As I prepare for the Schubert Octet concert, I thought I should write about Herr Schubert's life first. Born in Vienna, Austria in 1797, he was a contemporary of Beethoven who was also based in Vienna. His birthplace is now a museum: Schubert Geburtshaus. Of course, as you can assume... I have been there.
 
  Schubert is known for his lieder (songs), Unfinished Symphony and Death and the Maiden string quartet. And there is a Cello Quintet (two violins, viola and two cellos) which is one of my most favorites.
  The Octet is not played often, I think because of the duration and the instrumentation, but it is one of his masterworks. I'm so lucky to be involved in this project!

  Written in 1824, the Octet was commissioned by Count Troyer who played the clarinet. Count Troyer requested him to model it after Beethoven's Septet (seven instruments), op.20. What he added was the second violin (so now eight instruments) and the length. It was premiered by some of the musicians who had premiered the Septet.

 It is definitely not a serious piece like the Death and the Maiden quartet but more like a serenade or a divertimento (multi-instrument light music). In each movement you hear everyday-life in Vienna in the early 19th century. It was written in the Biedermeier period when the art reflected much of the middle-class happy life styles. So you will recognize folk melodies, tipsy drinking scenes at heuriger (wine tavern) or a happy relaxed time at a café etc, etc. It's all up to your imagination.

 Schubert wrote it in a month and his friend, Schwind wrote "He has now been at work on octet with the greatest zeal. If you go to see him during the day, he says 'Hullo, how are you?... Good!' and goes on writing". According to some biographies, Schubert was starting to go through some sort of depression. I hope that this Octet, with its exuberance and beauty, lifted his spirit up. 

 

Waterbury Symphony's season final concert is all about Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): one of my most favorite composers. Why do I love Mahler's music? There is agony and suffering, and later it leads you to heroic and/or strong courageous ending. Also there is the sense of being one with nature and fun/romantic moments. So... that's like Beethoven to me but more in modern ways and even more human like.

 He was known as a conductor, his career took him to Vienna (Vienna Court Opera) and later, New York (the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera). He wrote 10 symphonies (all are very lengthy, in a good way) and WSO is playing the first symphony, "Titan". I will write about it in the next entry. But today, let's follow the footsteps of Mahler during his time in Vienna. I felt I had to visit all those places while I was there last summer. So here are the photos!

 1. This is where he lived from 1898 to 1909, on Auenburggergasse (on the corner of Auenburggergasse and Rennweg). He lived on the 5th floor of this building.

2. Mahlerstraße: Mahler Street. This was probably his commuting route to the Opera House. That's about a 10 minute walk.

3. Vienna Conservatory where he attended from 1875 to 1878.

4. Mahler's grave in Grinzing Cemetery (near Heiligenstadt). Compared to other Viennese composers' graves at Central Cemetery, his is very simple. He had requested it to be that way because, he said, people who would visit his grave would know who he was.
 The pebbles on top of the grave is by Jewish tradition -- he converted to Catholicism in order to secure his post as a music director of the Vienna Court Opera.

 My next orchestra concert is with Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra on April 20. The program is Brahms's piano concerto No.2 and symphony No.1. Both are my favorite pieces and this is my first time playing the piano concerto.

 I will write more about Brahms and the symphony in a separate entry but today I would like to share this Youtube video of the piano concerto. I have a recording of it by Sviatoslav Richter (a great, great pianist!) with Erich Leinsdorf conducting Chicago Symphony and that had been the only recording that I listened to. BUT, look what I found: Maurizio Pollini on piano with Claudio Abbado (my MOST favorite conductor) and the Vienna Philharmonic.

 Very luckily back in 2001, I got to hear an open rehearsal of Abbado and Berlin Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. Pollini played Brahms's piano concerto No.1 then. Since then Pollini has been my favorite, too.

 Brahms spent three years to write this concerto (1878-81) and premiered it as a piano soloist in 1881. Around the same time he also wrote the famous violin concerto (1878), violin sonata No.1 (1878-79), Academic Festival Overture and Tragic Overture (1880).

Happy Birthday to two of the greatest composers, Johann Sebastian Bach and Franz Joseph Haydn! Bach was born on March 31 (n.s. 21st), 1685 in Eisenbach, Germany and Haydn on March 31, 1732 in Rohrau, Austria.

 Bach is now a well-known composer but during his lifetime he was only know as an organist and a Kapellmeister (church music director) in Germany. It was 100 years after his death when Felix Mendelssohn rediscovered Bach's choral pieces to put on public concert programs.

 My recent favorite of Bach is Concerto for Violin and Oboe (the only concerto for this combination). Here's the gorgeous second movement of it:

 Joseph Haydn, on the other hand, was more successful during his lifetime. A large amount of his works were written for his patron, the Esterházy family (Hungarian noble family, back then, Hungary was part of Hapsburg Empire and later Austria-Hungary). After the death of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, Haydn retired to his house in Vienna and traveled around Europe.
 
