Chamber Accord was born of our wish to present a variety of chamber music combinations in a single concert. Repertoire includes string duo, string trio, duos and trios with piano, and piano quartet. Internationally acclaimed pianist Gabrielius Alekna and I have played together for many years. Last year we formed the group by teaming up with two wonderful Florida musicians, Sean O’Neil (concertmaster of the Venice Symphony) and Shawn Snider (principal violist of the Venice Symphony). The April 17th concert features French works from the Baroque era to the 20th Century, including works by Couperin, St. Saens, Faure, Cras, and Messaien.
Although the music is all by French composers, there is a great variety of styles. We will have videos projected simultaneously to highlight some of the different influences. Debussy’s virtuoso piano piece L’Isle Joyeuse was inspired by Watteau’s painting Voyage to Cythera. The brilliant piano writing depicts the ecstatic joy of the lovers on their enchanted isle. Jean Cras’s String Trio is a little known gem. Cras, an officer in the French navy in the early 1900’s, imbued this delightful work with images from his home and his travels to exotic ports. One can hear the sound of the waves, folk-tunes of his native Brittany, and lively Chinese melodies. About three decades later Olivier Messaien composed his Quartet for the End of Time while a prisoner of war in a Nazi camp. Upon seeing the northern lights, he had a vision of the end of the world which inspired him to compose this otherworldly work. We will end with Faure’s Piano Quartet No.1, a work beloved for its sumptuous harmonies and romanticism.
Sunday April 17 at 3:00 PM.
Click here for directions to Englewood United Methodist Church.