July 17, 2019

8:00 pm | Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall

Concert Overview | 8:00pm


Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor

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.


String Quartet, Op. 89

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.


Two Pieces for String Quartet

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.


Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale “St. Wenceslas," Op. 35a

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.


Quintet for Piano and Strings in G minor, Op. 8

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.

Suggested Performances

Dvořák String Quintet, Op. 97

Father-in-law to Josef Suk, Dvořák was also his composition teacher. Hear this work that was composed while the composer lived in Iowa on Friday, July 5.

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Fauré "La Bonne Chanson"

Taken from the poetry of Paul Verlaine, this cycle of songs was originally scored for voice and piano, but several years after he reworked the piece to include a string quintet. Hear the full chamber version on Monday, July 8.

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Fanny Mendelssohn String Quartet

Although a short work, this string quartet is packed with ideas, including a second movement that looks back to the Baroque era. Hear her only work for this grouping on Monday, July 15.

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