 Haydn is called "Papa Haydn"-- he invented symphony and string quartet and so he is a father of those genres. But what I found at Haydnhaus in Vienna was that he was called Papa Haydn during his lifetime, by everyone; his servants, orchestra musicians and even his pet parrot. He had a great sense of humor and open mind, he was surely loved by everyone around him.

 Here is a good example of Haydn's sense of humor: "Farewell" symphony. Enjoy how musicians leave the stage one by one. This was written to ask the Esterházy for a time off for orchestra members.

 I got to play this once and I was the concertmaster, so I was one of the violinists to stay on stage. That felt REALLY awkward but at the same time, it was fun to feel the audience's reaction.

 Happy Birthday, Monsieur Ravel! He was born on March 7 in 1875 in France. He is most famous for Boléro (1928) and Pavane pour une infante défunte (1899 for piano, 1910 for orchestra) which were my first encounter with Ravel.
 Ravel is definitely one of my most favorite composers. His music makes me happy and when I'm down it cheers me up. Words can't express how much I adore his music.
 

 Luckily in the recent seasons I have gotten to perform many of his works. The 2011-12 season, I got to play Le Tombeau de Couperin (my all time favorite!), string quartet and the last movement of violin sonata. I have to thank my colleagues for agreeing on performing these rep!
 
 For those who are not familiar with Ravel yet, listen to these:
Le Tombeau de Couperin
Menuet antique
Tzigane (listen to multiple violinists play)
Piano Concerto in G
Concerto for Piano Left Hand

 And here are videos of his string quartet played by the American String Quartet (it's my teacher and coach's group).

 In the next recital I'm going to be playing Ravel's violin sonata and Menuet antique (for violin and piano). Date TBD. I'm very excited to finally play the entire sonata (I have performed the second and third movements by itself in different occasions).

 This Tuesday I will be playing in Japan Earthquake and Hurricane Sandy Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall.

 The orchestra only plays Requiem in D minor by Luigi Cherubini. I had heard of Cherubini but never had any encounters with his work. He was Beethoven's contemporary; in fact, Beethoven regarded Cherubini as his greatest contemporary. 

 Born in 1760 in Italy, Cherubini spent most of his life time in France. When he traveled to Paris in his twenties, a violinist/composer Giovanni Batista Viotti presented Cherubini to Queen Marie Antoinette. Throughout his career, he had blessing from European courts including Napoleon in Vienna and Louis XVIII in Paris.
 
 He is most known for operas and sacred music. We are performing the second requiem which he wrote toward the end of his life for his own funeral.

 As I prepare for this concert, I keep falling in love with this Requiem. It's such a powerful and gorgeous piece. Here are YouTube clips of the piece. It's a shame his music is not more widely appreciated in the current musical scene...

 For 8pm concert tomorrow at Long Ridge Music Center, I will be playing the first movement of Grieg's vioin sonata in C minor. I had always wanted to play this piece and finally, I will get to play it with Jeb Dennis.

 Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is most famous for "Peer Gynt Suites", notably "In the Hall of the Mountain King". He is a Norwegian musical hero; during his life time Norway was under Denish rule and then Sweden took over Denmark. People in Norway wanted to keep their identity. Grieg wrote many pieces inspired by Norwegian folk tunes. He also lived during the high point of Norwegian cultural scene. His contemporaries include Ibsen and Munch.

 The violin sonata in C minor (no.3) is the most famous of three violin sonatas by Grieg. Unlike the first two, he spent months to complete it. It's carefully crafted -- you can tell by its perfectness. It is no surprise that this sonata was his personal favorite and he liked to perform it on piano.

 As I did some research on Edvard Grieg I found two fun facts. Number one: he had a collection of small dolls and one of them, a "lucky frog" was his concert companion. Before stepping onto stage as a pianist or a conductor, he would rub his lucky frog in his pocket for good luck. The frog is exhibited at Troldhaugen (Grieg's house/museum) in Bergen, Norway.

 Number two: Grieg hated school because he felt his teachers were too strict. In order to skip some classes, he wouldn't bring his umbrella to school on rainy days (Bergen has lots of rain) and get soaking wet. His school teacher would send him home to change... how smart...


 We had so much fun working on this sonata. As I said, because of the perfect craft, many of his intentions are very clear but there are some things that are tossed up in the air. It's very romantic (which is a challenge for me), energetic and passionate. Here is a great recording of Fritz Kreisler and Sergei Rachmaninoff playing it:

 This Friday, December 7, I will be playing the first three movements of Duo Concertante by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971).　

