MUSIC

Haydn Piano Trio in C major, Hob. XV:27
Dohnanyi Serenade in C major for String Trio, Op. 10
Bloch Two Pieces for String Quartet
Schumann Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44

Lucy Chapman, Yura Lee, violins Marcus Thompson, viola
Astrid Schween, cello Randall Hodgkinson, piano

Haydn’s celebrated Piano Trio in C major captures the audience with delicious pauses, and lyrical grace, while pushing the boundaries of the form both in style and difficulty. The Serenade for String Trio, one of the earliest works of Dohnányi’s creative maturity, combines a folkish sense of melody with mastery of form and harmonic sophistication. Dedicated to the Griller Quartet, Bloch’s Two Pieces consists of two very different movements. Zany lyricism turns into astringency in the Andante moderato, before running out of steam in contemplative C-major. The Allegro molto is a vibrantly vivacious piece, moving along busily except for a little lyrical lacunae at its center. One of the most beloved of all chamber music works, Schumann’s Piano Quintet was the first for this now famous instrumentation and inspired a line of great works for the combination, including those by Brahms, Franck, and Dvorak.