Clara Schumann Three Romances, Op. 22 (1853)
Peggy Pearson, oboe; Max Levinson, piano
Johannes BRAHMS Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60 (1875)
Isabelle Ai Durrenberger, violin; Marcus Thompson, viola; Raman Ramakrishnan, cello; Max Levinson, piano
Marion BAUER Concertino for Oboe, Clarinet, and Strings, Op. 32 (1939–44)
Peggy Pearson, oboe; Romie de Guise-Langlois, clarinet; Isabelle Ai Durrenberger, violin; Jennifer Frautschi, Marcus Thompson, viola; Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
Amy BEACH Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor, Op. 67 (1907)
Jennifer Frautschi, violin; Isabelle Ai Durrenberger, violin; Marcus Thompson, viola; Raman Ramakrishnan, cello; Max Levinson, piano
Featured musicians
Max Levinson
Isabelle Ai Durrenberger
Jennifer Frautschi
Marcus Thompson
Raman Ramakrishnan
Peggy Pearson
Romie de Guise-Langlois
Clara Schumann’s Three Romances, her final contributions to the chamber music literature, feature long, lyrical lines in the treble voice that contrast with the florid piano writing.
Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor is famously marked by the intrigue of unfulfilled love. A falling two-note motive akin to a sigh opens the first movement Allegro before a storm of ardent and tortured emotions ensues. Each of the four movements spotlights an instrument in the ensemble, the cello most memorably singing out a sublime love song in the Andante.
Having explored numerous tonal approaches throughout her career, Marion Bauer made use of a broad palette of harmonic colors in the Concertino for Oboe, Clarinet and Strings. The first two movements, meandering and moderate in tempo, find contrast with the rhythmic momentum of the final Allegro giocoso.
Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor opens with a dark Adagio introduction, music befitting the composer’s association of that key with the color black. A soft, romantic melody in the first violin brings a gentler character to the second movement, while the final Allegro agitato impresses with quick scalar runs.
