May podcast

In the 1910s, having achieved great eminence in his home country, Debussy worked on his opera The Fall of the House of Usher, which remained unfinished at his death, the cantata Ode à la France, also unfinished, and other large-scale works. He also projected a series of six “sonatas” for various instrumental combinations, only three of which he completed. The first was the Cello Sonata (1915), followed by the Sonata for flute, viola, and harp, and the Violin Sonata. A fourth was to have been for oboe, horn, and harpsichord, which like the Sonata for flute, viola, and harp suggests that the composer was comparing musically the potential of the traditional versus the non-traditional ensemble. (From the program note by Robert Kirzinger)

DEBUSSY Sonata for flute, viola, and harp (recorded live 5/2/09)
Sarah Brady, flute
Sergey Tarashchansky, viola
Ina Zdorovetchi, harp
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3

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March podcast

Brahms’s String Quintet No. 1 in F, Opus 88, is a relatively late piece. He wrote it in spring 1882, immediately after completing his Piano Trio in C, Opus 87; the two pieces were premiered together in Frankfurt on December 29, 1882. Why did Brahms turn to the genre of the quintet of two violins, two violas, and cello, having in his youth (pre-Symphony No. 1) written two masterful works for string sextet along with three string quartets? It may be that Mozart’s great works for string quintet suggested the choice; like Mozart, Brahms seemed to have a fondness for the added inner voice and the richness of texture that that provided. (From the program note by Robert Kirzinger)

BRAHMS String quintet in F, Op. 88 (recorded live 3/7/09)
Jae Young Cosmos Lee, violin
Jesse Irons, violin
Stephanie Fong, viola
Marcus Thompson, viola
Miriam Bolkosky, cello
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3

If you enjoy our podcast, please consider a contribution. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated!

November podcast

The busiest and most successful period in the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the five-year span following his permanent move from Salzburg to Vienna in March 1781. Mozart’s fame reached its height during the next few years. His piano concertos, in particular, were popular, and there were many subscribers willing to pay to hear the young man perform these brilliant, elegant works. Most of his concerts took place during Lent, when theatrical productions were forbidden. One of the peaks of Mozart’s activity came in the Lenten season of 1784, when he gave concerts on three successive Wednesdays beginning March 17. The Quintet in E-flat, K.452 was first performed on April 1, along with two Piano Concertos: No. 15 in B-flat, K.450, and No. 16 in D, K.451. At the time he considered these “the best work he ever composed.” (From the program note by Robert Kirzinger)

MOZART Quintet in E-flat for piano and winds, K.452 (recorded live 11/15/08)
Jennifer Montbach, oboe
Eran Egozy, clarinet
Gregory Newton, bassoon
Anne Howarth, horn
Robert Levin, piano
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3

If you enjoy our podcast, please consider a contribution. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated!

September podcast

Janáček loved the music of speech, sometimes stopping a friend or colleague mid-sentence to jot down the pitches and rhythm of a particular turn of phrase. His rollicking Mládi opens with just such a phrase, which translates as "Youth, golden youth." He wrote this sextet (wind quintet plus bass clarinet in 1924 for his own 70th birthday. In addition to "speech-melodies," you'll also hear Moravian polkas and folksongs.

JANÁČEK Mládi (Youth) (recorded live 9/27/08)
Joanna Goldstein, flute
Jennifer Montbach, oboe
Eran Egozy, clarinet
Rane Moore, bass clarinet
Carlos Arias, bassoon
Anne Howarth, horn
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3
Movement 4

If you enjoy our podcast, please consider a contribution. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated!

Where's the podcast?

As I mentioned in Monday's post, we've decided to integrate our podcast into this blog. That way, you'll be able to subscribe to the RSS feed and download audio tracks as soon as they are available. Only works in the public domain are podcast, though we are looking into licensing for contemporary works.

Below is an archive of audio tracks from previous seasons. Enjoy!

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SCHUMANN Piano Quartet, Op. 47 (recorded live 5/3/08)
Gabriela Diaz, violin
Wendy Richman, viola
Rebecca Thornblade, cello
Sarah Bob, piano
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3
Movement 4

SCHUBERT Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat, D929 (recorded live 9/29/07)
Gabriela Diaz, violin
Miriam Bolkosky, cello
Sarah Bob, piano
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3
Movement 4

BEETHOVEN Quintet for piano and winds, Op. 16 (recorded live 5/5/07)
Jennifer Montbach, oboe
Eran Egozy, clarinet
Susannah Telsey, bassoon
Anne Howarth, horn
Alison d'Amato, piano
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3

MOZART Quintet for clarinet and strings (recorded live 3/3/07)
Eran Egozy, clarinet
John Holland and Angelia Cho, violins
Wendy Richman, viola
Miriam Bolkosky, cello
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3
Movement 4

ROUSSEL Trio for flute, viola and cello (recorded live 9/30/06)
Alicia DiDonato, flute
Wendy Richman, viola
Miriam Bolkosky, cello
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3