South Bay Chamber Music Society March 16 & 18, 2018 Trio Céleste Iryna Krechkovsky, violin, Ross Gasworth, cello, Kevin Kwan Loucks, piano, with Michelle Gasworth, viola Program Notes by Boglárka Kiss, D.M.A. Trio Céleste Piano quartet instruments As a standard chamber formation that features violin, cello and piano, the piano trio emerged in the mid- 1700s. Its predecessors include duo and trio sonatas as well as the solo keyboard sonata. The keyboard part of chamber sonatas gained more prominence gradually, pushing the string instruments’ roles into the background until the Classical era when the violin and cello encountered a newfound independence. By the early 19th century, the piano trio was so popular that many symphonic and other larger works were arranged for it. In another later development, perhaps due to advances in piano technique and construction, the piano again received a more substantial and prominent role in the late 19 th century. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the popularity of the piano trio has continued unabated, as exemplified by the expansion of its repertoire. Most commonly, the piano quartet is a chamber ensemble comprised of a piano, violin, viola, and cello, but the term has been used for other formations as well. Its origins can be traced to the accompanied keyboard divertimentos of the mid-1700s, and to early keyboard concertos. The Viennese embraced the piano quartet enthusiastically: Not only did they appreciate works written for the ensemble by the likes of Mozart, but amateur keyboard players also bought published arrangements of many popular works. By the late 19 th century, the piano quartet became a genre of “serious” chamber music intended for professional musicians to perform, with compositions showing a unified conception of style. In contrast, 20 th century piano quartets exhibit a more flexible conception of style and instrumentation.
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South Bay Chamber Music Society March 16 & 18, 2018
Trio Céleste Iryna Krechkovsky, violin, Ross Gasworth, cello, Kevin Kwan Loucks, piano,
with Michelle Gasworth, viola Program Notes by Boglárka Kiss, D.M.A.
Trio Céleste Piano quartet instruments
As a standard chamber formation that features violin, cello and piano, the piano trio emerged in the mid-1700s. Its predecessors include duo and trio sonatas as well as the solo keyboard sonata. The keyboard part of chamber sonatas gained more prominence gradually, pushing the string instruments’ roles into the background until the Classical era when the violin and cello encountered a newfound independence. By the early 19th century, the piano trio was so popular that many symphonic and other larger works were arranged for it. In another later development, perhaps due to advances in piano technique and construction, the piano again received a more substantial and prominent role in the late 19th century. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the popularity of the piano trio has continued unabated, as exemplified by the expansion of its repertoire. Most commonly, the piano quartet is a chamber ensemble comprised of a piano, violin, viola, and cello, but the term has been used for other formations as well. Its origins can be traced to the accompanied keyboard divertimentos of the mid-1700s, and to early keyboard concertos. The Viennese embraced the piano quartet enthusiastically: Not only did they appreciate works written for the ensemble by the likes of Mozart, but amateur keyboard players also bought published arrangements of many popular works. By the late 19th century, the piano quartet became a genre of “serious” chamber music intended for professional musicians to perform, with compositions showing a unified conception of style. In contrast, 20th century piano quartets exhibit a more flexible conception of style and instrumentation.
