Spring Chamber Concert Series – Three

“Brush Up” by Rick Dior contains a panoply of brush techniques drawing on the traditions of jazz and latin music. The composer includes notation for: brush taps, rim flutters, slides, staccato sweeps, one-handed tremolos, flat brush shots, and left hand swirls. This through-composed improvisation is really fun to play! – Program notes by Nathan Lassell

This is the Scherzo movement of this quartet by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827), which in Haydn and Mozart quartets was a Menuet or dance movement. Beethoven introduced the Scherzo or more playful joke like movement. Again, there are sudden changes of dynamics, and rhythms. The Maggiore (major key) trio section includes a Theme russe (Russian theme), since the three op. 59 quartets were commissioned in 1805 by Count Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna. The original song is a very patriotic song sung by soldiers: “Glory to you, God in the heavens, Glory! To our Tsar on this earth, Glory!” Beethoven starts the theme in piano (very soft) followed by a crescendo (gradually getting louder) to a spiky sforzando (accent) and a retreat back to piano (soft). One after the other the soldiers join in. The instruments alternate playing the melody, until there is a riotous free- for-all. Suddenly it all changes to piano (soft) and the spiky short strokes change to a smooth legato bow stroke. A very unusual direction for this movement is to repeat the whole movement twice and even then go back to the beginning section. It might have been to emphasize the Russian theme which is presented 13 times in the Maggiore section. The Austrians and Russians were fighting against Napoleon at this time, so Beethoven and Razumovsky were allies. The Op. 59 quartets were written in an unstable time in Vienna, and Beethoven might have wanted to emphasize the Russian folk song. – Program notes by Marsha Harbison

II. Andante
III. Menuetto

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) is rightly considered to be the greatest composer in the genre of the string quartet. But before he attempted his first string quartets (the op. 18’s), he composed five string trios. The earliest one, op. 3, was composed in Vienna in 1794 when he was just 23 years old.

This trio is patterned on Mozart’s monumental Divertimento K. 563 for violin, viola and cello. It is in the same key and follows the same scheme for a 6-movement piece that features two separate minuet movements.

Movement II is an elegant Andante. Movement III is the first of the minuet movements. In this minuet, the quirky rhythmic patterns in the unexpected rests show some of Beethoven’s humorous side. – Program notes by Beth Welty

These two rudimental drum solos, “Cider Jug” and “The Conquering Legions of Rome,” are from a collection published in 1985 called “The New Pratt Book.” The bass drum parts were composed by Robert McEwan for this performance. John S. Pratt (1931-2020) is one of the most revered and influential figures in American rudimental drumming. He was, most notably, a member of the West Point Field Music Unit, also known as “The Hellcats,” and became an instructor and composer for the group in 1959, earning praise from none other than Leopold Stokowski. Pratt’s many solos are considered pillars of any percussionist’s repertoire. – Program notes by Nathan Lassell

I. Marcia
II. Romanza

Ernő Dohnányi (1877-1960), grandfather of conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and conductor.

This piece was written in 1902 and premiered in Vienna in 1904. Serenades are instrumental compositions that generally lighter in mood and usually have many movements to them. Composers have written pieces in this format since before the classical era. Dohnányi takes this very old musical form and makes it sound more modern with his harmonies, which are beautiful but definitely of the 20th century. Like Beethoven’s second string trio, op 8, (also titled Serenade), he begins with a short March, some of which will return in the last movement of the piece. This is followed by the slower, lyrical Romanza. – Program notes by Beth Welty