Crescendo Concerts combine all of your favorite things about going to a concert, except one thing — they’re not in a concert hall. Spend an afternoon in a beautiful home, socialize with new and old friends, and listen to incredible music in a special and intimate setting.
Crescendo Concerts combine all of your favorite things about going to a concert, except one thing — they’re not in a concert hall. Spend an afternoon in a beautiful home, socialize with new and old friends, and listen to incredible music in a special and intimate setting.
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Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
master classes
3:00 pm
Center for Chamber Music
Master Class with Bion Tsang
SAFETY FIRST!
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
concert
7:00 pm
Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50
SAFETY FIRST!
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
master classes
3:00 pm
Center for Chamber Music
Master Class with James Ehnes
SAFETY FIRST!
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
concert
7:00 pm
Brahms & Schumann
SAFETY FIRST!
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
concert
7:00 pm
Brahms & Schumann
SAFETY FIRST!
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
master classes
12:00 pm
Center for Chamber Music
Master Class with Edward Arron
SAFETY FIRST!
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
master classes
2:00 pm
Center for Chamber Music
Master Class with Che-Yen Chen
SAFETY FIRST!
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
concert
7:00 pm
Mozart Divertimento
SAFETY FIRST!
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
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Welcome to Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Virtual Concert Hall, where you will find live stream performances from the Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall and the on-demand performances for the Festival.
Each on-demand performance will be released two weeks after the initial live stream and all six concerts will be available through February 28, 2022.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously.
All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) in order to enter the Center for Chamber Music.
Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status. Capacity is limited.
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Live performances by Seattle Chamber Music Society return this summer!
After careful planning with the staff at Benaroya Hall, we are pleased to announce that we will host four performances in the large Taper Auditorium at Benaroya Hall on Sunday afternoons (July 11 – August 1) in addition to our 12-concert Online Summer Festival. These hour-long concerts feature works selected by Artistic Director James Ehnes to show the range of chamber music perfectly suited for the larger performance hall. Tickets will be on-sale beginning Thursday, June 17 at 10am. Seating is limited to no more than 400 tickets; we expect these live performances to sell out quickly. Tickets will be sold directly through Benaroya Hall’s box office – online or via phone (206) 215-4747.*
Ticket pricing per ticket:
$75 – Main Floor preferred and First Tier
$50 – Main Floor rear and Second Tier
$40 – Third Tier
*Please note that, in compliance with Benaroya Hall’s safety precautions, all seating will be socially distanced and masks are required while in the building. Purchases of more than two tickets per concert must be made by phoning the Benaroya Hall box office.
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Subscriptions are 33% off now through the end of the Festival on September 13. Subscribe to all 12 concerts for just $150 and you will be able to stream every performance on demand. Individual concert access is $25 per concert. A 100% Subscription is $400, $200 of which is a fully tax-deductible gift to SCMS that supports the 2021 Online Summer Festival.
SCMS is presenting a weekly virtual series that offers an opportunity to learn about specific works by women composers. Each 1-hour event will spotlight a composer with a brief biographical sketch; then we will dive deep into a specific work by that composer alongside an SCMS Festival Musician.
The live, interactive events will take place on Tuesday evenings at 6pm Pacific Time via the Zoom platform.
Schedule of Events
April 27: British composer Rebecca Clarke’s iconic Viola Sonata from the early 20th-century with violist Richard O’Neill May 4: Icelandic composer Thuridur Jónsdóttir’s 48 Images of the Moon with cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir May 11: American composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery’s Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin with violinist Benjamin Beilman May 18: German composer Clara Schumann’s Three Romances, Op. 21 with pianist Jeewon Park
Subscriptions are $40 for the complete series, or you can purchase access to individual events for $12 per event. After purchasing access, you will receive a link to that event’s specific piece of music, as well as a link via Zoom for each conversation.
Violist Richard O’Neill explores Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata, an early 20th Century masterpiece.
Subscriptions are $40 for the complete series, or you can purchase access to individual events for $12 per event. After purchasing access, you will receive a link to that event’s specific piece of music, as well as a link via Zoom for each conversation.
Cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir will explore Þuríður (Thuridur) Jónsdóttir’s 48 Images of the Moon.
Subscriptions are $40 for the complete series, or you can purchase access to individual events for $12 per event. After purchasing access, you will receive a link to that event’s specific piece of music, as well as a link via Zoom for each conversation.
Violinist Benjamin Beilman will explore Violin Rhapsody No. 1 by Jessie Montgomery, one of today’s leading composers.
