Crescent Classical is delighted to welcome Musaica Chamber Ensemble back to the show in advance of their upcoming 2024-2025 season.
Tune In:
- Wednesday, September 25th at 9pm on 89.9FM
- Friday, September 27th at 7pm on 104.9FM | WWNO HD2
- Sunday, September 29th at 2pm on 104.9FM | WWNO HD2
- Listen online at wwno.org
Prior to their 19th season kicking off, WWNO's Diane Mack spoke with Musaica founder and musical director Bruce Owen for a sneak peek of their upcoming season, “Hidden Treasures.”
PROGRAM NOTES
Quintet in D major for flute, oboe, and string trio, Op. 11, no. 6 (1774) Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
1. Allegro
2. Andantino
3. Allegro assai
Sarah Schettler, flute
Casey Kearny, oboe
Yuki Tanaka, violin
Bruce Owen, viola
David Rosen, cello
Recorded on September 13, 2022 at Saint Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church
Johann Christian Bach was a German composer of the Classical era, and the eighteenth child of Johann Sebastian Bach. Many of J.S. Bach’s children became composers and J.C. Bach was the youngest of the composer siblings. As an adult J.C. Bach lived in London and was known as “John Bach.” In 1764, Bach met the 8-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who had been brought to London by his father, Leopold Mozart. It was a fortunate meeting of one member of a musical family interacting with another. Bach spent five months teaching Mozart in composition, and is widely regarded as having a strong influence on the young Mozart. The Quintet in D major for flute, oboe, violin, viola and cello, comes from Bach's Op. 11 and is the sixth of such works published in 1774.
Märchenerzählungen (Fairy Tales), op. 132 (1853) Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
1. Lebhaft, nicht zu schnell
2. Lebhaft und sehr markirt
3. Ruhiges Tempo, mit zartem Ausdruck
4. Lebhaft, sehr markirt
Daniel Parrette, clarinet
Bruce Owen, viola
Diana Thacher, piano
Recorded on October 12, 2021 at UNO Performing Arts Center Recital Hall
Robert Schumann composed his Märchenerzählungen (Fairy Tales) in 1853 for clarinet, viola, and piano. His wife, Clara Schumann, played piano at the premiere. The four movements do not refer to specific fairy tales, but are meant to be simply picturesque and fanciful. Schumann really leaves it up to the listener’s imagination.
Elegies for Violin and Viola (1932) Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
Yuki Tanaka, violin
Bruce Owen, viola
Recorded on October 15, 2014 at First Unitarian Universalist Church
Aaron Copland composed the Elegies for Violin and Viola in 1932; it was written in response to the suicide of his friend, the poet friend Hart Crane. It has never been published. This may be because Copland used parts of the Elegies in later pieces including the fourth movement of an early orchestral work called “Statements” (1934-35), and the last part of the third movement of his Third Symphony (1946).
Nonet (1930) Arnold Bax (1883-1953)
1. Molto moderato
2. Allegro
Yuki Tanaka, violin
Judith Armistead Fitzpatrick, violin
Bruce Owen, viola
Jeanne Jaubert, cello
Dave Anderson, bass
Sarah Schettler, flute
Jane Gabka, oboe
John Reeks, clarinet
Cathy Anderson, harp
Recorded on March 24, 2013 at Christ Episcopal Church, Covington
In his late teens Arnold Bax became infatuated with Ireland and began traveling extensively there. For almost 30 years he visited the most isolated places, such as the Donegal village Glencolumbkille. The Irish landscape, the life of the local peasants, and the poetry of Yeats inspired Bax to write poetry and stories under the pseudonym of Dermot O’Byrne. The Nonet, inspired by his visions of Ireland was first conceived as a two-movement Violin Sonata and completed in September 1928, but it remained unperformed. In 1929, Bax was commissioned to produce a work for the 1930 Bradford Festival, he re-scored it for flute, oboe, clarinet, harp, string quartet and double bass, completing the score in January 1930.
Program notes provided by Musaica
Many thanks to Bruce Owen and Musaica for their collaboration on this radio program. Musaica will return to the stage for two performances to kick off their 19th season; their first show will be Monday, September 30 2024 at 7:30pm at the Metairie Ridge Presbyterian Church (215 Phosphor Ave, Metairie). You’ll be able to catch them again the following night Tuesday, October 1 at 7:30pm at St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church in Uptown New Orleans.
Visit Musaica for more information about their upcoming 19th season!
Crescent Classical is made possible thanks to the generous support of local classical music lovers Ann and Dr. Richard Strub and Dr. Bob Watzke.
