ROBERT SCHUMANN  Fünf Stücke im Volkston, Op. 102

Running the gamut from ardor to introspection, the melodious Fünf Stücke im Volkston (Five Pieces in Folk Style) illustrate Schumann’s special affinity for small-scale forms.

OLIVIER MESSIAEN  Theme and Variations

Inspired by his love for the violinist Claire Delbos, this early set of variations for violin and piano is imbued with the sense of mystery that would become Messiaen’s hallmark.

AMY BEACH  Romance, Op. 23

The full-blooded lyricism and luminous harmonies of this short salon piece by American composer Amy Beach have long made it one of her most popular works.

REINHOLD GLIÈRE  Intermezzo, Op. 9, No. 1; Tarantella, Op. 9, No. 2

This pair of bravura showpieces by Russian composer Reinhold Glière reflects his youthful friendship with the bass virtuoso (and future conductor) Serge Koussevitzky.

XAVIER FOLEY  Cranberry Juice

Xavier Foley studied at the Curtis Institute of Music where in a studio class, he first performed Cranberry Juice.

GABRIELLA SMITH  Divertimento

Gabriella Smith’s Divertimento, written for this evening’s soloists, was inspired by the “quirkiness” of Haydn and the Scherzo from Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony.

MAURICE RAVEL  Piano Trio in A Minor

Composed on the eve of World War I, Ravel’s Piano Trio in A Minor is by turns elegiac and vibrantly intense; he said he dashed it off “with the assurance and clarity of a madman.”