　Written in 1932, this is the only piece Stravinsky wrote for violin and piano. All other violin and piano pieces are transcriptions and arrangements of his compositions. Stravinsky never thought violin and piano match -- because of the two instruments' different percussive-ness. He said he "had taken no pleasure in the blend of strings struck in the piano with strings set in vibration with the bow." But in 1931, he wrote a violin concerto (great, great piece!) and while making the piano reduction of the orchestra part, he became more interested in writing for violin and piano. Meanwhile, Stravinsky was on tour and needed to write for smaller ensembles due to a tight budget. Duo Concertante was written for him and a violinist, Samuel Dushkin, to play on the tour. Here is a YouTube video of Stravinsky and Dushkin playing Duo Concertante.

  My personal favorite is the third movement, "Egologue II". It may be the most beautiful piece of his. 

  This summer I got to visit his grave in San Michele Cemetery in Venice, Italy. That was a special moment of my Venice trip. Next to him is his wife, Vera.

 

  Because of time restriction for the LRMC concert, Benjamin Steinhardt and I will only play the first three movements this Friday but we will play the whole piece in our "Ravel/Stravinsky" recital this season.
 Duo Concertante, at 6:30pm this Friday at Long Ridge Music Center.
  

 I have been rehearsing with my string quartet for two concerts: Wednesday November 28 and Sunday December 2. They are part of "Sounds of Arts Festival 2012", hosted by MuSE. The information is on my "concerts" page and on the MuSE website.

 The programs are:
November 28
Beethoven -- String Quartet Op.18 No.1
Kitamura -- Camellia (world premiere)
Shostakovich -- String Quartet No.8
Spinei -- Bootleg Sugar Lips (world premiere)

Dec 2
Young Composition Competition Winners' pieces
Spinei -- Bootleg Sugar Lips
Beethoven -- String Quartet Op.18 No.1, first movement

The two new pieces were written for those concerts. Shostakovich 8th quartet is the most popular of his 15 string quartets and I have performed it many times. But it's great to work on a piece with different musicians/groups because that gives you new ideas and perspectives. This time around, the tempi we are taking are very different than how I have played before, so as the interpretations. And I LOVE those new ideas. I have also performed the Beethoven Op.18-1 a couple of times and the same thing with this piece; different, and I like the changes.

 

 Shostakovich (1906-1975) wrote the 8th quartet as his auto-biography in 1960 (in three days!). After being forced to join the Communist Party that year, he intended to commit suicide and he thought nobody would write his biography so he decided to write his own. He quoted themes from his earlier works such as Lady Macbeth, symphony No.1, 5 and10, piano trio No.2 and cello concerto. The theme that goes through the entire piece is based on his name Dmitri Schostakovich: D-Es (E-flat in German)-C-H(B-natural in German).

 Throughout the piece you hear agony, pain and fear that Shostakovich went through. His artistic life was threatened by the Soviet Union and there were the two World Wars during his life time.  Most of his music represent the difficult time and darkness.

  One Shostakovich fun fact: he loved sports and he was a licensed soccer referee.

  Beethoven's Op.18 No.1 string quartet was written between 1798 and 1800. It appears as the first quartet but is actually his second (Op.18 No.3 was composed first). Haydn invented string quartet in the 1760's and then Mozart wrote many of them. Beethoven studied those two masters' quartets, worked very carefully and produced his own quartets. Unlike the Shostakovich quartet, it took Beethoven two years to complete this and five other quartet as a set.

 The slow second movement is said to have been based on the tomb scene of Romeo and Juliet. There are many pieces inspired by Romeo and Juliet but as far as I know, this quartet movement is the earliest in the history. I personally love this movement the best.

 Enough said, you can purchase tickets online now! Come see MuSE Quartet play this week!

 Since I'm coaching an ASAP String Project group a movement of Haydn's symphony No.47, I thought about writing on my visit to Mr. Haydn's house in Vienna.

 The Haydnhaus is located at Haydngasse 19, near the Westbahnhof. After being released from his job at the Esterhazy palace due to his master, Nikolas's passing, he lived there with his wife until his death (so they lived there 1797-1809). They had no children but they often invited children of their neighbors and had them play in the courtyard, let them pick fruits.
 He was given enough pension and he often hosted charity concerts to support the poor.

 In this house he wrote The Creation Mass, the Four Seasons, and the last string quartets. I hope you enjoy the photo slide show.

 I found Haydn's daily routine exhibition on the second floor. It was interesting how people lived back then (dinner at 10pm, just wine and bread?!). In the morning Haydn sat by the keyboard and improvised for a long time and then he would start writing on paper.

 This house-museum has a lot to see and offer. Overall, it's very intimate and welcoming, and you can think of Mr. Haydn more as a person than a great composer. One of the rooms has Brahms exhibition because Brahms House/Museum burned down about 30 years ago and they moved the remaining items to the Haydn House. The exhibition shows the two great composers' connections; Brahms wrote Variations on a Theme by Haydn (although today the study shows that the original theme was not by Haydn).