Margaret Tait, cello
Alison Luedecke, piano
Today’s Program
FRANCOIS COUPERIN (1668 – 1733)
arr. Paul Bazelaire
Pieces en Concert
Prelude
Siciliene
La Tromba
Plainte
Aire de Diable
FLORENCE PRICE (1887 – 1953)
Adoration for Cello and Piano
GABRIEL FAURE (1845 – 1924)
Sicilienne
JOSEPH HAYDN (1732 – 1809)
arr. Gregor Piatigorsky
Divertimento
Adagio
Menuet
Allegro di molto
INTERMISSION
ANTONIN DVORAK (1841 – 1904)
Waldesruhe (Restful Woods), Op. 68, No. 2
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770 – 1827)
arr. Steven Isserlis
Andante con Viriazioni
ARVO PART (1935 – )
Spiegel im Spiegel (1978)
BELA BARTOK (1881 – 1945)
arr. Luigi Silva
Jocul cu bata (Stick Dance)
Braul (Sash Dance)
Pe Loc (In One Spot)
Buciumeana (Dance from Bucsum)
Maruntel (Fast Dance)
Volunteer as an usher at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
Travis Maril, viola
Karen Follingstad, piano
Today’s Program
GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN (1681 – 1767)
Violin Fantasia No. 1 in E-flat Major
Largo – Allegro – Grave – Allegro
(movements played without pause)
EFREM ZIMBALIST (1889 – 1985)
Excerpts from Sarasateana:
Polo
Malagueña
FREDERIC CHOPIN (1810 – 1849)
arr. William Primrose
Nocturne No. 20, op. posthumous
INTERMISSION
JOHANN HUMMEL (1778 – 1837)
Sonata in E-Flat Major for Viola and Piano, op. 5, no. 3
1. Allegro moderato
2. Adagio cantabile
3. Rondo: Allegro con moto
Volunteer as an usher at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
Duo Apollon
Aaron Haas, guitar
Anastasia Malliaras, soprano
Today’s Program
Click Here for Texts and Translations
JOAQUÍN RODRIGO (1901-1999)
Tres Canciones Españolas
I. En Jerez de la Frontera
II. Adela
III. De ronda
BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913-1976)
Selections from Folksong Arrangements
Sailor Boy
I will give my love an apple
Master Kilby
The Shooting of his Dear
MATYAS SEIBER (1905-1960)
Selections from Four French Folk Songs
I. Réveillez-vous
III. Le Rossignol
IV. Marguerite, elle est malade
INTERMISSION
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Selections from Wintereisse Op. 89. D.911
1. Gute Nacht
2. Die Wetterfahne
4. Der Lindenbaum
11. Frühlingstraum
15. Die Krähe
24. Der Leiermann
MANUEL DE FALLA (1876-1946)
Selections from Siete Canciones Populares Españolas
I. El Paño Moruno
V. Nana
VII. Polo
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West Coast Woodwind Quintet:
Kate Prestia-Schaub, flute
Cat Cantrell, oboe
Margaret Worsley, clarinet
Elizabeth Low Atwater, bassoon
Danielle Ondarza, horn
Today’s Program
“Spring” from The Four Season s – Antonio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741)
Three Summer Dances – Joseph Turrin (1947 – )
Autumn Leaves – Joseph Kosma (1905 – 1969), arr. Fiona Hickie
Winter Music – Adam Schoenberg (1980 – )
INTERMISSION
Selections from “Jazz Salad” – Ron Levy (1951 – )
Funky Cheese
Tomato Tango
Walnut Waltz
Chordal Memories from “Book of Meditations” – Ron Levy
Twelfth Night Music – Ron Levy
Overture
Pastorale
Orsino’s Theme
Exit Music
INTERMISSION
Roaring Fork – Eric Ewazen (1954 – )
Whitewater Rapids (Maroon Creek)
Columbines (Snowmass Lake)
At the Summit (Buckskin Pass)
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Rong-Huey Liu, oboe
Felici Trio:
Rebecca Hang, violin
Brian Schuldt, violincello
Steven, Vanhauwaert, piano
Today’s Program
Trio Sonata in D minor for Oboe, Violin and Basso Continuo – Joan Baptista Pla (c.1720 – 1773) and Josep Pla (1728 – 1762)
1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Allegro
Five Pieces – Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975)
1. Prelude
2. Gavotte
3. Elegy
4. Waltz
5. Polka
INTERMISSION
Kakadu Variations, Op. 121a, for violin, cello and piano — Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Trio for oboe, violoncello and piano — Sergey Prokofiev (1891 – 1953) / Lera Auerbach (b. 1973)
Volunteer as an usher at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
Saturday, April 9, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Gershwin Performing Arts Center | Murrieta Mesa High School
Tonight’s Program
Symphony in D Major, Op. 11, No. 2 — Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745 – 1799)
- Allegro Presto
- Andante
- Presto
Siegfried Idyll (Triebschen Idyll with Fidi’s Birdsong and Orange Sunrise) — Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883)
Deux Marches et un Intermede (1937) — Francis Poulenc (1899 – 1963)
- Marche 1889
- Intermede Champetre (Country Interlude)
- Marche 1937
INTERMISSION
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
- Allegro molto
- Andante
- Menuetto. Allegretto – Trio
- Finale. Allegro assai
Peg Moore (1935 – 2022)
We dedicate this evening’s program to the memory of Peg Moore, our long time advisor, patron, and friend
Thanks to the Murrieta Valley Unified School District for their support of this concert.
