Saint-Saëns: Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano in E minor, Op. 92
Karen Gomyo, violin
Bion Tsang, cello
Jeewon Park, piano
This is a great piece with some fine violin writing.
Prokofiev: Sonata for Two Violins, Op. 56
Augustin Hadelich, violin
Erin Keefe, violin
I’ve probably heard this one, and I expect it might be a bit tough on the ear.
Tchaikovsky: String Quartet in D, Op. 11
Ida Levin, violin
Andrew Wan, violin
David Harding, viola
Edward Arron, cello
This is the culmination of ten years work for me. Every year I provide a list of requests for pieces that the festival has never done or has not done in at least a decade. This one has been on my list since 2002. I lobbied the executive director and the artistic director, and I even took one of the cellists to dinner to push for this piece.
Ida Levin resisted the idea of programming pieces from the string quartet literature because they require a different way of rehearsing and performing. After playing first violin in a Prokofiev quartet a few years ago at the festival, she relented, and I’m delighted to see her playing first violin in this piece. She and Rudolf Serkin performed for Reagan at the White House when she was a teenager, and she was surprised to discover that Reagan knew her father, who was a judge in Los Angeles and a jazz lover. In rehearsals, she is tough on her fellow performers.
I’ll tell you my favorite Ida story.
I went to a post-concert party at a condo in the north end of downtown Seattle. Ida and I sat down, ate and conversed about music for much of the party. Note that Ida is now in her forties. As I was walking her to her car, we crossed the street, and I did the gentlemanly thing, offering her my arm. She said, “You know I’ve been crossing the street alone since I was at least twenty.” I said, “But Ida, that was only five years ago.” She laughed so hard I thought she was going to fall over.
This is a wonderful piece. In the first movement, Tchaikovsky spins a great melody in 9/8.
Prepare yourself for the second movement. It’s a four handkerchief piece, and I recommend at least a box of tissues be on standby. When Leo Tolstoy heard this movement, he broke down.
The third movement is a short scherzo that is often used as an encore piece by professional string quartets.
The finale is beautiful, and the coda is absolutely wild.
Good evening Prof...so you are both a gentleman & a scholar. I'm proud to know you! Seriously!
Thank you for all the music & information...you are appreciated! *Hugs*
Thanks for the new links! Great that you know so many musicians who have made a difference! :)