Subscriptions are $40 for the complete series, or you can purchase access to individual events for $12 per event. After purchasing access, you will receive a link to that event’s specific piece of music, as well as a link via Zoom for each conversation.
Jeewon Park will explore a Clara Schumann’s Three Romances, Op. 21 in greater depth.
Subscriptions are $40 for the complete series, or you can purchase access to individual events for $12 per event. After purchasing access, you will receive a link to that event’s specific piece of music, as well as a link via Zoom for each conversation.
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The 2021 Online Winter Festival concerts concluded on March 15, 2021. Stay tuned for an announcement about the 2021 Summer Festival soon. Thanks to everyone who watched the Online Winter Festival concerts and supported Seattle Chamber Music Society!
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Seattle Chamber Music Society is pleased to present a weekly lecture series on the history of music written for the piano with Max Levinson. Each 1-hour class will delve into the history of this fascinating and unique instrument and will conclude with a live performance from Max. This is a unique opportunity to learn from a renowned artist and teacher.
The classes will take place on Tuesday evenings via the Zoom platform and are live events. No recordings will be made available afterwards. Tickets are $10 for each class or $75 for the full series – you can attend all 8 or just a few depending on your schedule and interests.
The first class in this virtual lecture series is a general introduction, and cover older instruments. In the 1700’s, the piano was a new invention. What did older keyboard instruments sound like, and how should we consider this in our own day?
The second class in this virtual lecture series covers Bach and the Baroque Era. What are the hallmarks of the Baroque style, especially as evidenced by the dominant composer of his time, J.S. Bach?
The third class in this virtual lecture series covers the Classical Era. Many artists looked to Ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration, including the most important composers of the Classical period of music, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
The fifth class in this virtual lecture series covers the beginning of the Romantic era in music. Revolutions in the USA and Europe led to new, more individualistic music, sometimes breaking the “rules.”
Includes a live performance of a work by Schumann.
The sixth class in this virtual lecture series covers the final years in the Romantic era in music. The borders of the musical world begin to expand, with important contributions from outside of Central Europe.
The seventh class in this virtual lecture series focuses on classical music in the early 20th century. New music written in response to a changing world, influenced by war, industrialization and the continuing expansion of geographical influences.
Includes a live performance of a work by Prokofiev.
The eighth and final class in this virtual lecture series covers America and the world of music today. Classical music continues to be written today, including in our own country, one where experimentation and innovation is especially valued.
Includes a live performance of a work by Crumb.
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With the COVID-19 pandemic still active, Seattle Chamber Music Society has decided to move this year’s Summer Festival online for the health and safety of our audience, musicians, and staff. We have delayed the launch of this summer’s 12 concerts by one week to ensure each video offers the highest quality experience.
Each concert will include completely original and exclusive content that will be available on-demand for you to access when it is convenient for you. We have also extended the deadline to watch all of the concerts through August 17, 2020.
We know this will be a different experience compared to sitting in the concert hall, waiting in anticipation of those first notes from the stage, but we are excited to create something new and continue to bring you world-class performances this summer. We are committed to presenting chamber music to help lift people’s spirits.
Concert Access
Subscriptions are $125 and give you full access to all 12 concerts and bonus behind-the-scenes content like a look inside rehearsals, musician interviews, and more this July. Become a 100% subscriber for $250 and support Seattle Chamber Music Society. Your purchase includes a $150 tax-deductible gift that helps cover the costs associated with the virtual Summer Festival. Access to individual events is $15 per concert and is available on the specific concert dates.
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Join us as we begin our celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday. During the first weekend of the 2020 Winter Festival, join us for half of Beethoven’s string quartets, performed by the Ehnes Quartet. Immerse yourself in the development of this seminal composer from his early period through his development in the middle period, and his final works of his late period. Each of the first three concerts will feature one work from the three eras of his life tracing his growth as a composer.
The second weekend features violin sonatas by Grieg and Mozart, piano trios by Schubert and Ravel, and both of Brahms’ string quintets. The series concludes with an afternoon of concerti by J.S. Bach, including his beloved Concerto for 2 Violins, BWV 1043.
The second movement was inspired by the tomb scene in Romeo and Juliet. It gives a sense of tragedy and deeper meaning compared to the balance and brightness found in the other movements.
The only quartet that Beethoven gave a nickname, the Serioso is a work that even in the fast movements include a sense of despair. Upon completion, Beethoven knew the darkness of the piece would not have a wide appeal, stating “this quartet is meant for a small circle of connoisseurs.”
