele e pur ten vai
Per te mi struggo
O voi dell’incostante e procelloso
Venti, fermate
Ma che parlo, che dico?
In tanti affanni miei assistimi almen
Domenico Gallo (1730 – c. 1768)
Sonata in G Major
Moderato
Andantino
Presto
INTERMISSION
Barbara Strozzi (1619 – 1677)
Lagrime mie
Domenico Gabrielli (1651 or 1659 – 1690)
Ricercar No. 3 in D Major for solo cello
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660 – 1725)
Correa nel seno amato
Sinfonia – Balletto
Recitativo: Correa nel seno amato
Aria: Ombre opacho
Texts
Handel – Armida abbandonata
Scarlatti — Correa nel seno amato
RECITATIVO
Correa nel seno amato ver l’occidente frettoloso il sole, e con fiamme brillanti il suo carro stellato, già rivolgeva al mare il pigro Arturo, e la notte serena l’ombre fugando a fiaccole di stelle mostravasi a mortal tra le più belle.
Rosseggiante nel viso, sorgea tutta ridente dal letto pastoral la bianca Dea, e con raggio lucente nelle porpore sue mostrava Amore quante fiamme ascondea per un pastore. Ed era il tempo appunto che nel grembo dei fiori
Ringiovenisce l’anno per le gioie dei cori, quando il vago Daliso posando il fianco afflitto ai piè d’un sasso dal di cui mezzo inciso mormorando scorrea fontana algente, sfogava i suoi martiri in lagrime e sospiri, solo fra muti orrori mentre a tutti s’asconde pianti e sospiri, pianti e sospiri, confondea con l’onde. E l’umidette guancie di perle lagrimose che dal cor distillava il suo dolore tergea tutto pietà, tergea tutto pietà spietato Amore. Stanche alfin le sue membra Dal lungo raggirarsi in seno all’erbe, matire sol d’amore, fissando i lumi al cielo, Così con l’aure e’l vento Sfogava singhiozzando Il suo tormento.
The sun hastily ran towards the West to the beloved bosom, and lazily, Arturo* had already set to the ocean his starry chariot with bright flames, and the quiet night, chasing away the shadows with torches made of stars, showed itself to be amongst the most beautiful ever seen.
Aflame in her countenance, the pale Goddess rose all smiles from the pastoral bed, and with a shining beam, Love showed how many flames she hid for a shepherd in her purple robes.
And indeed it was the time in which the year becomes young again in the bosom of flowers, for the joy of all hearts, when the handsome Daliso, in sorrow, leaning on his side at the foot of a rock, whence, from its cleft midst a cold spring flowed murmuring, vented his suffering with tears and sighs. Alone, amidst silent ravines, while hiding from everyone, he mixed his tears and sighs with the waves. Cruel Love, filled with mercy, wiped from his wet cheeks the tears that his pain distilled from the heart. At last, his limbs tired from his long meandering among the grass, his torment coming from love alone, fixing his eyes to the heavens, sighing, he vented his torment to the sky and the wind.
ARIA
Ombre opache che il chiarore Della luce m’ascondete Se pur sete del dolore Fide amiche, fide amiche, Or che il desio, deh, piangete Al pianto mio.
Dull shadows, ye who hide the brightness of light from me, if you are faithful friends of suffering, now that I desire so, alas! cry along with my crying.
Today’s Performers
San Diego Baroque is a collaborative ensemble made up of some of the area’s finest early music specialists. Each artist is an accomplished soloist in their own right and has performed extensively in San Diego and worldwide, with groups such as the Academy of Ancient Music, Mainly Mozart, Bach Collegium San Diego, The Knights and the Hausmann Quartet. The ensemble was created because of the members’ enthusiasm and expertise in Baroque music, and the group has collaborated with local choirs, actors, and presented concerts and visited schools throughout San Diego County. They present Bach’s Lunch, a monthly midday concert series at St. James by-the-Sea in La Jolla, and welcome further collaborations and musical explorations in the future.
