Program Notes - Chamber Music Society of Utica

THE CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY
OF UTICA
presents
NEAVE TRIO
Anna Marie Williams, violin
Mikhail Veselov, cello
Toni James, piano
11 January 2015 2:30 P.M. Museum of Art Auditorium
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
Chamber Music --- From Three to a Stageful
Program
Piano Trio in D Major, No. 28, Hob.XV:16
Franz Joseph Haydn
Allegro(1732-1809)
Andantino più tosto allegretto
Vivace assai
Piano Trio in e minor, Op. 90, "Dumky" Antonin Dvořák
Lento Maestoso - - Allegro Vivace(1841-1904)
Poco Adagio - Vivace non troppo
Andante
Andante moderato - Allegretto scherzando
Allegro
Lento Maestoso
Intermission
Piano Trio in e minor, Op.67
Andante
Allegro con brio
Largo
Allegretto
Dmitri Shostakovich
(1906-1975)
This concert is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with support of
Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature,
and by the generous contributions of supporters listed on the back page.
Neave Trio can be found on neavetrio.com.
THE ARTISTS
Hailed by critics for their "bright and radiant music making", the Neave Trio is fast distinguishing itself as an ambassador of music to a
wide audience through innovative concert presentations. As one of the best emerging young
chamber ensembles, the Neave Trio has worked
with distinguished artists including Menahem
Pressler, Pinchas Zukerman, the Brentano and
Emerson Quartets. The Trio is one of only a few
ensembles who will be showcased at Chamber
Music America's 37th Annual Conference in
NYC in January 2015. The Boston Musical Intelligencer has ranked the Neave Trio among the
finest chamber ensembles of their generation.
Neave Trio biography notes edited
by Vincent Costanza
PROGRAM NOTES
Piano Trio in D Major, No. 28
Hob. XV:16
Franz Joseph Haydn
Originally written for flute, cello and piano,
this vibrant and humorous trio falls in the middle
to late period of the many trios written by the
composer. In later trios Haydn, like Mozart and
later Beethoven, explored more emancipated
roles for all instruments. For this reason, some
consider Haydn and Mozart the "grandfathers"
of the modern piano trio; they are responsible
for setting off the developments that saw the
genre progress from piano concerto with string
accompaniment, to more full-fledged soloistic,
individual roles for each instrument. The
elegance, wit and charm of the first movement,
which features lively, often virtuosic exchanges
between piano and violin, gives way to the
almost disturbed, eerie fragility of the second
movement siciliano. The last movement rondo
exploits minor key episodes and a rambunctious
character that confirms the good-natured
humour at the heart of the movement.
Piano Trio in e minor, Op. 90
"Dumky"
Antonin Dvořák
Folk music stylizations permeate everything
from the musical character to the structure of
Dvořák's so called Dumky trio, which forms
a creative variant of the typical three or four
movement structure. Dumka is a Ukrainian
word that describes a folk song characterized
by abrupt changes of mood: melancholy
introspection to outward exuberance. There
seems to be unity of the first three movements of
the work linked with "attacca subitos", from their
close key relationships to an overall narrative
connection; anguished outburst, mourning and
eventually, warm remembrance. It has therefore
been commented that the rendering of the last
three movements in unrelated keys, cements
the idea of the work as a sonata-type structure
with movements one through three forming a
pseudo "first movement" of a four movement
structure. The work was so popular after its
Prague premiere (Dvořák himself played piano
with violinist Ferdinand Lachner on violin and
Hanuš Wihan on cello) that Dvořák performed it
on a farewell tour he completed before leaving
his homeland for the United States.
Piano Trio in e minor, Op.67
Dmitri Shostakovich
This work stands alone as one of the most
compelling, personal responses to the ravages of
war. Written from the composer's perspective, in
Leningrad at the height of the 900-day siege and
the peak of the Second World War, the second
trio represents a musical epitaph for his close
friend, musicologist Ivan Sollertinsky as well
as a eulogy for all victims of war. Conveying
the kind of jarring, emotional impact normally
reserved for large orchestral works, this pinnacle
of the chamber music repertoire shows the
composer at the height of his powers. The music
can be manic at times; at other times, deeply
grave and sorrowful but always vivid. The first
movement begins with eerie cello harmonics
and progresses through the slow build-up of
a highly dissonant and profound fugue before
moving on to the repeated rhythmic motifs of
the lively, chilling scherzo second movement. Arthur Cohn posited that the last movement
depicts the "forced dance" captors would elicit
from their captives before murdering them. Dark
and graphic as this music is, the final invocation
of E Major at the close of the work after the
lamenting third movement largo is recalled, has
the effect of the dawn of a new day: a sense of
resolve and the wonder of the human spirit.
Program notes by Toni James, pianist
Neave Trio
We are so pleased to be able to offer this concert free to our subscribers
as a replacement for the cancelled performance by the Minguet Quartet.
THE B# MUSICAL CLUB will present a program of performances by Club members on
Sunday, March 8, 2015 at 2:30 PM in this Hall. Performers include Peter Costianes,
Mike DiMeo, Arthur Durando, Judy Marchione, Irina Popov, Charles Schneider,
Rayna Schneider and Tina Toglia. www.bsharpny.org Ph: 737-9109.
HAMILTON COLLEGE is presenting MANY music events which are of interest
to this audience, too numerous to list here. Please check their website
www.hamilton.edu/college/performingarts Ph: 859-4331.
PLAYERS OF UTICA are staging Blithe Spirit on February 12-15 and February 19-21, 2015.
All performances are at 7:30 p.m., except February 15 and 21, which are at 2:00 p.m.
All performances are at Players Theatre at 1108 State St., Utica.
www.playersofutica.org Ph: 724-7624.
CMSU will bring to this stage, on Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 2:30 pm,
REBEL, Ensemble for Baroque Music, performing works by Telemann, Marini,
Corelli, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Boyce and others.
www.uticachambermusic.org Ph: 507-3597 or 896-6102.