The members of the Emerson String Quartet are: Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer on violin, Lawrence Dutton on viola and Paul Watkins on cello. 

The first program finds the Emerson String Quartet performing Beethoven’s String Quartet #13, Opus 130. This is a six-moment string quartet that runs approximately 45 minutes.

Its world premiere took place in Vienna in 1826. However, reaction to the final movement was so negative that the composer re-worked the movement. It’s final version debuted nearly a month after Beethoven’s death.

Its world premiere took place in Vienna in 1826. However, reaction to the final movement was so negative that the composer re-worked the quartet. It’s final version debuted nearly a month after Beethoven’s death.

The six movements are:

1. Adagio, ma non troppo – Allegro 
2. Presto 
3. Andante con moto, ma non troppo. Poco scherzoso 
4. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai
5. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo
6. Große Fuge (Grande Fugue Op.133): Ouverture. Allegro – Meno mosso e moderato – Allegretto – Fuga. [Allegro] – Meno mosso e moderato – Allegro molto e con brio – Allegro

Program number one is available on November 4th at 7:30 PM EST/4:30 PM PST. Tickets are $15.

The second program opens with a performance of the 2nd and 3rd movements from Schumann’s String Quartet #3 in A Major, Opus 41.

Schumann wrote all three of his string quartets (and there are only three) in 1842. He also composed his piano quintet and piano quartet the same year. The string quartets were all completed within five weeks.

The two movements being performed are: Assai agitato and Adagio motto. 

They are then joined by pianist Yefim Bronfman for a performance of Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F Minor, Opus 34.

The composer wrote this quintet in 1864. There are four movements:

1. Allegro non troppo 
2. Andante, un poco adagio 
3. Scherzo: Allegro 
4. Finale: Poco sostenuto – Allegro non troppo – Presto, non troppo 

Program number two will be available on November 19th at 7:30 PM EST/4:30 PM PST. Tickets are $15.

Photo: Emerson String Quartet (Photo by Jürgen Frank/Courtesy Emerson String Quartet)

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The old joke about how you get to Carnegie Hall seems like it was written about pianists. Taking the stage for a solo recital there is, arguably, the pinnacle of success for a classical pianist.

Ax made his own debut at Carnegie Hall in 1974 and had his first recital there in 1982. Bronfman had his debut there in 1976 with his first recital in 1989. Hamelin won the 1985 Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition for Pianists and had his first solo recital there in 1988.

Some key moments in Carnegie Hall’s history of piano performances:

1891: Jan Paderewski made his US debut

1906: Artur Rubinstein made his US debut

1909: Sergei Rachmaninoff made his Carnegie Hall debut

1925: George Gershwin gave the world premiere performance of Concerto in F

1928: Vladimir Horowitz made his US debut

1957: Glenn Gould made his Carnegie Hall recital debut

1960: Sviatoslav Richter made his Carnegie Hall debut

1981: Martha Argerich made her Carnegie Hall recital debut

1989: Maria Joao Pires made her Carnegie Hall recital debut

1990: Evgeny Kissin made his Carnegie Hall recital debut

1991: Stephen Hough made his Carnegie Hall recital debut

2001: Lang Lang made his Carnegie Hall debut

There’s a lot of history in this building which gives all three musicians a lot to talk about. Hopefully they will also perform. Either way, this is definitely going to be an interesting hour or so.

And if you can’t make the Emanuel Ax: Live with Carnegie Hall livestream on April 23rd, the video will be available a few hours after its conclusion on the Carnegie Hall website.

Photo of Emanuel Ax © Lisa-Marie Mazzucco/Courtesy of Carnegie Hall

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The series begins on Thursday night with a performance of Salonen’s Cello Concerto. This will mark the West Coast Premiere of this work and acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be performing.

On Friday and Saturday, pianist Yefim Bronfman returns to perform Salonen’s massive Piano Concerto. 

This series will conclude with the return of Leila Josefowicz to tackle Salonen’s Violin Concerto.

Of his concerti, Salonen says in the program, “I also happen to like the concept of a virtuoso operating at the very limits of what is physically (and sometimes mentally) possible.*” These compositions easily fall into this category.

All four concerts will begin with a performance of Biber’s Battalia. The Salonen Concerto will follow. The concerts will all end with a performance of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony.

*©Esa-Pekka Salonen
Photo Credit:  Katja Tähjä

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