Ensemble Schumann join us “at” WCCMA’s home at Union Episcopal Church in the fall foliage, where Sally Pinkas, piano; Tom Gallant, oboe; Steve Larson, viola perform on this exciting digital platform. Ensemble Schumann perform stirring works by Schumann, Bruch, and Bach. You’ll have access to the performance for 48 hours to watch and re-watch. Join the artists after the premiere for a Zoom chat at 8pm Eastern Time.
“Affairs of the Heart” – Romantic Trios for Oboe, Viola, and Piano
Unique to Ensemble Schumann is the striking individuality of each of our three instruments, melded into one warm and compelling voice. Many of the works we present were written initially for other instruments, and much of our repertoire comes from the heart of 19th century Europe, where colorful textures, dramatic expres- sion and effusive emotion reigned—hence the title of our program!
We begin with music by our name-sake Robert Schumann, who had a soft spot for oboe and viola. ‘Fairy Tales’ Trio (actually for Clarinet or Violin, Viola and Piano) was premiered by Schumann’s wife Clara, who re- ported his satisfaction with the work’s ‘höchst romantisch’ sensibility. We follow with works by the younger Herzogenberg and Bruch, who were educated by musicians connected to Schumann’s circle. Herzogenberg’s Trio was written for Oboe, Horn and Piano in a classically-molded, 4-movement format beloved by his friend Brahms. Bruch’s 8-movement cycle has become a staple of the Clarinet-Viola-Piano repertoire, though it ini- tially called for Harp as well (you’ll hear its echoes in the ardent ‘Romanian Melody’). For 19th century musi- cians, Bach’s music was a beacon of human expression: we end with his serene ‘Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring’, introduced by Erik Entwistle (who arranged it for us) from beautiful Sanibel Island, FL.
You will hear our voices throughout the program, and in a live 30-minute post-concert Q&A on Zoom we will also join together virtually, to converse about this gorgeous musical realm.
