Lyrical and intense, the three violin-piano duo sonatas have long taken their place as the undisputed classics of the genre. The Four Piano Pieces, op. 119, Brahms's final work for the piano, are, in turn, introspective, nostalgic, playful and passionate.
This performance showcases Brahms's eagerly awaited first two string quartets, which he completed at age forty, as well as two piano works, the epic Four Ballades, op. 10, and the richly expressive Fantasies, op. 116.
Soloist with the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sidney Harth and the DU Choirs conducted by Christine Jordanoff
Program: Beethoven Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra, op. 80
Tickets $10 available at the door. Further information: www.duq.edu/music
David Allen Wehr returns to OBU, where he was Artist-in-Residence from 1994-2002, to honor OBU Professor Emerita Virginia Queen. The preceding day, Monday, April 16, Wehr will judge the competition for pianists established in Queen's honor 25 years ago. For further information, visit www.obu.edu/music
Brahms simultaneously composed two versions of the Variations on a Theme of Haydn, one for orchestra and one for two pianos (op. 56B), performed for this concert, while the Two-piano Sonata, op. 34B, is an earlier incarnation of the Piano Quintet. Written just months after his mother’s death, the Horn Trio, op. 40, uses an unusual combination of French horn, violin and piano, helping to create a moving memorial.
Brahms’s mellow String Quartet no. 3 in B-Flat major, op. 67, and the exquisite, but rarely heard, Variations on a Theme of Schumann for Piano, op. 9, set the stage for the powerhouse Piano Quintet in F Minor, op. 34, a dark masterpiece.
Join Christopher McGlumphy, executive director of the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society, for a preconcert talk at 2:15 p.m. in PNC Recital Hall.
First Congregational Church, Stratford, Connecticut
Cynthia Raim and David Allen Wehr, piano duet concert
Works of Brahms, Utterback and Dvorak
$10 minimum donation requested
For directions: visit www.firstchurchstratford.org
The three trios for piano, violin and cello on this program span forty years, essentially the composer’s entire creative life. Their masterly blend of passion and intellect has made them cornerstones of the chamber music repertoire.
Jim Cunningham, host of WQED-FM’s Morning Show, presents a pre-concert talk about the evening’s program at 7:15 p.m. in PNC Recital Hall.
Works by Mussorgsky, Debussy, Griffes, Chopin and Utterback
Presented by El Paso Pro Musica
University of Texas-El Paso - Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
For more information, visit www.eppm.org
Repeat of Nov. 27 recital, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Location TBA
For more information, visit www.eppm.org