Concession sales this evening benefit performing arts programs at Warm Springs Middle School.
Dana Zimbric is marking her 12th season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the California Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to her work with us, she is Associate Conductor of San Diego’s California Ballet, 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)
Ai Awata
Nicole Sauder
Angela Xing
Violin II
Kenneth Liao (Principal)
Isaac Allen
Anne Delgado
Batya MacAdam-Somer
Viola
Michael Molnau (Principal)*
Ethan Pernela
Annabelle Terbetski
Cello
Andrew Hayhurst (Principal)
Erica Erenyi
Joanna Morrison
Bass
Sam Hager (Principal)
*Personnel Manager and Librarian
Flute
Pam Vliek-Martchev (Principal)
Oboe
Rong-Huey Liu (Principal)
Rodion Belousov
Clarinet
Frank Renk (Principal)
April Leslie
Bassoon
Leyla Zamora (Principal)
Katherine Ortega
Horn
Darby Hinshaw (Principal)
Tricia Skye
Trumpet
Jon Hoehne (Principal)
All musicians performing in this concert are members of
The American Federation of Musicians, Local 325
Program Notes
First up on this evening’s program is Symphony No. 2 by French composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799). Though his name may not be familiar, he was considered an incredible talent during his lifetime. In fact, today you can still find a street named after him in Paris.
Joseph Bologne was born in the French colony of Guadaloupe. His mother, Anna (called Nanon), was an enslaved person of Sengalese origin. His father was a wealthy plantation owner. Bologne moved to Paris when he was around 8 years old. His father received an appointment by the King of France allowing Joseph to receive a “gentleman’s” education. Eventually Joseph was also given the honorary title Chevalier de Saint-George” by King Louis XVI. Bologne became a 33rd degree Freemason (the first black member).
Bologne was prodigious as a violinist, composer, fencer, and academic. He composed numerous operas, symphonies, and concerti and was even nominated by Queen Marie Antoinette to be the next director of the Paris Opera in 1776. However, some of the performers complained that they should not be forced to take direction from a person of color. Bologne withdrew his name from consideration to prevent embarrassment to the Queen.
Joseph Bologne in 1768
Bologne’s Symphony No. 2 is in three movements. The first movement is quick and bright and gives the feeling of a celebration. The second movement, a slower andante, focuses on the strings of the orchestra and has a darker mood. The final presto is the most developed of the symphony’s movements. It begins with an energetic passage, and continues with various repeated sections, highlighting different combinations of the orchestra, contrasting dynamics, and instrumental color. Joseph Bologne used this symphony as the Overture to his 1780 Opera “The Anonymous Lover.”
Cosima Wagner in 1879, painted by Franz von Lenbach
Next up on the program is a programmatic work by German composer Richard Wagner. The Siegfried Idyll premiered on December 25, 1870 in Wagner’s home, upon the staircase landing. It was a birthday surprise for his wife Cosima and inspired by the birth of their son Siegfried.
Cosima wrote of the surprise, “When I woke up I heard a sound, it grew ever louder, I could no longer imagine myself in a dream, music was sounding, and what music! After it had died away, R[ichard] came in to me with the five children and put into my hands the score of his “symphonic birthday greeting.” I was in tears, but so, too, was the whole household; R[ichard] had set up his orchestra on the stairs!” Wagner’s score contains many musical quotes that Cosima would have recognized, including a bird’s song frequently heard at their home, and the Siegfried leitmotif from the Ring Cycle operas.
