"Musical Menagarie"
March 15, 2021
7:30 pm
(reservations open March 1, 2021 by email request only)
Laurel Heights Church
Jean Francaix: Trio for oboe, bassoon, piano
I. Adagio-Allegro moderato
II. Scherzo. Risoluto
III. Andante
IV. Finale
Olivier Messiaen: Le Merle Noir for flute and piano
Ludwig van Beethoven: Serenade Op. 25 for flute, violin, viola
I. Entrata, Allegro
II. Tempo ordinario d'un Menuetto
III. Allegro molto
IV. Andante con Variazioni
V. Allegro scherzando e vivace
VI. Adagio - Allegro vivace e dis in volta
INTERMISSION
Gabriel Fauré : Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13
I. Allegro molto
II. Andante
III. Allegro vivo
IV. Allegro quasi presto
Leoš Janáček: Concertino for two violins, viola, clarinet, horn, bassoon, piano
I. Moderato
II. Più Mosso
III. Con moto
IV. Allegro
Jeffrey Kahane, piano
Eric Gratz, violin
Christine Wang, violin
Yang Guo, viola
Mark Teplitsky, flute
Paul Lueders, oboe
Ilya Shterenberg, clarinet
Sharon Kuster, bassoon
Jeff Garza, horn
This performance is made possible in part by a generous gift from Dennert Ware.
Program Notes, written by Mark Teplitsky
Jean Francaix (1912-1997)
Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano
The not so well know known French composer, Jean Francaix left a notable output of over two hundred pieces covering all the orchestral instruments. Initially trained in composition and piano by his father, Francaix spent his teenage years studying with Nadia Boulanger and Maurice Ravel. The recipient of many international Grand Prix awards, Francaix was endlessly commissioned to compose concerti, ballets, operas, and chamber music. In much of this music, Francaix expressed an affection towards woodwind instruments. Francaix's trio for oboe, bassoon and piano demonstrates satisfying conversational interplay between the three instruments, with the lightness and humor commonly associated with the then popular neoclassical style.
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Le Merle Noir for Flûte and Piano
Having lived through almost the entire 1900s, Olivier Messaien was a pivotal participant in the reinvention of Western Classical Music. In a century where artistic movements replaced their predecessor every decade, Messaien pushed the boundaries of composition with his exploration of serialism, abstract rhythm, and modal instability. His ornithological obsession and life long synaesthesia (a condition in which one sees colors in association with sounds) are obvious contributors to his unique output. Le Merle Noir, "the blackbird," was composed for the Paris Conservatory's flute department's graduation competition. This was the first work, of many, that Messaien composed where he aimed to imitate a single unique species of bird. The French composer's love for the organ is faithfully transplanted into the flute work's bombastic piano part.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola Op. 25
Beethoven wrote a great deal of music for various combinations of wind instruments during the end of the eighteenth century much of which was intended for the Bonn Court's ensemble of wind players. Many of these works demonstrate Beethoven's attempt in Vienna to teach himself to write idiomatically for winds as he prepared to compose his revolutionary symphonies. The Serenade in D Major for flute, violin, and viola is a work in seven brief parts, intended for outdoor performances. Thus, it lacks any of the belligerence commonly associated with Beethoven's quarelesom nature. Still, the work's delightful and relaxed movements are recognizably written in Beethoven's colloquial manner.
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13
"In this sonata you can find everything to tempt a gourmet," said Saint-Saëns of the early Fauré work, "new forms, excellent modulation, unusual tone colors, and the use of unexpected rhythms. A magic floats above everything, encompassing the whole work, causing the crowd of usual listeners to accept the unimagined audacity as something quite normal. With this work Monsieur Fauré takes his place among the masters." (Los Angeles Philharmonic) To Gabriel Fauré these words meant everything coming from his teacher Camille Saint-Saëns. The four movement work was premiered by Marie Tayau on violin and Fauré at the piano in 1877.
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)
Concertino for 2 violins, viola, clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano
Originally intended as a piano concerto with orchestra, Janacek's Concertino morphed into a fascinating chamber concerto with two violins, viola, clarinet, horn, and bassoon for accompaniment. The very unusual composition is in four movements, each with strange commentary inserted by the ever tragedy stricken composer. The first movement only includes horn and piano and includes the text "grumpy hedgehog." The second movement is just clarinet and piano with the annotation "fidgety squirell." Finally other instruments join in for the third movement which Janacek compared to a "night owl and other night animals." The final movement is deemed a "scene from a fairy-tale, where everybody is arguing." The work was successfully accepted at its premiere and quickly garnered great acclaim across Europe.