Visit sdbaroque.com for more information. Their core membership consists of violinists Pierre Joubert and Isaac Allen, violist Andrew Waid, cellist Alex Greenbaum and harpsichordist/organist Alison Luedecke.
Praised by the Boston Musical Intelligencer for her “clear soprano” and “tasteful dramatic interpretation”, MaryRuth Miller has appeared throughout North America as a concert soloist and choral artist. Recent and upcoming performance highlights include solo features with Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society, Bach Akademie Charlotte, Upper Valley Baroque, Pegasus Early Music, San Diego Baroque, the Charlotte Master Chorale, the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival, and the Oregon Bach Festival.
An equally passionate choral singer, MaryRuth sings regularly with the Handel and Haydn Society Chorus, New York City’s Clarion Choir, and the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, and made her debut with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in 2022. She is an alumnus of the VOCES8 US Scholars Program and continues to collaborate with VOCES8 Foundation projects across the United States. In 2022, she could be seen singing backup for Ellie Goulding on the internationally televised Earthshot Prize award ceremony.
Originally from West Columbia, South Carolina, MaryRuth holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Winthrop University and a Master of Historical Performance degree from Boston University. She lives in San Diego, California.
Volunteer as a Theater Usher
David Isaacs, guitar
Chelsea Camille, soprano
Today’s Program
Volunteer as a Theater Usher
Christa Stevens, soprano
Marco Antonio Lozano, tenor
Miloš Veljković, piano
Today’s Program
Volunteer as a Theater Usher
Angela Xing, violin
Ching-Ming Cheng, piano
Today’s Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Sonata No.33 in E-flat Major, KV. 481
- Allegro Molto
- Adagio
- Allegretto
Rondo from Serenade for Orchestra in D Major, K 250 (“Haffner”) (arr. Fritz Kreisler)
Manuel Ponce
Estrellita (arr. Jascha Heifetz)
Ennio Morricone
Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso
Ernest Chausson
Poème
Eric Dickerson
13-course Lute from Nico van der Waals
Today’s Program
Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1687 – 1750)
Sonata in F (SW1)
- Prelude
- Allemande
- Courante
- Bourree
- Sarabande
- Menuet
- Gigue
INTERMISSION
Sylvius Leopold Weiss
Sonata in D Minor (SW11)
- Fantasia
- Allemande
- Courante
- Gavotte
- Sarabande
- Menuet
Volunteer as an usher at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
Pam Vliek Martchev, flute
Terri Tunnicliff, clarinet
Ryan Simmons, bassoon
Elena Mashkovtseva, harp
Today’s Program
Trio #3, Op 61 for Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon by Francois Devienne (1759-1803)
Allegro espressivo
Presto non troppo
Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Allegro
Romance
Final
The Fog is Lifting for Flute and Harp by Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)
Pastorales de Noel for Flute Bassoon and Harp by Andre Jolivet (1905-1974)
L’Etoile
Les Mages
La Vierge et L’Enfant
Entree et Danse des Bergers
Intermission
Variations on a Theme by Mozart for Harp by Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857)
Premiere Valse Op. 83 for Harp by August Durand (1830-1909)
Duos for Flute and Clarinet by Robert Muczynski (1929-2010)
Andante sostenuto
Allegro risoluto
Moderato
Allegro ma non troppo
Andante molto
Allegro
London Trio #1 for Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Allegro moderato
Andante
Finale-Vivace
Volunteer as an usher at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
Katherine Ortega, bassoon
Chris Matthews, flute
Today’s Program
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Duo in B Flat for Clarinet and Bassoon, WoO 27 (c. 1800)
- Allegro Sostenuto
- Aria con variazioni
Hector Villa-Lobos (1887 – 1959)
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6, W392 (c. 1938)
- Aria
- Fantasia
Eugene Bozza (1905 – 1991)
Sonatine (c.1938)
- Allegro
- Andantino
- Vif
Intermission
Jonathan Ortega (b. 1986)
Duet for Old Friends (c. 2022)
George Frederick Handel (1685 – 1759)
Sonata in F Major, HWV 369 (arr. for flute and bassoon) (c.1722)
- Grave
- Allegro
- Alla Siciliana
- Allegro
Francois Couperin (1668-1733)
Le rossignol en amour (from Pieces de Clavecin III) (c.1722)
Jean Francaix (1912-1997)
Sept Impromptus (c.1977)
1. Allegretto con spirito
2. Grave
4. Grazioso
7. Vivo
Volunteer as an usher at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
Sunday, April 30, 2023, 3:00 p.m.
