Sharon Gunderson, violin;
Margrét Hjaltested, viola;
Marc Tagle, cello;
Mary Bopp, piano.
Program:
Beethoven Piano Quartet in E-flat, op. 16
Schumann Piano Quartet in E-flat, op. 47
Dohnányi Serenade in C for String Trio, op. 10
Program Notes
Composed in 1796, Beethoven Piano Quartet in E-flat began as a quintet for piano, clarinet, oboe, horn, and bassoon. Beethoven transcribed it for piano and strings, and both versions were later published with the same opus number. Melvin Berger suggests that the transcription was a way to make the music more available to the many amateur piano and string groups that were active in Vienna at the time. The quintet was modeled on Mozart's 1784 "grand quintet"; these "sister masterpieces" have the same instrumentation, key, and general structure.
In his book on chamber music Berger notes that as a composer Schumann tended to cluster his compositions. The years 1831-1839 were devoted to piano pieces; 1840 was the year of songs, and 1841 saw his first symphonies. Chamber music consumed most of 1842. His "household book" reveals that from April 1 to early June he studied the quartets of Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn. Amazingly, in the last six months he composed six major chamber works: three string quartets Op. 41, the Piano Quintet Op. 44, the Piano Quartet Op. 47, and a trio in A minor, later to be published as Fantasiestücke, Op. 88.
Brilliant pianist, outstanding conductor and distinguished teacher, Ernő Dohnányi’s opus numbers no more than 48 compositions and he is mostly remembered for the charming Variations on a Nursery Song, part of the standard orchestral repertoire. He did, however, compose a number of fine chamber works bearing the hallmarks of his musical style, often hinting at the folk music of Hungary as in the Serenade of 1902, while continuing in the tradition of Brahms, notably in the more Viennese sounding Sextet of 1935.
New York City, NY; NYC