Gabriel FAURÉ Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13 (1875–76)
Jennifer Frautschi, violin; Max Levinson, piano
Michi WIANCKO Tyranny of Coordinates (2022 BCMS commission)
Jennifer Frautschi, violin; Yura Lee, violin; Marcus Thompson, viola; Raman Ramakrishnan, cello; Max Levinson, piano
Maurice RAVEL Piano Trio (1914)
Yura Lee, violin; Raman Ramakrishnan, cello; Max Levinson, piano
Featured musicians
Elegant and innovative, Fauré’s Violin Sonata No. 1 received a highly successful premiere in 1877, prompting the praise of Fauré’s friend and teacher, Saint-Saëns: “In this sonata you can find everything to tempt a gourmet: new forms, excellent modulations, unusual tone colors, and the use of unexpected rhythms… a magic floats above everything.”
Our 2022 commission by Michi Wiancko, Tyranny of Coordinates, draws its name from the work of writer Báyò Akómoláfé and is “dedicated to those doing advanced work to bring hope, healing, joy, and liberation to all people.” The piece includes the use of common household objects and explores unusual ways for classical instruments to create sound.
Written on the cusp of World War I, Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor is at times inward and contemplative, at others energetic and virtuosic. The trio opens with an uneven rhythmic pattern inspired by the zortziko, a Basque dance. A playful second movement contrasts with the solemn Passacaglia that follows, while sparking violin harmonics in the finale build to an exuberant finish.
