Closing Concert
Guarneri Trio Prague
Ivan Klánský, piano
Čeněk Pavlík, violin
Marek Jerie, cello
and
Sao Soulez Larivière, viola
After 39 years with its original lineup, the unparalleled blend of artistic maturity and expressive power that the Guarneri Trio Prague has achieved through its long-standing musical collaboration continues to inspire anew and serves as a promising foundation for further significant collaboration. Sao Soulez Larivière is rapidly building a flourishing career as a versatile violist. He captivates audiences with his playing and his original programming, and strives to broaden the accessibility and perception of classical music. A series of recent competition successes has propelled his international career; he won first prize at the Prague Spring International Competition as well as top prizes at the Tokyo, Oskar Nedbal, Max Rostal, Cecil Aronowitz, and Johannes Brahms competitions.
Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) Trio
in B-flat major, Op. 97, “Archduke”
Allegro moderato
, Scherzo. Allegro
Andante cantabile, ma però con moto
Allegro
moderato
*****
Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Piano Quartet
in E-flat Major, Op. 47
Sostenuto assai – Allegro ma
non troppo
Scherzo. Molto vivace
Andante cantabile
Finale. Vivace
Archduke Rudolf, a student of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano class since 1804 and later a friend and patron, is, among other things, the dedicatee of the Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, which to this day bears the nickname “Archduke Trio.” Here, in his final piano trio, characterized by symphonic dimensions, Beethoven, the brilliant master, incorporates the lyrical melodies of his more recent symphonic works, thereby achieving surprising effects. The composition ingeniously combines his experiences and progress within the piano trio genre. Robert Schumann composed primarily piano music until 1839. In 1840, the year of his marriage to Clara Wieck—whom he was only able to marry thanks to a favorable court ruling against her father’s opposition—he composed nearly half of his entire song oeuvre. After an intensive engagement with this genre, he turned entirely to chamber music in 1842. As he stated, he wanted to write only chamber music with piano in the future so that Clara could always be part of it. At the outset, however, he composed three string quartets, Op. 41, in quick succession, followed by the Piano Quintet, Op. 44. His final major work was his only piano quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47. In just five weeks, he completed this masterpiece, which, with its overwhelming musical and emotional expressiveness, ranks among the absolute highlights of the composer’s oeuvre. The premiere at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, with Clara Schumann at the piano, took place only two years after the work’s completion, on December 8, 1844. In the intervening period, however, the Piano Quartet was performed several times at private concerts and subsequently revised. Felix Mendelssohn had a considerable influence on these “improvements.”