Gershwin Performing Arts Center | Murrieta Mesa High School
Today’s Program
Frank Bridge (1879 – 1941)
Suite for String Orchestra
1. Prelude
2. Intermezzo
3. Nocturne
4. Finale
Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937)
Le Tombeau de Couperin
1. Prelude
2. Forlane
3. Menuet
4. Rigaudon
INTERMISSION
Victoria Bond (b. 1945)
Bridges
1. Railroad Trestle Bridge, Galax, Virginia
2. Stone Bridge Over a Reflecting Pool in Suzhou
3. Golden Gate Bridge
4. Brooklyn Bridge
5. Mackinac Bridge
Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918), orch. Henri Büsser (1907)
Petite Suite
1. En bateau
2. Cortege
3. Menuet
4. Ballet
Thanks to the Murrieta Valley Unified School District for their support of this concert.
Concession sales benefit the Murrieta Educational Foundation for the Arts.
Dana Zimbric is marking her 13th season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the California Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to her work with us, she is Music Director of the Classics Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs educational programs for San Diego area students, and recently made her conducting debut with the San Diego Symphony.
Dana’s past conducting experience includes positions with the San Diego Youth Symphony, Avante Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Nova San Diego, and the University of Wisconsin Chamber and Symphony Orchestras.
An accomplished clarinetist, Dana holds a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Wisconsin. She lives in San Diego with her husband and two young daughters.
Members of the California Chamber Orchestra
Violin I
Kathryn Hatmaker (Concertmaster)
Nicole Sauder
Sarah Schwartz
Angela Xing
Violin II
Ai Awata (Principal)
Isaac Allen
Margeaux Maloney
Victoria Bietz
Viola
Ethan Pernela (Principal)
Linda Piatt
Greg Perrin
Cello
Chia-Ling Chien (Principal)
Margaret Tait
Nathan Walhout
Bass
PJ Cinque
Orchestra Personnel Manager and Music Librarian
Michael Molnau
Flute
Pam Martchev (Principal)
Teresa Perrin
Oboe
Rong-Huey Liu (Principal)
Austyn Estey-Ang
Clarinet
Frank Renk (Principal)
Sheryl Renk
Bassoon
Leyla Zamora (Principal)
David Savage
Horn
Darby Hinshaw (Principal)
Tricia Skye
Trumpet
Jonah Levy (Principal)
Rachel Allen
Percussion
David Whitman (Principal)
Andy Watkins
Harp
Elena Mashkovtseva (Principal)
California Chamber Orchestra musicians in this concert are members of
The American Federation of Musicians, Local 325
Program Notes
The California Chamber Orchestra concludes our 17th season with Bridges – a journey of musical connections across time and place.
The first work on the program is the Suite for String Orchestra by English composer Frank Bridge (1879-1941). Bridge was a violinist, composer, conductor, pianist, and violist who is best known for his famous composition student Benjamin Britten. Bridge’s Suite for String Orchestra was written in 1909-1910, shortly after he married violinist Ethel Sinclair, whom he had met while a student at the Royal College of Music. Bridge’s Suite has four movements, each with a distinct character. The Prelude is slow and serious, with a recurring theme throughout the movement. The Intermezzo is light-hearted and melodic. The Nocturne is contemplative and timeless. The upbeat, jovial Finale includes thematic material from the first three movements to tie the piece together.
