Sixth Season
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Our upcoming concerts are April 18 and 19. Featured will be the much-loved gem, “The Trout” Quintet by Franz Schubert. Written when he was only 22, it is a work of overwhelming joy and supreme happiness. And, especially since the famous video of Perlman, Zuckerman, Barenboim, Du Pre, and Mehta (available on You Tube), it has become perhaps the most popular of chamber music works.
Natsuki Fukasawa will be our pianist for the occasion. She is very much in demand these days, and we are lucky to have her return for this concert. Also appearing will be a group of terrific Bay Area performers. Michel Taddei is one of the finest bassists in the area. Sharon Wei, our violist, is in constant demand both in New York, Toronto, and other cities. Our cellist, Robert Howard, will bring his expressive quality and learned approach to early 19th century style.
I am also personally thrilled to be playing for you a great work, the Poème by Ernst Chausson. It is a concerto–like work of great depth, beauty, and virtuosity. I am delighted to play it with Natsuki (I have also had the pleasure of performing it recently with Lea Neiman, a very fine pianist, who is the mother of Adam Neiman, whom you will remember from our last concert.)
We will also perform for you a great duo for violin and viola by Mozart. This is the first work that I will have performed for the second time in the six years we have been putting on these concerts. I love the work and couldn’t resist performing it with the wonderful violist Sharon Wei.
We so appreciate your support of Chamber Music Alive! We believe that we have formed a community of people who believe in what we do—performing great music with passion and unswerving commitment. And, of course, I will continue saying a few words about each piece prior to the performance. This, I’ve been told by many of you, adds to the relaxed atmosphere in the concert hall. I always endeavor to give a little historical background, which gives context to this wonderful music. And I sometimes even add a few juicy tidbits about the composers!
