Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 1, No. 3 (1795)
Alyssa Wang, violin; Clancy Newman, cello; Max Levinson, piano
Lowell LIEBERMANN Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (2021 BCMS co-commission)
Romie de Guise-Langlois, clarinet; Max Levinson, piano
Gabriel FAURÉ Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15 (1876–1879; rev. 1883)
Alyssa Wang, violin; Marcus Thompson, viola; Clancy Newman, cello; Max Levinson, piano
Featured musicians
The Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor is a striking display of Beethoven’s distinct musical personality at the outset of his career and shows the young composer already pushing past conventions of tonality and form. The work opens with a stormy sonata movement, featuring an extended development and constant alternations of character.
Liebermann’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano is “an accessible, engaging, friendly yet challenging winner.” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer) The sonata traverses the clarinet’s registers and range of tone colors while showcasing the lyrical playing of BCMS clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois.
Fauré’s Piano Quartet in C minor opens with an expressive Allegro whose melodies bear a Brahmsian influence. A vibrant Scherzo features pizzicato passages for the strings, allowing the piano to shine. The largely melancholic Adagio offers glimpses of brighter memories, followed by a lively fourth movement that recalls themes heard earlier in the work.
