Wednesday March 24, 2010

Charley anticipates the Veronika String Quartet's appearance at the Steam Plant Theater in Salida this Sunday.
Franz Schubert: Quartettsatz in C minor, D.703
Veronika String Quartet (Veronika Afanassieva, Karine Garibova, violins, Ekaterina Dobrotvorskaia, viola; Mary Artmann, cello)
KVOD Performance Studio 102308 MS
Also, Colorado Music Festival Chamber Orchestra
Michael Christie, conductor
Schubert: Symphony No. 6 in C major, D. 589 (Little) 37:30 (7/22/07)
And, Charley anticipates David Korevaar's appearance with the Littleton Symphony this Friday.
Frédéric Chopin: Etude in B minor, Op.25 No. 10 & Etude in A minor, Op.25 No. 11 (Winter Wind)
David Korevaar, piano
KVOD Performance Studio 062408 MS


Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Symphony No. 6 in C major, D.589 (Little)
I. Adagio; Allegro vivace
II. Andante
III. Scherzo: Presto
IV. Allegro moderato

The Sixth Symphony is called the ``Little'' C major Symphony to distinguish it from Schubert's ``Great'' C major Symphony (No. 9, D.944). The earlier work was finished in February of 1818 and probably performed shortly thereafter by an amateur orchestra that met twice a week at Otto Hatwig's house in Vienna. According to Schubert's friend Leopold Sonnleithner, the orchestra's members included ``merchants, tradesmen or minor officials.'' They had practised enough to handle most Mozart and Haydn symphonies, as well as the first two symphonies of Beethoven. One Josef Prohaska was conductor; Schubert played viola.
When Schubert offered his Great C major Symphony to the Society of the Friends of Music in 1828, the Society's orchestra ``provisionally put it aside because of its length and difficulty'' after only one rehearsal. Schubert suggested that they play his earlier C major Symphony instead.
When Schubert died later that same year, a memorial concert was planned by these same Friends of Music. Again the Great C major Symphony was rejected in favor of the Little C major Symphony. Alluding to the earlier work's debt to Beethoven, one critic wrote that it ``certainly justified expectations, for although it is written almost throughout in the manner of a master highly esteemed by the young composer, yet that master himself would have had no cause to be ashamed to rank it among his own works.''
Indeed, most commentators have detected Beethoven's influence in this symphony, especially in the third movement. Alfred Einstein says that the beginning of the movement is ``suggestive of Beethoven,'' and that the first movement ``breathes an atmosphere of almost completely unruffled cheerfulness in the interplay of its themes.'' He calls the second movement ``delicately constructed...playful.'' Einstein continues: ``The Finale is playful and `sociable,' with a graceful main theme, which Schubert loses sight of for a long time in the spirit of a Rondo. The movement is...full of the most carefree Schubertian fancies.''