Ludwig van Beethoven 12 Variations on a Theme from Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus Wo0 45 In 1796 Beethoven paid a visit to the court of King Friedrich Wilhelm II in Berlin, and cellists the world over are glad that he did. … Continue reading
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We're looking forward to welcoming the Danish String Quartet back to our stage at the Playhouse on November 3. Tickets have been selling like hotcakes so if you want to attend this performance, don't delay! Watch the clip below and you'll understand why we love bringing these wonderful musicians back to Vancouver...
Danish String Quartet — Æ RØMESER (Last Leaf)
Danish String Quartet Last Leaf Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: violin, harmonium Frederik Øland: violin Asbjørn Nørgaard: viola Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin: violoncello...Our first concert of the 2019-20 Season is just over a month away (Sept 22). Violinists Nikki and Timmy Chooi and pianist Angela Cheng will debut a new piece by Marc-André Hamelin which was composed to commemorate our 40th Anniversary Season. Can't wait!
Program notes: Benjamin Grosvenor
Posted onJean-Philippe Rameau Gavotte and Variations in A minor The modern pianist seeking to play the Baroque harpsichord repertoire faces many obstacles, starting with the friendly fire of his own trusty Steinway itself, so different in sound from the perky little … Continue reading
Program notes: Sir András Schiff
Posted onFranz Joseph Haydn Sonata No. 60 in C major Hob. XV1:50 Haydn’s last three piano sonatas, Nos. 60 to 62 (Hob. XVI:50-52), were written during the composer’s second trip to London of 1794-1795. All three were composed with a specific … Continue reading
Program notes: Steven Osborne
Posted onLudwig van Beethoven Sonata in E minor, Op. 90 The use of the piano sonata in marriage counselling has not found wide adoption in the profession since Beethoven first introduced the practice with his Sonata in E minor Op. 90. … Continue reading
Program notes: Emanuel Ax
Posted onGeorges Bizet Variations Chromatiques de concert For those that like to feather-dust humming the habanera from Carmen with a rose clenched between their teeth might be surprised to learn that Georges Bizet was not only an opera composer, but also … Continue reading
Program notes: Doric String Quartet
Posted onFRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, No. 2 Those of us wondering in our spare moments what a happy retirement consists of might do well to consider the case of one Franz Joseph Haydn, whose life … Continue reading
Program notes: Pavel Kolesnikov
Posted onWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Fantasy in C minor K. 475 The year 1785 was a good one for Mozart. In the words of musicologist John Irving, he had become something of a ‘hot property’ in Vienna, enjoying considerable success both as … Continue reading
Program notes: The Vertavo String Quartet with Paul Lewis, piano
Posted onWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major K. 414 Mozart’s twelfth piano concerto was one of three composed in 1782 for sale to the Viennese public by advance subscription, the 18th-century equivalent of ‘crowd-sourcing’. A major selling … Continue reading
PROGRAM NOTES: LUCA PISARONI & WOLFRAM RIEGER
Posted onWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Four Songs The earliest German lieder we have in the concert repertoire come from the more than 30 works that Mozart wrote between 1768 (at the age of twelve!) and his death in 1791. His mature songs … Continue reading
Do you remember your very first musical memory?
Posted onWhen I was a boy my father would sing me to sleep every night. And when he went away on business trips, my mother sang to me at night instead. Now, my mother, whom I love dearly (98 and going … Continue reading