In 1914, French composer Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was thirty-nine years old and had just been accepted into military service to fight in World War I. One month into the job he wrote to a friend about a new piano piece he had started which would be based on a French Suite. This was the beginning of Le tombeau de Couperin (the tomb of Couperin). When Ravel was discharged from the service in 1917, following the death of his mother earlier that year, the weight of the tragedy of war and his family loss affected him greatly. His music became his medium of healing and a way to process what he had seen and experienced. His simple piano work from 1914 was inspired by 18th century composer Francois Couperin and paid tribute to victims of World War I. Each of the six movements of Ravel’s score was dedicated to a friend who died at the front. Ravel orchestrated four of the movements in 1919.
The next work on the program is by composer and conductor Victoria Bond (b. 1945). Bond is the first woman awarded a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the Juilliard School where she also received her Master’s degree. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. Bond is principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera, Chicago and has guest conducted major orchestras throughout the world. About her piece, she writes:
The five movements of Bridges are inspired by actual bridges in different parts of the world and organized around a wide variety of cultures. Railroad Trestle Bridge in Galax, Virginia uses the motoric rhythm of a train and the sound of a fiddle and banjo playing country music. Stone Bridge over a Reflecting Pool in Suzhou is based on a traditional Chinese song called Moli Hua or Jasmine Flower. The Golden Gate Bridge recalls the folk music revival of the 1960’s and 70’s in California, with particular respect paid to the singer Joan Baez, whose haunting songs had a profound effect on me. I have combined her song “All My Trials” with a Chinese folksong called “Liu Yang River” as both reflect the culture of the Bay Area. The Brooklyn Bridge has a particularly happy coincidence. I wanted this bridge to partake of the vibrant be-bop era in New York City. In researching be-bop melodies, I came across a standard favored by many jazz musicians, “I Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin. Using only the harmonic chord changes to this tune, players crafted seemingly endless improvisations. As the song was written in the typical AABA song form, the “B” section was referred to as the “bridge”. Here was the ideal confluence of the many meanings of the word “bridge”, and I leaped at the opportunity to bring them all together. The fifth movement is The Mackinac Bridge, based on the folksong “The Water is Wide” because the bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere and spans a wide expanse of water over the straits of Mackinac, connecting Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. -Victoria Bond
Claude Debussy’s (1862-1918) Petite Suite, originally for piano four-hands, is one of his most popular pieces. The suite was written between 1886 and 1889, just as the French composer was starting his professional career. Debussy’s friend and conductor Henri Büsser transcribed the piece for chamber orchestra in 1907. The piece is in four parts, each movement capturing a different scene. The first two movements were inspired by poems of Debussy’s favorite poet Verlain. The first, “En Bateau” (In A Boat), depicts a boat gliding upon the moonlit water with its long melody above rolling harmonies. The second movement, “Cortege” (Procession) depicts a fine lady who receives lustful glances by her attendants. Debussy’s easygoing opening march-like theme captures a jovial mood for this procession. The third and fourth movements do not appear to have direct connections to Verlain’s poetry but continue in a similar mood. The Menuet is dreamy and the Ballet lighthearted and upbeat.
— Dana Zimbric
Thank You to Our Sponsors and Donors
Society Sponsors
Judy Call
Prudhomme Associates, CPAs
City of Temecula
Leslie and Joseph Waters
Season Sponsors
Mark Margolin
Nicola Helm & Stephen Ryder
Education Sponsors
Craig Carper, LaPointe Wealth Management
Murrieta Rotary
Concert Sponsors
Susan & Ken Dickson
Walt Fidler
Conductor’s Circle
John Stubbs
Concertmaster’s Circle
Barry Weiss
Rudy Wokoek
Principal’s Circle
Kiyoe MacDonald
John Welniak
Musician’s Circle
Candace Flint
Susan Humphrey
Sarah Ivar
Martha Minkler
Join us at The Merc on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month for recitals by some of the region’s best musicians. These intimate performances include opportunities to hear from the musicians about their art, their careers, and the music being performed.
