SPAC 2018 Season Preview – Part 3 – A CMS Six-Pack!

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Presents Six Programs Including Debut Appearances by Seven Stellar Artists

Editors Note: The 2018 SPAC Classical Season Programming has been released. It has such rich detail that we are presenting it in multiple parts this week. Here are links to the first two parts:
– National Ballet of Cuba – Part 1
– New York City Ballet – Part 2.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) returns (August 5 – 21) with a roster of internationally celebrated artists, taking audiences at the Spa Little Theatre on a journey with six programs including “An Afternoon in Vienna,” and “An Evening in Prague.” In addition to performances by David Finckel and Wu Han, Co-Artistic Directors of CMS, in residency for all three weekends, audiences can look forward to the return of such exciting virtuosi as violinists Arnaud Sussmann and Alexander Sitkovetsky and pianist Alessio Bax, plus debut appearances by seven stellar artists including percussionist Ayano Kataoka and the legendary pianist Gilbert Kalish. CMS also continues the tradition of its collaborative program with esteemed guest musicians from The Philadelphia Orchestra.

“We’re excited this season to perform an especially rich variety of works by 15 composers, ranging from the classical masters through the romantic era, all the way to the close of the 20th century. Don’t miss CMS at SPAC’s first performances of Schubert’s monumental Octet and beloved “Trout” Quintet, Schumann’s ultra-romantic Piano Quartet, and Stravinsky’s Petrushka in its electrifying version for piano four hands. We look forward to experiencing all of this music together with our Saratoga audiences,” said David Finckel and Wu Han, Co-Artistic Directors of CMS.

CMS Performances at Spa Little Theater:
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 – 3 pm: In the Old Style
Schnittke Suite in Old Style for Violin and Piano
Shostakovich Quintet in G minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, Op. 57
Beethoven Quartet in C-sharp minor for Strings, Op. 131

Gilles Vonsattel, Piano; Nicolas Dautricourt, Violin;
Schumann Quartet: Erik Schumann, Violin; Ken Schumann, Violin; Liisa Randalu, Viola; Mark Schumann, Cello

In this program, CMS presents three works written by composers at times when they were examining and transforming their own unique styles — sometimes inspired from the old, sometimes searching for the new, but always in an effort to share their own voice.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7 – 8 pm: Summer Warmth
Haydn Trio in A major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Hob. XV:18
Dvorák Quartet in E-flat major for Strings, Op. 51
Schubert Quintet in A major for Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass, D. 667, Op. 114

Gilles Vonsattel, Piano; Wu Han, Piano; Nicolas Dautricourt, Violin; Joseph Conyers, Double Bass
Schumann Quartet: Erik Schumann, Violin; Ken Schumann, Violin; Liisa Randalu, Viola; Mark Schumann, Cello

CMS’s Summer Warmth program is highlighted by Haydn’s serene Trio in A major and Dvořák’s bohemian inspired Op. 51 String Quartet. Closing the evening is Schubert’s beloved “Trout” quintet, a masterpiece composed for friends, based on a song about a fish.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12 – 3 pm: An Afternoon in Vienna
Haydn Trio in E-flat major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Hob. XV:29
Schubert Fantasie in F minor for Piano, Four Hands, D. 940, Op. 103
Kreisler Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta for Violin and Piano
Schubert Octet in F major for Winds and Strings, D. 803, Op. 166

Gilbert Kalish, Piano; Wu Han, Piano; Alexander Sitkovetsky, Violin; Arnaud Sussmann, Violin; Yura Lee, Violin/Viola; David Finckel, Cello; Clive Greensmith, Cello; Joseph Conyers, Double Bass; Ricardo Morales, Clarinet; Daniel Matsukawa, Bassoon; Jennifer Montone, Horn

Viennese composers Franz Schubert and Fritz Kreisler are showcased in this program with their hometown-inspired masterpieces, while Austrian-born Joseph Haydn contributes a trio full of character and impeccable technique.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 14 – 8 pm: An Evening in Prague
Dvorák Terzetto in C major for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 74
Janáček Presto for Cello and Piano
Suk Quartet in A minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 1
Dvorák Trio in F minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 65

Gilbert Kalish, Piano; Wu Han, Piano; Alexander Sitkovetsky, Violin; Arnaud Sussmann, Violin; Yura Lee, Viola; David Finckel, Cello; Clive Greensmith, Cello

Nationalist composer Dvořák rose to fame in Prague, paving the way for his student and later son-in-law Josef Suk, as well as the highly original Leoš Janáček, who dedicated a number of his works to Dvořák. This program will transport the listener to those cobbled streets of the old town and back to an era when music served as the voice of the Czech people.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19 – 3 pm: Timeless Masterworks
Mozart Trio in E-flat major for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano, K. 498, “Kegelstatt”
Lobos Assobio A Játo (The Jet Whistle) for Flute and Cello
Mackley Micro-Concerto for Solo Percussion, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano
Schumann Quartet in E-flat major for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 47

Alessio Bax, Piano; Sean Lee, Violin; Matthew Lipman, Viola; Mihai Marica, Cello; Tara Helen O’Connor, Flute; Romie De Guise-Langlois, Clarinet; Ayano Kataoka, Percussion

This program features timeless pieces ranging from Mozart’s day, when the clarinet was just becoming a solo instrument, to the late 20th century, when works such as this program’s effervescent Micro-concerto by Steve Mackey offer an astounding variety of percussion instruments.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21 – 8 pm: The Composer’s World
Debussy Sonata for Cello and Piano (1915)
Stravinsky Petrushka for Piano, Four Hands
Brahms Quartet No. 1 in G minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 25

Alessio Bax, Piano; Lucille Chung, Piano; Wu Han, Piano; Sean Lee, Violin; Matthew Lipman, Viola; David Finckel, Cello; Mihai Marica, Cello
The Composer’s World on August 21, invites audiences to experience Debussy’s fanciful cello sonata, Stravinsky’s exotic imagination through his milestone ballet about a puppet, and Brahms’s ceaseless internal struggle for musical perfection through his intensely emotional Piano Quartet No. 1.

Tickets will be available online at www.spac.org on Thursday, February 22nd at 10 am. Prices range from $48-53.