Tuesday April 13, 2010

Friends of Chamber Music
Sejong
Antonín Dvořák: Waltz in A major, Op.54 No. 1 4:09
Antonín Dvořák: Serenade in E major, Op.22 26:36 (9/23/08)
Also, Charley talks to composer Leanna Kirchoff, who has written a new piece for The Playground's appearance on the Pendulum series.
Leanna Kirchoff: Midsummer in the Cottonwoods
Paul Nagem, flute; Sarah Balian, oboe; Daryll Stevens, clarinet; Alexander Vierira, bassoon; Michael Yopp, horn
Colorado College New Music Symposium 2008
Leanna Kirchoff: As Sparks Fly Upward
Djuna Jennings, clarinet; Rob Blessinger, violin; Adam Esbensen, cello; Susan Smith, piano; Gordan Rencher, percussion
Ernest Bloch Festival 2006
And, Charley anticipates the Lamont Faculty Brass Trio's recital tomorrow.
Johannes Brahms (arr.Verne Reynolds): Duet, "So lass uns Wandern!" (So let us wander), Op.75
Jesse McCormick, Susan McCullough, horns; Tamara Goldstein, piano
"It's All Relative" CD


Program Notes by Charley Samson, copyright 2010.

Antonin Dvorák (1841-1904): Serenade for Strings in E major, Opus 22
I. Moderato
II. Tempo di Valse
III. Scherzo: Vivace
IV. Larghetto
V. Finale: Allegro vivace

Dvorák's Serenade for Strings was composed in just twelve days, between May 3 and 14, 1875. A planned performance by Hans Richter and the Vienna Philharmonic the following fall never materialized. The first performance took place in Prague on December 10, 1876. Adolf Cech conducted the combined string sections of the Czech and German Theater Orchestras. A Viennese performance had to wait until 1884.

Biographer John Clapham writes: ``Both the light-hearted Scherzo and the Finale start canonically, and the Trio of the Waltz and the Larghetto are both enriched when their melodic themes are repeated canonically. The first movement is simple and child-like, but the subdivision of violas and cellos gives it richness and the expressive interjections of the violins during the main theme are telling. The Waltz and Trio have decided charm, and are linked together by a rhythmic motif....When the melody of the beautiful Larghetto is compared with the Trio theme in the second movement they are found to be two versions of the same basic musical thought.''