Quartet Nouveau
Missy Lukin & Batya MacAdam-Somer, violins
Annabelle Terbetski, viola; Elizabeth Brown, cello
Today’s Program
Rhiannon Giddens (Arr. Jacob Garchik)
At the Purchaser’s Option with variations
Franz Joseph Haydn
String Quartet Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird”
Allegro moderato
Scherzo, Allegretto
Adagio ma non troppo
Finale, Presto
Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet No. 15 in A minor Op. 132
Molto adagio
Danish String Quartet
Last Leaf
Shore
Polska from Dorotea
Tjønneblomen
Menuet no. 60
Æ Rømeser
Intermezzo
Shine You No More
Program Notes
Rhiannon Giddens’ At the Purchaser’s Option with variations is an instrumental variation of a song from her album Freedom Highway (Nonesuch, 2017), arranged by Jacob Garchik. She wrote the song after finding in a book a 19th-century advertisement for a 22-year-old female slave whose 9-month-old baby was also for sale, but “at the purchaser’s option.” This piece comes from that advertisement, and from thinking about what that woman’s life might have been like. This piece was commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire, a project of the Kronos Performing Arts Association. The score and parts are available for free online kronosquartet.org
Haydn’s 83 string quartets span nearly his entire career, but rather than being written continuously, they appeared in bunches. When the six quartets of his Opus 33 were completed in 1781, they were his first quartets in nine years. Haydn offered handwritten copies of the manuscripts to wealthy patrons, advertising them as having been written “in a quite new, special manner.” Exactly what he meant by this has been the source of some debate, and cynical commentators have felt that Haydn’s enthusiasm for the novelty of these quartets was merely a sales pitch. String Quartet Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird” takes its nickname from the chirping grace notes that decorate so many of its themes. Over steady accompaniment from the middle voices, the first violin announces the main theme of the Allegro moderato. Haydn dispenses with a minuet in this quartet, replacing it with a movement he marks Scherzando. This is not the sort of scherzo that Beethoven would write a generation later, but it is faster than minuet tempo, and surprising accents give the melodic lines unusual weight. The outer sections remain in the lowest registers of all four instruments (someone noted of this movement that C major has never sounded so dark as it does here), and the trio section offers several surprises: a duo for the two violins only, it brings back some of the “bird music” of the opening movement. The Adagio belongs almost entirely to the first violin its simple opening melody grows florid and complex as the movement unfolds. The finale is a rondo reportedly based on a Slavonic folk tune. This movement, aptly marked Presto, zips along with unflagging energy. Seldom has there been more gloriously apt writing for string quartet, and seldom has there been more cheerful music than this graceful romp, which rushes right to its close and, like smoke, disappears silently and effortlessly.
-Eric Bromberger
Beethoven’s String Quartet Opus 132 in A Minor was written in 1825, just two years before his death. The composer’s health was deteriorating. His title for the third movement, “Sacred song of thanks from a convalescent to the Godhead, in the Lydian Mode” refers to his relief from a serious illness that had rendered him unable to work for a month. Beethoven’s use of a mode, rather than a major or minor scale, points to what Beethoven scholar Maynard Solomon calls, “a conspicuous fusion of retrospective and modernist tendencies in Beethoven’s late style…”. There are a number of instances in the third movement that demonstrate this: the 5 phrase structure of the modal hymn-like section which opens the movement, for example. Beethoven returns to this material twice more. The second time he employs a kind of cantus firmus in the first violin above increasingly complex harmonic motion. This then gets spun out and stretched further in the third iteration, bringing the movement to its dramatic conclusion.
Last Leaf is an album of arranged Nordic traditional tunes by the Danish String Quartet. These selections from Last Leaf are well-paced arrangements of myriad dance tunes from across the Nordic countries – from more refined waltzes and minuets to the wilder fare of polskas and reels. These pieces conjure a magical atmosphere and is a fun example of Nordic fiddle playing.
Quartet Nouveau
Quartet Nouveau & Chamber Music Institute formed as a 501 © 3 nonprofit organization in January 2013 with the mission of making chamber music available to the entire San Diego community. Quartet Nouveau is a string quartet based in San Diego where all four musicians freelance and teach within the community. Known for their fresh approach to classical music, they hope to inspire students to play this very same music one day. The members of Quartet Nouveau all graduated from the nation’s top universities with Masters and Doctoral degrees.
Volunteer as an usher at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
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