At his publisher’s request Beethoven wrote a separate ending for the Op. 130 for inclusion in the printed version of the quartet. The original finale became the Grosse Fuge, Op. 133, which we will hear this summer.
Haydn was known as the ‘father of the string quartet,’ and in many ways this is Beethoven’s nod to the composer’s contributions. However there is no mistaking the final movement for anyone other than Beethoven.
Nicknamed for the plucking sound of the viola and cello in the first movement, this quartet was written with a truly symphonic sound that mirrored his 5th Symphony.
The first of the ‘late’ quartets, this piece has an odd nature of contrast. In form and structure it is deeply rooted in the Classical period, and yet the richness of sound is something new.
The first quartet Beethoven composed, it looks back to Haydn and Mozart with the ideals of the ‘Classical’ period. This early work plays with dynamics to offer the listener a new sonic world.
The most popular of his three violin sonatas was also the last piece that he composed for the form. While he used Norwegian folk melodies, he also thought this was a work with ‘broader horizons.’
Brahms argued this was the finest piece that he had composed to his friend, Clara Schumann. The finale embodies Brahms’ desire to look to styles of the past, while leaving his own imprint with lush melodies and playful exchanges between the instruments.
One of the final works that Schubert composed that he actually heard performed. The second movement is famously used in Kubrick’s film Barry Lyndon, as well as in numerous other films and TV series.
Brahms originally conceived this as a symphony, and the density of the first and last movements sounds as if it were scored for more than just five instruments.
The beautiful second movement is based on a theme by Telemann, one of Bach’s friends, directly quoting the first few measures, and elaborating on the melody.
This program is designed for children, featuring original poems and music by composer and writer Aaron Grad. Through nine short sections of original music—each preceded by a whimsical poem with animation—young audiences learn how notes relate to each other, and how those relationships can inspire stronger connections with people.
How Notes Become Music was created with support from the Lynn and Brian Grant Family and the Music In Schools Committee of the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle.
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The 2019 Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival is a celebration of variety. From Purcell to Poulenc, Beethoven to Boulanger, the programs celebrate the astounding range of musical expression over the past four centuries.
It is one of my greatest pleasures as Artistic Director of this wonderful organization to create programs that feel both self-contained and also part of a larger, season long journey. We continue our celebration of the iconic masterworks along with our exploration of lesser-known gems. Special highlights include our continuing survey of the music of Georges Enescu (Concert Piece for Viola and Piano, July 12, Aubade for String Trio, July 24, and the US premiere of his early Piano Trio in G Minor, July 8), string quartets by both Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn (July 19, July 15), a set of early English songs with Festival favorite Nicholas Phan (July 10), Rachmaninov’s passionate and epic Piano Trio Op. 9 (July 22), and the world-premiere of Sebastian Currier’s Piano Quintet, commissioned by the SCMS Commissioning Club (July 15). Our season closes with one of the great masterpieces of all time, the Piano Quintet in F Minor by Johannes Brahms (July 26).
As always, celebrated world-class chamber musicians (seven of whom will be making their debuts with our organization) bring this music to life in the fabulous acoustics of Nordstrom Recital Hall.
We look forward to welcoming you to another wonderful summer of music!
Mozart wanted to find more lucrative work when these flute quartets were commissioned but he still gave them his full attention creating a beautiful flute solo that rivals any in the canon.
This sonata veers from previous works of this form because Poulenc did not particularly like the sound of a solo violin. Instead there is an equal balance between instruments compared to many other sonatas.
The piano quartet was still a relatively new ensemble of musicians in Brahms’ day and his second Piano Quartet is massive in scope. The first movement is filled with memorable melodies and the adagio is quintessential Romanticism.
An airy work that was written to be performed outdoors, Beethoven uses each instrument to the fullest effect to create a dynamic range of sound for such a small ensemble.
Based on Spanish folk melodies, particularly cantejondo, or “deep song,” Turina incorporates this form of vocal music from the flamenco tradition into his score.
One of Mendelssohn’s most popular chamber works, the Piano Trio was revised to be more in line with the music of Schumann, which is most clear from the demands of the pianist in the final movement.
This Sonata for Two Pianos is the piece that began the “Mozart Effect.” This particular piece has been proven to increase spatial reasoning, while the argument about it making you smarter is still unfounded.
This duo was written in the late 1920’s while Martinů lived in Paris. It features a beautiful cello cadenza, sometimes cut due to its difficulty. The work features a number of very difficult technical challenges for both performers.
