The mainstay of our programming has consisted of string quartets and piano trios, supplemented on occasion by other ensembles and solo artists. Only once have we presented a vocal recital—and that was nearly thirty years ago, in the first years of the series. So, we were very excited to present Schubert’s Winterreise song cycle on March 15, performed by baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist James Bailieu. Winterreise is one of the summits of Schubert’s artistry, composed in 1828, the year before he died at the tragically young age of 31.
When piano quartets— written for violin, viola, cello, and piano— are performed, it is most often by three members of a string quartet teaming up with a pianist. The Berlin-based Notos Quartett is the rare exception: a quartet dedicated specifically to the piano quartet repertoire. We were delighted to welcome the Notos back to the Clark on March 22 to perform three great piano quartets: Mozart’s K 478 in G Minor, Brahms’s op. 60 in C Minor, and William Walton’s Piano Quartet in D Minor.
-Professor Rogers Brubaker, Artistic Director