Piano Trio in B-f lat Major, Op. 97 “Archduke” (1811) Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Despite the contributions of composers before him, it remained for Beethoven to give the piano trio an importance it had not enjoyed before. His finest and last work in the genre, the Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, closes Beethoven’s “heroic” decade, which witnessed the creation of works such as the “Eroica” Symphony, the Fifth Symphony, and the “Emperor” piano concerto. The youngest son of Emperor Leopold, Archduke Rudolph Johann Joseph Rainer Hapsburg dedicated a lot of his time to his favorite personal interest, music. He chose Beethoven to be his piano and composition teacher, eventually becoming the master’s most devoted benefactor. Among the works Beethoven dedicated to his friend and patron are the Missa solemnis, the Grosse Fuge, the Hammerklavier Sonata, and the piano trio on today’s program. Indeed, there is a nobleness, albeit often muted and understated, that pervades the entire “Archduke” trio. The opening movement features rich string and keyboard writing within a traditional sonata form. The noble and serene first theme contrasts with a staccato second idea, but the entire movement is one of elegance and lyricism. The Scherzo opens with a bouncy figure on the cello and violin, with the trio section presenting a winding fugato and a waltz. The expansive third movement hints at Beethoven’s later writing: After introducing a hymn-like theme, a set of variations ensues with increasing complexity and tension, leading into the brisk rondo that alternates between heroic and lighter passages, featuring a fast coda to close the entire piece. Beethoven’s spirits were high at the time of the creation of this work. His hearing had improved temporarily, allowing him to perform and participate again in social gatherings. In fact, he bid farewell to the concert stage with a performance of the “Archduke” Trio in 1814. His growing deafness made further social and musical appearances increasingly difficult, and sent the composer on a profound inward journey for the remaining years of his life. To listen to this work, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kOw6l02Ua0
Page 1 of Beethoven’s sketch of the “Archduke” Trio (Beethoven-Haus, Bonn)
Piano Quartet in E-f lat Major, Op. 47 (1842) Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Unlike many other composers, Robert Schumann preferred to write in one genre at a time. Before his marriage to Clara Wieck, he focused mostly on solo piano pieces, but in 1840, during the first year of his marriage to her and the year that has been called the “year of song,” he wrote 138 art songs. At the encouragement of Clara, he turned to orchestral writing in 1841, completing two of his four symphonies. His interests then led him to chamber music, and in 1842 he composed three string quartets, a piano trio, a piano quintet, and the Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, the latter of which he completed within a month. The piano quartet features elements of cyclic form: thematic links between movements are heard, resulting in large structures. Yet, the work is also concise and incorporates key elements of the Classical tradition, such as lyrical melodies, motivic development, and counterpoint.
Clara and Robert Schumann The first movement opens with a brief, slow introduction, which contains the four-note motif that goes on to serve as the first theme of the Allegro. This theme later returns in condensed form as a three-note figure at the end of the third movement, and becomes the main idea of the Finale. The second movement has a breathless, racing character, announced by the piano and cello in unison. Schumann provides not one, but two contrasting Trios to the nimble main idea, and lets the movement “expire” with an unexpected whisper. The beautiful and anticipated slow movement is notable for a romantic duet between the cello and the violin, with the middle section showing characteristics of a hymn. In a passage toward the end, Schumann directs the cellist to tune the instrument's C string down a step to B flat, enabling it to play a B flat pedal tone. Nowadays, not all cellists follow these instructions, for fear of losing precise intonation for the rest of the work. The Finale contrasts thick textures with lyrical passages, once again with fluid mastery, and Schumann drives the work to an exciting close led by the piano. Schumann continued to compose in a variety of genres in the subsequent years, but he gradually succumbed to illness, and passed away at age 46. The widowed Clara Schumann continued her career as one of the most revered pianists of the 19th century, and championed her late husband’s compositions with unwavering dedication. To hear the Beaux Arts Trio perform this piece, please click on the following links: Movement 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQYKsFRLpPY Movement 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOEpBiVolUk Movement 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4_aE1CVr1s Movement 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6CCLGgZGWQ
Bibl iography Fenton, David. “Piano quartet.” Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000021643 (accessed 4 February 4, 2018). Tilmouth, Michael, and Basil Smallman. “Piano trio.” Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000021647 (accessed December 21, 2017). Henkel, Kathy. “About the piece: Piano Trio in B-flat, Op. 97 ‘Archduke.’” https://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/piano-trio-b-flat-op-97-archduke-ludwig-van-beethoven (accessed February 7, 2018). Johnston, Blair. “Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat, Op. 97 ‘Archduke.’” https://www.allmusic.com/composition/piano-trio-in-b-flat-major-archduke-op-97-mc0002367663 Freed, Richard. “About the work: Trio No. 7 in B-flat major, Op. 97 ‘Archduke.’” http://www.kennedy-center.org/artist/composition/3207 (accessed February 7, 2018). Beethoven-Haus Bonn. “Digital Archives.” https://www.beethoven.de/sixcms/detail.php?&template=dokseite_digitales_archiv_en&_dokid=ha:wm196&_seite=1-1 (accessed February 7, 2018). Palmer, John. “Robert Schumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat major, op. 47.” https://www.allmusic.com/composition/piano-quartet-in-e-flat-major-op-47-mc0002405925 (accessed February 7, 2018). Howard, Orrin. “About the piece: Piano Quartet in E-flat major, op. 47.” https://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/piano-quartet-e-flat-op-47-robert-schumann (accessed February 7, 2018). Christiansen, Kai. “Piano Quartet in E-flat major, op. 47.” https://www.earsense.org/chamberbase/works/detail/?pkey=674 (accessed February 7, 2018).
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