One of the great melodists of the twentieth century, French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was largely self-taught as a composer. In the early 1920s he belonged to the Paris-based group of composers Les Six who led the neo-classical movement, rejecting the overstated emotion of Romanticism.
Poulenc composed the short orchestral suite Deux Marches et un Intermede for dinner entertainment during the 1937 Paris World’s fair. The short three movement work captures the energy, sparkle, and modern nature of Paris in the late 1930’s. The striking orchestral harmonies, interesting color combinations, and edgy rhythms make these movements a delight to share.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) first learned music from his father and manager Leopold Mozart, who was a professional musician and teacher. Mozart’s sister Maria Anna (nicknamed Nannerl), was also an astonishing musical talent and was Mozart’s performance partner during his younger years. Between the ages of six and ten, Wolfgang and Nannerl spent nearly all their time on tour throughout Europe performing for Dukes, Kings, and similar royalty.
Mozart excelled as a performer on both piano and violin. At various points in his career he was able to focus on one, or both, and also create new music to perform as needed. In 1772, at age 16, Mozart was awarded the title of Konzertmeister for the prince archbishop Colloredo in Salzburg. His job entailed writing music for special occasions and performing when necessary.
Wolfgang and Nannerl c. 1763 by Eusebius Johann Alphen
The final selection for tonight’s concert is one of Mozart’s last symphonies. Written in 1788, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 was composed in only a few months, along with symphonies number 39 and 41. It is possible Mozart never actually heard this symphony performed live in concert, although all three of his final symphonies have been performed thousands of times since.
Wagner called Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, K. 550 “pivotal to the romantic world.” The symphony’s tone is dark, serious, and grounded. As Mozart matured as a composer and artist, and dealt with life’s losses (his parents, infant son, and sister), his art changed, too. Where we might imagine a silly, spoiled young man in his early works, a more worldly, somber and serious person comes through in his later pieces. In his final symphonies we also clearly understand why art, and music, can move its audiences and live-on for hundreds of years.
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
Principal’s Circle
Kiyoe MacDonald
John Welniak
Rudy Wokoek
Musician’s Circle
Candace Flint
Susan Humphrey
Sarah Ivar
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.
Aki Tsai, violin
Sakura Tsai, violin
John Stultz, viola
Today’s Program
Grand Duo for Violin and Viola – Ignaz Pleyel (1757 – 1831)
Terzetto, Op. 74 for Two Violins and Viola – Antonin Dvorak (1841 – 1904)
1. Introduzione. Allegro ma non troppo
2. Larghetto
3. Scherzo. Vivace
4. Tema con variazioni. Poco adagio
INTERMISSION
Viola Space No. 4: Nine Fingers – Garth Knox (b. 1956)
Sonata in B Minor for Two Violins, Op. 12, No. 1 – Jean Marie Leclair (1697 – 1764)
1. Allegro ma poco
2. Andante: Amoroso – Altro
3. Allegro assai
Serenade Op. 12 for Two Violins and Viola – Zoltán Kodály (1882 – 1967)
1. Allegramente – Sostenuto ma non troppo
2. Lento ma non troppo
3. Vivo
Volunteer as an usher at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
Quartetto Sorrento
Ondrej Lewit, violin
Jorge Soto, violin
Paula Simmons, viola
Gordon Grubbs, cello
Today’s Program
Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 76, No. 6 – F. J. Haydn (1732 – 1809)
1. Allegretto, Allegro
2. Adagio
3. Menuetto, Alternativo, Menuetto
4. Allegro
Juntos otra vez – Gordon Grubbs (b. 1960)
INTERMISSION
Quatuor– Juoaquin Turino (1882 – 1949)
1. Pre’lude, Andantino
2. Allegro moderato
3. Zortzico
4. Andante quasi lento
5. Finale, Allegro moderato
i. e. Brass
Phil Pacier and John Tribelhorn, trumpets
Bruce Clausen, horn
Bret Kelley, trombone
Cory Hungerford, tuba
Today’s Program
Fanfare in C – Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695), arr. Keith Snell
My Spirit Be Joyful – J. S. Bach (1685 – 1750), transcribed by Harry Herforth
Antiphonal: Hodie, Christus Natus Est – Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562 – 1621)
Nutcracker Nuggets – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893), arr. Arthur Frackenpohl
1. March
2. Chocolate
3. Trepak
4. Waltz of the Flowers
Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us – arr. William Broughton
Joy to the World – G. F. Handel (1685 – 1759), arr. Ken Barker
INTERMISSION
Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson (1908 – 1975), arr. Tim Jameson
O Come, All Ye Faithful – John Francis Wade (1711- 1786), arr. John Wasson
Three Selections from “The Messiah” – G. F. Handel
1. And the Glory of the Lord (arr. MacKinnon)
2. He Shall Feed His Flock (arr. Forkert)
3. Hallelujah (arr. Holcombe)
Silent Night / Away In a Manger – Franz X. Gruber (1787 – 1863) / James R. Murray (1841 – 1905), arr. John Gage
We Wish You A Merry Christmas – Traditional, arr. John Rutter
Saturday, November 20, 2021, 3:00 p.m.
