On July 27, 2024, I had the great pleasure to attend the final summer performance with the Chamber Music Society.
The first piece was Beethoven’s Serenade in D major for Flute, Violin, and Viola, Op. 25. (light, fun, joyful)
In his Op. 25, Beethoven pays homage to the Mozartean standard in six movements written for flute, violin, and viola—a modest instrumentation that compensates for what it lacks in the bass register with an inherent buoyancy accentuating the lighthearted nature of the piece.
The carefree joy of Op. 25 can be contrasted with the composer’s struggle with hearing loss in the first years of the century. The contrast has led to speculation that the piece was written a decade earlier than the publication date.
I added it to one of my classical playlists (the happy one) on Spotify.
The second piece was Schubert’s Rondo in A major for Violin and String Quartet, D. 438.
The years between 1814 and 1816 have been referred to as Schubert’s “miracle years” for the volume of works he produced. A brief glimpse at his output for one year alone reveals 150 songs, two string quartets (each written in just over one week), two symphonies, two masses, and four singspiels, simultaneously in the middle of classes and exams to earn a teaching certificate.
Rondo form features an A theme, or refrain, that continually returns between statements of contrasting musical material (A–B–A–C–A, etc.), almost like a game, lending it an inherent spirit of whimsy.
The third piece was Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst’s Grand Caprice on Schubert's “Erlkönig” for Violin, Op. 26.
In March 1828, the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, Niccolò Paganini arrived in Vienna to launch his first multi-city concert tour outside of Italy. In the audience was an ailing Franz Schubert and a bright teenage violinist, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, who developed a consuming obsession with Paganini. He went to multiple performances, and even went so far as booking hotel rooms next to Paganini in hope of catching snippetsof practice sessions (which were few and far between) to learn more about the virtuoso’s techniques and copy down pieces by ear. (sounds like stalking …)
In time, Ernst forged his own brilliant career as a violin virtuoso and produced some of the most challenging repertoire for the instrument, such as this one.
The final piece was Mozart’s Quintet in C major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, K. 515.
The cheerful Quintet in C major was crafted during a phase of satisfying professional achievement for Mozart, between the creation of two operas that would be among his most enduringly beloved works. The Marriage of Figaro (highly recommend) premiered in Vienna during the spring of 1786 and was well received with a successful run, but when the production opened in Prague, it ballooned into a runaway smash hit. Mozart was invited to visit the following January and was treated like a celebrity. This led to a commission for another opera, Don Giovanni, to be premiered in Prague that October. Astonishingly, just a couple of months after the Mozart family returned to Vienna, he produced two string quintets, including this one.
My Thoughts on the Performance:
Lovely! Most of the music was light, bouncy and bright.
I loved all the music, and noted I need to work on appreciating Schubert more.
Highly recommend the summer program! and will be purchasing tickets next summer, for sure.
Audience Rating:
4/5 Once again the ushers let late audience members enter mid-piece making lots of noise and forcing the musicians to wait for the audience to settle. The man behind me had a booming voice and had to be shushed by his female companion several times through the performance.
I also met two seat companions (Mary Beth and Tom) and promised to look for them through the season.
The evening was social, especially during the happy hour with the free wine and easy access to all the musicians. I asked Aaron Boyd whether he preferred to play the violin or viola, and he responded “hands down the violin”.
References:
https://www.chambermusicsociety.org/our-concerts/at-lincoln-center/events/24-25/summer-evenings-vi/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Wilhelm_Ernst