Program I: ECCO Dreams
Thursday, August 11, 2022 | 7:30 PM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
Welcome to the 2022 summer season! Luxuriate in the East Coast Chamber Orchestra’s glorious sound-world with Strauss’s lovely String Sextet from Capriccio, three poignant pieces by Clara Schumann, and a kaleidoscopic work that celebrates the vitality and resilience of the natural world, performed by the ensemble-within-an-ensemble Jupiter String Quartet. Finally, Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden,” a pillar of the chamber music repertoire, builds a dialogue between sinister, subversive power and a dreamy, expressive lyricism in Mahler's arrangement for string orchestra.
Richard Strauss String Sextet, Op. 85 from Capriccio (1941)
J Freivogel, Kobi Malkin, violins; Melissa Reardon, Jessica Thompson, violas; Kenneth Olsen, Raman Ramakrishnan; cellos
Clara Schumann Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22 (1853)
I. Andante molto
II. Allegretto
III. Leidenschaftlich schnell
Susie Park, violin; Benjamin Hochman, piano
Michi Wiancko To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores for String Quartet (2020)
Jupiter String Quartet (Nelson Lee, Meg Freivogel, violins; Liz Freivogel, viola; Daniel McDonough, cello)
~Intermission~
Franz Schubert (arr. for string orchestra by Gustav Mahler) String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, D. 810, 'Death and the Maiden' (1824)*
I. Allegro
II. Andante con moto
III. Scherzo. Allegro molto
IV. Presto
East Coast Chamber Orchestra
* Part of PCMF’s season-wide celebration of Schubert in the 225th anniversary of his birth year.
~Attending Live? Please note that until further notice, properly fitted masks must be worn by all patrons at all times during the concert. On the day of the performance, if you are feeling unwell, please stay at home. We will gladly exchange your tickets for another show. Concert run time is 2 hours including an intermission.
~Listening Online? The concerts will be live streamed for free on our YouTube channel. The archived streams will be available to view for 24 hours.
Meet The Artists
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Nathan Farrington
bass
J Freivogel
violin
Liz Freivogel
viola
Meg Freivogel
violin
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Benjamin Hochman
piano
Nelson Lee
violin
Kobi Malkin
violin
Daniel McDonough
cello
Tai Murray
violin
Kenneth Olsen
cello
Susie Park
violin
Raman Ramakrishnan
cello
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Melissa Reardon
viola
Jessica Thompson
viola
Meet The Composers
Richard Strauss
1864-1949
Richard Strauss was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt. Along with Gustav Mahler, he represents the late flowering of German Romanticism, in which pioneering subtleties of orchestration are combined with an advanced harmonic style.
Strauss's final stage work, Capriccio, is an opera about opera, and tackles the age-old question: which is more important, the words or the music? The opera begins with a lusciously scored string sextet that functions both as a prelude to the action and as the first topic of conversation in the on-stage drama.
Michi Wiancko
b. 1976
Michi Wiancko is a composer, arranger and violinist whose work has been performed by ensembles, bands and orchestras around the world. She has collaborated with artists from across a wide musical spectrum and performed with some of the great musical artists of our time.
To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores, a multi-movement work for string quartet, celebrates the beauty and vitality of the natural world, suggesting hope and inspiration as humanity addresses fears and worries for our planet. The central themes of regeneration and resilience highlight the need to protect each other and our most vulnerable populations.
Franz Schubert
1797-1828
Franz Schubert was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, he left behind a vast catalog, including more than 600 secular vocal works (mainly lieder), seven complete symphonies, sacred music, operas, incidental music, and a large body of piano and chamber music.
His String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor 'Death and the Maiden' was composed in 1824, after the composer suffered a serious illness and realized that he was dying. It is named for the theme of the second movement, which Schubert took from a song he wrote in 1817 of the same title.
Clara Schumann
1819-1896
Clara Schumann was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher who is regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era. She exerted her influence over a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital from displays of virtuosity to programs of serious works. She also composed solo piano pieces, a piano concerto (her Op. 7), chamber music, choral pieces, and songs.
Schumann's Three Romances for Violin and Piano, composed in 1853, were among the last pieces she would ever write. They were dedicated to the famous violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim, a good friend of the Schumanns as well as Johannes Brahms.
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