Monday November 9, 2009

Charley anticipates the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio's joint recital with the Miami String Quartet this Wednesday.
Friends of Chamber Music
Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, Op.87
Franz Josef Haydn: “Gypsy Rondo” (4th movement) from Piano Trio in G major, Hob. XV:25 (5/4/05)
Also, Charley talks with Yumi Hwang-Williams and Dror Biron about the Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music Fest (JAAMM fest) recital tomorrow.
Ernest Bloch: "Vidui" (Contrition): "Un poco lento" (1st movement) from Baal Shem
Felix Mendelssohn: "Allegro vivace" (1st movement) from Sonata in F Major (1838)
Yumi Hwang-Williams, violin; Dror Biran, piano
KVOD Performance Studio 11/9/09 MS
And, Charley anticipates the "Matthew Dane and Friends" faculty recital at CU Boulder tomorrow.
Frédéric Chopin: Etude in F major, Op.25 No. 3
David Korevaar, piano
KVOD Performance Studio 062408 MS

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809): Piano Trio No. 39 in G major (Hob.XV: 25)
I. Andante
II. Poco adagio--Cantabile
III. Rondo all'ongarese (Hungarian Rondo): Presto

Haydn made two trips to London to compose and conduct for Johann Peter Salomon's concert series. As busy as he was in the English capital, Haydn still found time for an intense social life--even romance. One of his piano students was Rebecca Schroeter, the widow of the late music master to the queen. Before long love letters were exchanged.
In February, 1792, Rebecca wrote to Haydn: ``No language can express half the love and affection I feel for you, you are dearer to me every day of my life.'' And later the same year: ``Dearest Haydn, I feel for you the fondest and tenderest affection the human heart is capable of.''
Unfortunately, none of Haydn's replies have survived, but he later referred to ``an English widow in London who loved me...in all likelihood I should have married her if I had been single.''
Meanwhile, Haydn's wife, apparently having gotten wind of her husband's amatory adventures, sent off a series of nasty notes to London. Haydn described his reaction to these missives: ``My wife, that infernal beast, wrote me so many things that I was forced to answer that I was never coming back. To this letter she paid attention.''
During his second trip to London in 1794, Haydn took lodgings next to Rebecca's house. The following year he published three piano trios dedicated to ``Madame Schroeter'' (Hob.XV No.24 in D major, No.25 in G major, and No.26 in F sharp minor).
In his discussion of the piano trios of the period, Karl Geiringer observes that ``they are larger compositions than the earlier trios, and their contents are of greater importance. The wealth of modulations in these last trios in remarkable.... Characteristic pieces, such as the lovely theme and variations in the first movement of No.25, in G major, the simple and fervent prayer in E major of its second movement, and the high spirited rondo all'ungarese of the finale would never have been written by the earlier Haydn in the form of a piano trio.''
In his notes to the Beaux Arts Trio's recording, Hans Christoph Worbs describes the G major trio. ``In the first movement Haydn varies a song-like theme,'' he writes. ``The violin comes to the fore in the fine tracery of the third variation, and in the minor variation...it directly takes over from the piano...In the second movement too, it has an independent part. The cantabile in the middle section of this movement has an almost romantic expressiveness.'' In the famous ``Hungarian Rondo,'' ``sophisticated music and folk-song have been happily blended.''