Written while staying in Iowa, Dvořák’s “American” quintet was composed immediately following the similarly named string quartet. This work features the composer’s setting for My Country ’tis of Thee.
Based on poems by Verlaine, this set of nine short songs was revised from a voice and piano version to add a string quintet. Fauré uses several melodies throughout bringing them all together in the final song, “L’hiver a cessé.”
The work opens with a theme that Beethoven will continue to develop and play with, much as he does with his 5th Symphony, which premiered during the same year as this cello sonata.
Thought lost, this work was only brought to light when a set of parts were recently discovered. The trio was written while the Romanian composer was a teenager in 1897. Tonight’s performance is the U.S. premiere of the piece.
The slow, rising theme that opens this quartet gave the piece it’s nickname, “Sunrise.” The melody comes back throughout the piece played by the different instruments.
Blow and Purcell were near contemporaries and wrote a number of songs, five of which are brought together here in a “pastiche song-cycle” to tell a story of love won and lost.
This joyous piece includes five short movements each based on a different fairy tale. They include Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb, and Beauty and the Beast.
This is one of Brahms’ most dramatic works. It starts dramatically and the intensity hardly diminishes through the remainder of the piece finishing with a flourish much like it starts.
Vaughan Williams creatively scores these songs to create a sense of drama with just voice and violin in this song-cycle based on the poems of A.E. Housman.
Hindemith built his music on Classical ideals using a number of forms like Theme and Variations, but uses modern harmonic techniques to look backward and forward at the same time.
Although not the first composition by Beethoven, it was the first that he felt would become profitable. At the time the pianoforte was relatively new and music composed for it was wildly popular.
Fanny Mendelssohn’s String Quartet gives us a full view the her talents as a composer. She opens with an atypical slow movement, but ends the piece triumphantly.
Dvořák admitted that the melodies came to him faster than he could write them while working on this Piano Quartet. The whole piece is infused with some of him most beautiful writing.
One of Debussy’s last and most forward thinking works. It incorporates rhythmic changes and pushes the limits of tonality. Was one of a series of 6 sonatas he planned to compose, but he only finished half.
This is one of the few compositions by Beach that was not published in her lifetime. Completed in 1929 it was first published in 1994. This is the first time SCMS has performed the work.
Both the Elegy and the Polka are transcriptions of pieces found in his dramatic stage works. These pieces were the composer’s first foray into writing for string quartet.
Written in 1914, this work became a rallying cry for Czech independence from Austria. Suk performed this work in almost every concert he gave during World War I.
A student of Dvořák’s, Suk would later teach the next generation of Czech composers, including Martinů. He composed his Piano Quintet to expand the repertoire to include piano music with a Czech idiom.
This Piano Trio was supposed to be for amateur musicians but was seen as far too-demanding since Mozart broke the mold and gave equal weight to all the players, not just as a showpiece for the piano.
After serving in WWI, Schulhoff returned to composing joining the avant garde of his day. This duo, composed in 1925, uses dynamics as well a playing techniques to create an incredible range of sound for just two musicians.
Rather than innovating with new forms, Felix Mendelssohn relied on perfecting those from an earlier age. This string quartet exemplifies this by developing a small melody on a massive scale, ala Beethoven.
The Terzetto was written for his neighbor, an amateur violinist, so Dvořák could join in the music making. It proved too difficult for an amateur, and this became one of the best known concert pieces for this ensemble type.
Chopin’s Cello Sonata was premiered at his last public performance with Franchomme, the works dedicatee. He struggled writing this piece as shown by the numerous sketches he had worked on before publication.
Written in memory of the recently deceased Tchaikovsky, this piano trio follows the same structure as Tchaikovsky’s work in A minor, written in honor of the composers friend Nikolai Rubinstein.
Dedicated to his teacher Antonio Salieri (he of Amadeus fame), this set of violin sonatas was his first. Featuring playful banter between the musicians it builds to a thrilling crescendo.
Lili Boulanger was the first female to win the Prix de Rome. These two short works are great contrasts as one is a lullaby the other a grand procession.
Strauss’ works often have a narrative arch and direct link to stories. As a young composer, though, he did compose several symphonies and chamber works, including this often overlooked Piano Quartet.
This work by Schubert exists in two versions. The second one includes more solo moments for both the violinist and violist and gives the impression of Schubert’s later music full of emotion that defined him.
