MUSIC

In mid-December BCMS celebrates Beethoven’s birthday with a program that features three consecutive opuses of his that occupy an interesting position on the cusp between his middle and last periods. Written at a time of immense anger and deep despondence, the “Serioso” String Quartet (Op. 95) is a quick, condensed look into Beethoven’s soul. The lyrical Violin Sonata in G major (Op. 96) ends with a Haydnesque surprise and anticipates the more compact forms of Beethoven’s later years. In the “Archduke” Piano Trio (Op. 97) Beethoven employed a warm and emotional style with broadly sung melodies and appealing dance rhythms to bid farewell to the aristocratic gestures of the past and look forward to a new era of music-making by professional musicians and enjoyment for the public.

Beethoven: String Quartet in F minor, Opus. 95, “Serioso”
Beethoven: Violin Sonata in G major Opus. 96
Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat major, Opus. 97, “Archduke”

Ida Levin, Jennifer Frautschi, violins / Dimitri Murrath, viola
Marc Johnson, cello / Benjamin Hochman, piano