Presidential Chamber Music Series: Trios for Viola, Clarinet & Piano

Willy Sucre will be joined by clarinetist Lori Lovato and guest pianist.  

The program should include:

Marchenerz�hlungen: Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano. Op. 132
"Fairy Tales"
by Robert Schumann

I. Lebhaft, nicht zu schnell
II.  Lebhaft und sehr markirt
III. Ruhiges tempo, mit zartem ausdruck
IV. Lebhaft, sehr markirt

Schumann was born in Zwickau, Germany on June 8, 1810 and died in Endenich, Germany on July 29, 1856. From the very beginning, he dedicated himself to overcoming the confining canons of eighteenth-century classical music, and he, along with Liszt and others, helped to evolve the concepts and techniques of nineteenth-century Romanticism.  Schumann wrote "I am affected by everything that goes on in the world--politics, literature, people--I think it over in my own way, and then I long to express my feelings in music."  Because of this undeniable urge to connect his music with sometimes unorthodox interest, many people found his pieces difficult to understand, and consequently they were seldom performed during his lifetime. Introspective, impassioned, and innovative Schumann represents the highest ideals of Romanticism. One of the best examples of this great writing is found in the "Fairy Tales" Op.132.  Set out in four movements, this charming miniature was written in 1853, the last year of his working life. With the clarinet the dominant instrument, these four �Fairy Tales� have a dream-like mood, an intertwining of the real and the imaginary, and the special qualities of all the instruments are perfectly caught.

Notes supplied by Willy Sucre.

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Trio for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano in E Flat Major, K. 498
"Kegelstatt" ("Skittles")
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

I. Andante
II. Menuetto � trio
III. Rondeaux - allegretto

Mozart was born January 27,1756, in Salzburg, Austria and died December 5, 1791, in Vienna. Mozart completed the "Kegelstatt" Trio on August 5, 1786, in Vienna. The trio is small-scaled and intimate in character, showing particularly affectionate part writing for both the clarinet and viola, instruments for which Mozart had a great affinity. It is fancifully subtitled "Kegelstatt" ("Skittles"), because presum�ably it was written while Mozart was playing skittles (similar to bowling) with his friend, clarinet virtuoso Anton Stadler. If this story is true, nothing in the music betrays the place of its composi�tion. The trio has an unique instrumentation, probably chosen for the use of his favorite piano student Franziska von Jacquin, Stadler, and Mozart himself playing viola.

Notes adapted from Guide to Chamber Music by Melvin Berger.

Three Preludes for Clarinet and Piano
by George Gershwin

I. Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso
II. Andante Con Moto E Poco Rubato
III. Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso

Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1898. His first important classical composition was written for string quartet in 1919-20.  Three Preludes are short piano pieces and were first performed by the composer at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York in 1926. Each prelude is a well known example of early 20th century American classical music, as influenced by jazz.

He originally planned to compose twenty four preludes for this group of works. The number reduced to five in public performance, and further decreased to three when first published in 1926. The pieces have been arranged for solo instruments and piano.

In January 1937, Gershwin performed in a special concert of his music with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra under the direction of French maestro Pierre Monteux. It was in Hollywood, while working on the score of The Goldwyn Follies, that he collapsed. He died on July 11, 1937 at the age of 38 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital following surgery for the brain tumor.  A memorial concert was held at the Hollywood Bowl on September 8, 1937 at which Otto Klemperer conducted his own orchestration of the second of Gershwin's Three Piano Preludes.

Notes adapted from info taken from Wikipedia, the free on-line encyclopedia.

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Three Pieces for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano from the Op. 83 Series
by Max Bruch

Max Bruch was born in Cologne on January 6, 1838 and died on October 2, 1920 in Berlin (Friedenau) where he spent the last two decades of his life.  He was one of Germany�s most important musical personalities who enjoyed a long active life as composer and conductor.  The eight pieces for clarinet, viola and piano Op. 83 (1910) were written for Bruch�s clarinetist son, Max Felix Bruch.  They are amongst the most sophisticated compositions in this genre and are marked by four criteria:  They are all �character-pieces� reflecting the sensitive and emotional part of romanticism; Except for number 7, they are all in minor keys.  All figurations are written with the specific requirements of every individual instrument in mind; Bruch managed to obtain the most mellow possible sound from every instrument.

The presentation of these pieces complies with the desire of the composer, who stated that he did not intend the work to be performed in its entirety at any one time.  Only three will be performed at this concert.

Notes supplied by Willy Sucre.
 
 
Program subject to change.