Prometheus Trio and Fine Arts Quartet open the chamber music season
Milwaukee's premier resident trio and quartet launch the fall season this weekend with a mix of favorites and rarely heard more recent works.
The Fine Arts Quartet: (from left) Ralph Evans, Efim Boico, Robert Cohen and Nicolo Eugelmi (being replaced by Juan-Miguel Hernandez this season). Courtesy of the Fine Arts Quartet website.
The Fine Arts Quartet opens their season on Sunday, September 29, at 3 p.m.The concert features two Beethoven quartets – a significant strength of the Fine Arts Quartet. They have published all the Beethoven quartets over their 67-year history – the Op 18, No 4 twice.
An early work, Beethoven’s fourth string quartet, Op 18, No 4 in C minor is a dramatic work rooted in the classical tradition. It has the energy of Haydn’s quartets but signals a break from the past in its creative development and driving scherzo movement.
Beethoven’s 11th string quartet, Op 95 in F minor (“Serioso“) comes from his Middle Period, not quite a break from the past. Perhaps the mood (often somber, angry and dramatic) reflected his changed circumstances; at the time of its composition in 1810, the accomplished composer had lost much of his hearing, and his greatest love Josephine Brunsvik had just remarried. But the quartet ends with tentative optimism.
Krzysztof Penderecki, composer – in 2008
Krzysztof Penderecki’s String Quartet No. 3 promises to be a highlight of the concert. Premiered in 2008, the work’s subtitle, “Leaves from an Unwritten Diary,” suggests autobiographical elements. Penderecki brings a complex style, with wide dynamic changes and an unashamedly “postmodern” palette. This mix of drama, quick mood changes and dance and folk fragments remain interesting throughout.
Juan-Miguel Hernandez, interim violist
The Fine Arts Quartet includes long term violinists Ralph Evans and Efim Boico, cellist Robert Cohen approaching his 3rd year formally with the Quartet and Juan-Miguel Hernandez, who filled in for Nicolò Eugelmi in spring and summer and returns for a season as interim violist following Eugelmi’s recent resignation.
After several seasons of free admission built a considerable audience in Milwaukee, the Fine Arts Quartet concerts are charging a modest fee of $10 ($5 students). For information and tickets call the UW-Milwaukee box office at (414) 229-4308 or visit the online box office). The UWM Zelazo Center is located at 2419 E. Kenwood Blvd. A pre-talk precedes the concert at 2:00 p.m.
Continue on for information on the Prometheus Trio’s season-opening concert, being performed twice on Monday and Tuesday night.
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Thanks for the shout-out, TCD! It should be noted that we will be playing Brahms’ amazing trio for horn, biolin and piano with Mr. Annin; the Prometheus will play the Beethoven trio in C Minor, Op. 1, No. 3, on our December concert.
(er, violin)