Irish Chamber Orchestra

Hear unique explorations of a classic Baroque form and clarinet fireworks. The fugue (imitation of a theme in simultaneously sounding melodic lines) enjoyed its heyday in the Baroque era, but Mozart’s deeply expressive Adagio and Fugue in C Minor took it to new heights, as did Mendelssohn in the finale of his Mozart-inspired Sinfonia No. 8. Jörg Widmann’s stunningly original Versuch über die Fuge honors and deconstructs the form—all at once! Widmann also plays high-speed runs, dizzying lines, and more in Weber’s Clarinet Quintet, a delightful mini-concerto.

Soloists of the Kronberg Academy
Antoine Tamestit, Viola
Gary Hoffman, Cello

Make new discoveries in this concert that features a rare duo by Mozart, a glimpse at what a Brahms fifth symphony might have been, and a daredevil serenade by Dohnányi. Mozart’s duo offers both instruments opportunities to shine in its outer movements and sing a flowing aria in the gorgeous central section. The powerful opening of Brahms's String Quintet No. 2 was derived from sketches for a fifth symphony, but it’s just one episode in an energetic work that ends in a rousing Hungarian dance.

Quatuor Ébène

Beethoven’s many moods are revealed in the works on this program. The B-flat Major Quartet is the most forward-looking of his early quartets and is particularly noteworthy for its finale, subtitled “La Malinconia” ("Melancholy")—an unforgettable dialogue between anguish and joy. The A-Minor Quartet was written at a time of personal tumult, and an uneasy tone runs through the work. Its magnificent third movement, however, is a heartfelt song of thanks for recovery from illness that becomes a radiant celebration of newfound strength.