Gershwin Performing Arts Center | Murrieta Mesa High School
Today’s Program
Andante moderato (1929) – Florence Price (1887 – 1953)
Juba (from String Quartet in A Minor) – Florence Price
Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite III – Ottorino Respighi (1879 – 1936)
I. Italiana
II. Arie di corte
III. Siciliana
IV. Passacaglia
INTERMISSION
Serenade for Strings, Op. 48, C Major – Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
(Urtext by John Stubbs)
I. Pezzo in forma di sonatina
II. Valse
III. Elegia
IV. Finale (Thema Russo)
Thanks to the Murrieta Valley Unified School District for their support of this concert.
Concessions support the Murrieta Educational Foundation for the Arts.
Gershwin Performing Arts Center requests that all patrons wear face coverings inside the building. Thank you for your cooperation.
Dana Zimbric is marking her 12th season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the California Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to her work with us, she is Associate Conductor of San Diego’s California Ballet, 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)
Kenneth Liao
Nicole Sauder
Violin II
Missy Lukin (Principal)
Ai Awata
Batya MacAdam-Somer
Viola
Ethan Pernela (Principal)
Linda Piatt
Cello
Alex Greenbaum (Principal)
Elizabeth Brown
Bass
Kathryn Bradley (Principal)
Personnel Manager and Librarian
Michael Molnau
All musicians performing in this concert are members of
The American Federation of Musicians, Local 325
About John Stubbs
John Stubbs is a longtime musical pillar of the San Diego orchestral and ballet world. A member of the San Diego Symphony’s violin section, he has recently been named Music Director and Conductor of the Golden State Ballet Company which will make its company debut at the Civic Theatre in December 2021 with the San Diego Symphony.
For many seasons, John Stubbs conducted the San Diego Symphony for California Ballet Company productions ranging from ballet standards such as The Nutcracker, Paquita, and Serenade to premieres of new works with music of Bach, Vivaldi, De Falla, Albinoni, George Crumb, and Yoav Talmi. Additionally, Stubbs has led the Colorado Springs Symphony, the Wyoming Symphony, and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra at the re-opening Gala of the historic Balboa Theatre.
Stubbs conducted the world premiere of “ALICE: Re-imagining Wonderland through Dance, Music and Spoken Word,” a collaboration between The Art of Élan and Colette Harding Contemporary Dance Company with a commissioned score by composer Joseph Hallman. Recently Mr. Stubbs traveled to Japan to conduct the full length ballet, “La Bayadere”, for the Ochi International Ballet in Nagoya, Japan.
In addition, Mr. Stubbs is the creator and director of Luscious Noise, an eclectic performance series at local jazz club Anthology, bringing new audiences to classical music through the combination of live music and videos in a hip dinner club setting.
Mr. Stubbs’ Tchaikovsky research has led him to make critical corrections to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade and Nutcracker scores. When not performing, studying, or conducting, Mr. Stubbs enjoys a nice glass of red wine with his wife, and former Prima Ballerina, Denise Dabrowski.
Visit John Stubbs’ website
Program Notes
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, composer Florence Price (1887-1953), displayed genius tendencies early in life. With a music teacher for a mother and a dentist father, Price had her first piano performance at the tender age of 4; her first composition was published at age 11; and by age 14 she had graduated valedictorian of her high school class.
She excelled at the New England Conservatory where she studied piano and organ, graduating in 1906 with Honors. In 1933, after years focusing on teaching, raising her family and struggling to be noticed in the classical realm, Price’s Symphony in E minor was premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Price became the first Black American woman to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra.
According to the New Yorker, Price sent a letter to conductor Serge Koussevitzky in 1943, writing “My dear Dr. Koussevitzky, To begin with I have two handicaps—those of sex and race. I am a woman; and I have some Negro blood in my veins.” She understood these two factors were handicaps to her career. Koussevitzky ignored her and only the German-born conductor Frederick Stock, Music Director of the Chicago Symphony, took her seriously. Despite her unquestionable music gifts, her musical works were little known during her lifetime, with few exceptions.