The first true success in the field of chamber music, Poulenc found his voice by combining piano (which he often played) with his beloved woodwinds. This work has a playful nature throughout.
One of the great pieces in the repertoire, this work started as a string quintet before Brahms abandoned that version for a two piano version. Not satisfied with that version, he reworked it once more for a piano quintet.
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The Crescendo Concert Series features Seattle Chamber Music Society Festival musicians performing in private salons for audiences of 30 to 80. Each concert is followed by a reception with the artist(s) and provides you with a unique opportunity to experience chamber music in an intimate venue as it was originally conceived. Proceeds support Seattle Chamber Music Society’s annual operations, including our Festivals, community outreach and education programs.
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Saturday, January 22 – 11am-12:30pm (PT)
Franz Joseph Haydn
Piano Trio in C Major, Hob. XV:27
Max Levinson, piano / Tessa Lark, violin / Efe Baltacıgil, cello
Saturday, January 29 – 11am-12:30pm (PT)
César Franck Piano Quintet in F minor
Inon Barnatan, piano / Erin Keefe, violin / Tai Murray, violin / Rebecca Albers, viola / Julie Albers, cello
These are free events.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously. All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination. If you are unable to be vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) must be shown in order to enter the Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall. Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously. All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination. If you are unable to be vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) must be shown in order to enter the Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall. Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
Seattle Chamber Music Society takes the health and safety of our guests, artists and staff seriously. All visitors are required to show proof of vaccination. If you are unable to be vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 PCR test (within 48 hours) or a negative COVID-19 antigen test (within 24 hours) must be shown in order to enter the Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall. Masks are required at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
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2019 Winter Festival
It is with tremendous pride that I invite you to our 2019 Winter Festival, one that is sure to delight and inspire.
This season we explore the development of music from the iconic romantic classics of Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms, through inventive and emotional masterpieces of the mid-20th century. Special highlights include Beethoven’s famous “Ghost” piano trio, with its haunting, spectral 2nd movement (Jan. 18), Brahms’ magnificent Op. 25 Piano Quartet (Jan. 19), Janáček’s first String Quartet, based on Tolstoy’s riveting novella “The Kreutzer Sonata” (Jan. 25), and a Festival-closing all-French concert on Jan. 27 featuring masterpieces of Saint-Saëns, Fauré, and Debussy.
Please join us for this musical feast in the glorious acoustics of Nordstrom Recital Hall. We look forward to seeing you there!
With only two instruments, Martinu creates an incredible range of tonal color and mood. The second piece is incredibly tender, and the finale hides several musical jokes, including a reference to Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony.
The slow middle movement gives this, one of the most famous of all piano trios, its nickname. The haunting melody is said to be inspired by the opening scene of Hamlet.
Based on a song from his famed “Die schöne Müllerin” cycle, these variations allowed Schubert to explore the beautiful melody in greater detail and variety.
Brahms’ first Piano Quartet has withstood the test of time with beautiful melodies, and a dazzling finale that is as virtuosic as anything in the repertoire for the pianist.
Quintessentially Beethoven, this sonata was written when he learned of his impending deafness and moves from a characteristically dark place to a triumphant and defiant tone.
The musical language is a nod to Bach with the structure of a prelude and fugue in the first two movements, but in the style of Shostakovich with his modern soundscape
With a distinctly Viennese sound, these extremely melodic miniatures also contain Shostakovich’s typical harmonies, particularly in the final movement Waltz.
Inspired by Tolstoy’s novella, which was itself inspired by Beethoven’s Violin Sonata, this work is programmatic musically telling the story of jealousy and rage found in Tolstoy’s story.
One of the favorites of the repertoire, this quartet features beautiful, lush melodies and strong contrasts between the piano and strings, hallmarks of Schumann’s chamber music.
In this modern and melodic piece, each instrument has a separate but equal voice, creating a sense of power and fullness when the instruments play in unison.
Britten wrote several famous sets of Themes and Variations based on other composers work. This one, on music by Kodaly, was written for brothers, one who played flute, the other was a violinist, and both were pianists.
One of the first in a long line of great French Violin Sonatas, Fauré’s first sonata has balanced writing for both instruments and lyrical melodies in the Romantic style.
Sweeping melodies and clear musical lines show that while not known for his chamber music, Saint-Saëns’ writing rivals that of other Romantic composers and this work deserves a place in the pantheon of great piano quartets.
Debussy only wrote one string quartet, but this masterpiece showcases his talents as a master of the timbre, or color, of the instruments in the group.
