The violist Rebecca Clark, born in London in 1886, is one of England’s most important composers. When she anonymously submitted her Sonata for Viola and Piano, which is characterized by dense harmonies, intoxicating emotions and a high degree of virtuosity, to a competition in 1919, the jury assumed that Maurice Ravel was the composer. The fact that a woman was behind such a phenomenal work was inconceivable to the jury at that time. Almost a century later, Thomas Adès, one of the most frequently performed composers of our time, was also born in London. In his piece Catch from 1991, he plays with different combinations of the four instruments. The clarinet takes on the role of a wanderer: sometimes it is far away from the other instruments, sometimes it joins them. Adès’ piece is followed by Ludwig van Beethoven’s Septet, which premiered at the Vienna Burgtheater in 1800. Its six-movement structure goes back to courtly light music, but the symphonic features go far beyond. The work was already a public favorite in Beethoven’s time.

6. Chamber Music Concert

Liederhalle Cultural and Congress Center

After the premiere of his Quintet in E flat major at the Burgtheater in Vienna in 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote to his father Leopold that the new work received "extraordinary acclaim" and added: "I myself consider it to be the best thing I have written in my life." Free from any genre traditions, he achieved a congenial success with the innovative combination of four wind instruments and a piano. Mozart uses the five instruments, whose voices are closely interwoven, in a very nuanced manner. The Piano quintet by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók also premiered in Vienna, albeit 120 years later. Shortly before, he had completed his composition studies with Brahms’ friend Hans Koessler in Budapest. In addition to the clear influence of Johannes Brahms, some of Bartók’s individual traits can also be recognized in this late Romantic work, such as the tonal steps and rhythms derived from Hungarian folk music, which are characteristic of his later style. Between the two quintets, Bartók’s captivating Romanian Folk Dances can be heard in a version for flute and percussion.

Julia Brusentsova

Events

Upcoming events

Mar 5, 2025

6. Chamber Music Concert · Staatsorchester Stuttgart

Apr 16, 2025

7. Chamber Music Concert · Staatsorchester Stuttgart

Future and recently performed repertoire

Piano in Septet by Beethoven

Staatsorchester Stuttgart

Piano in Viola Sonata by Clarke

Staatsorchester Stuttgart

Piano in Piano Quintet in C major by Bartók

Staatsorchester Stuttgart

Piano in Quintet for Piano and Winds by Mozart

Staatsorchester Stuttgart

Piano in Catch by Adès

Staatsorchester Stuttgart

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