Jennifer Frautschi, violin
Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin
Che-Hung Chen, viola
Max Mandel, viola
Peter Stumpf, cello
Edward Arron, cello
Click here for biographical information
Mozart: String Quintet in D Major, K.593
Chen Yi: Sound of the Five for String Quintet (1998)
Tchaikovsky: String Sextet in d minor, Opus 70 “Souvenir de Florence”
This concert and a post-concert reception on Saturday, March 23 are sponsored by a generous grant from Essex Savings Bank and Essex Financial Services.
Notes on the Program:
Mozart’s string quintets, scored for string quartet plus an extra viola, are extraordinary feats of musical invention. The addition of the extra viola to the usual string quartet seems to have brought out in best in Mozart’s genius, and The Quintet in D Major, K.593 is a remarkable for its dramatic and almost operatic feel.
Chinese-American composer Chen Yi is perhaps the most renowned female Asian composer living today. Her music blends Chinese and Western traditions, transcending cultural and musical boundaries. In her Sound of the Five, written in 1998 for solo cello and string quartet, she uses harmonies and melodies inspired by her native China to create a work that is beautiful and evocative.
Tchaikovsky wrote his sumptuous string sextet, “Souvenir de Florence” in 1890 and dedicated it to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society. The name refers to the composer’s visit to Florence, Italy, where he composed the work’s principal theme.