In a twist of fate, a number of Price’s musical manuscripts were discovered in a dilapidated house outside the Chicago area. The home had previously been Price’s summer home and in 2009 a couple had purchased the run-down property with plans to renovate. In the attic they found boxes of handwritten musical scores with the name Florence Price. Following research of the name, the couple found that the University of Arkansas already had a collection of her scores in their library. Archivists identified the manuscripts as authentic, and to their delight the cache included dozens of musical works thought to be lost, including Price’s First and Second Violin concerti. This discovery has led to a modern resurgence of Price’s music.
During today’s program the California Chamber Orchestra will perform two movements from Price’s string quartets.
Andante Moderato is an arrangement for string orchestra of the second movement of Price’s String Quartet in G Major, written 1929. The beautiful work is a prime example of Price’s melodic prowess. The movement is in ABA form. The movement begins, and ends, with a richly legato texture and beautiful harmonies with a hymn-like feel. The middle section takes on a minor bluesy feel with a bouncy baseline.
Juba comes from Price’s String Quartet No. 2. Originally the third movement of the quartet, today we perform an arrangement for string orchestra. The main theme of the third movement is in the style of a Juba dance or hambone, a patently African lively dance that involved body-slapping, foot-stomping, and hand-clapping; this section frames a more relaxed allegretto that is likewise based on African American dance idioms.
Italian composer Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) was both a scholar of early music and an innovative modern composer. He spent two years as a student of Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, a member of “The Five” (an exclusive group of Russian composers which also included Balakirev, Mussorgsky, and Borodin). Rimsky-Korsakov was known for his use of tonal color and imaginative music (i.e. Flight of the Bumblebee), and certainly Respighi also had a knack for creating unique tonal color in his compositions.
Composed in 1931, Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite III, for string orchestra is a collection of arrangements of 17th century Italian and French lute music. Each movement is based on old melodies with Respighi’s modern accompaniment added.
The four movement suite begins with an Andantino, which features an anonymous Italian popular melody from the 17th century. The second movement, is a collection of 6 distinct court songs (Arie di corte) by French lutenist and composer Jean-Baptiste Bresard, born in 1567. The third movement, Siciliana, is based on another anonymous Italian melody from the 17th century. The final movement, Passacaglia, is built around a 1692 work by 17th century Italian guitarist and composer Ludivico Roncalli.
Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky began piano lessons at age 5, and though he showed early talent in music, his parents discouraged him from being too serious about a musical career. Instead he was encouraged to study law. By age 10 he was attending a boarding school in St. Petersburg and at age 19 Tchaikovsky was working as a bureau clerk with the Ministry of Justice. Though Tchaikovsky had been obedient to his parents, the call of musical composition was too loud to ignore.
While still working as a bureau clerk, Tchaikovsky began music lessons at the Russian Musical Society, and within a few months he had enrolled in the newly founded St. Petersburg Conservatory and became one of the school’s first composition students. In 1863 he moved to Moscow and began working as a professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory. Tchaikovsky had a very brief marriage to a young music student named Antonina Milyukova in 1877. Tchaikovsky abandoned the marriage within weeks of the wedding, had a nervous breakdown (including a suicide attempt) and fled the country.
Tchaikovsky composed his Serenade in 1880 and it premiered in St. Petersburg in the fall of 1881. Tchaikovsky’s famous 1812 Overture, commissioned for the unveiling of a Pushkin memorial in Moscow, was among the other works he wrote during this time.
The Serenade has four movements, and in many respects is modeled after a traditional symphony. The opening movement is an homage to Tchaikovsky’s favorite composer, W.A. Mozart, and subtitled, “Piece in form of a sonatina.”
The second movement, a Waltz, was such an audience favorite that during the piece’s premiere those in attendance asked for the movement to be repeated. The Waltz begins in a very simple fashion with a straightforward melody and off-beat accompaniment. From the onset, one can imagine beautiful dancers waltzing across the ballroom floor.
In stark stylistic contrast to the Waltz, the third movement is a slow Elegy based on the same ascending scale Tchaikovsky used for his Waltz. This Elegy is full of emotion, with a dramatic musical romance played out between the violins and cello.
Tchaikovsky’s finale (“Russian Theme”) draws from two Folk melodies. It begins quietly, as to not disturb the audience after the third movement, and slowly builds to the full-spirit Russian theme. When we arrive at the full running of the movement, listening (and playing) this kind of music makes you feel grateful to be alive and kicking.
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.
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