The Sierra Chamber Society is pleased to announce the 3rd program in its 33rd concert season on January 26, 2020. Members of the SF Symphony will perform this unusual and exciting program. First is a work by George Rochberg, his "Ricordanza" or "Solioquy for Cello and Piano" (1972), a lyrical and achingly beautiful tribute to his deceased son, celebrated as Rochberg's break from serial, atonal composition, famously quoting Beethoven's C-major cello sonata. Rochberg's work will be followed by Madeleine Dring's fanciful trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano, Benjamin Britten's Temporal Variations for Oboe and Piano, and Stavinsky's charming "Divertimento" for violin and piano, 4 arrangements from his ballet, “The Fairie’s Kiss.” The program concludes with a work by Britten's teacher, Frank Bridge, his seldom heard and eminently listenable masterpiece, the second string quartet.
The season continues on March 15, 2020 when the SCS will present, arguably, its most ambitious and rewarding program of the season, featuring the renowned Telegraph String Quartet (TSQ), winners of the prestigious 2016 Naumburg International Chamber Music Competition, with guest soprano/mezzosoprano, and rising New York City and international star, Abigail Fischer (www.abigailfischer.com) in the premiere of a SCS commission by eminent American composer, Robert Sirota, a work entitled "Contrapassos for Voice and String Quartet," with lyrics by SCS Director and Pianist Stevan Cavalier. Mr. Sirota is past president of the Peabody Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music, and was recently celebrated on his birthday at NYC's Merkin Hall, in a concert devoted entirely to his work, launching "Sirota@70,"a year of international commissions and performances from his extensive and growing oeuvre. The SCS commission is to be an important part of this celebration. The TSQ will also perform another most unusual and ambitious work on this program, Arnold Schoenberg's early post-romantic masterpiece, his second String Quartet Op. 10 which is famous as both Schoenberg's last tonal work and for including an extended soprano solo in its last two movements, a setting of poetry by the German expressionist Stefan Georg. Ms. Fischer will perform in this piece as well. To cap it all off, the TSQ will perform Beethoven's colossal, and arguably most ambitious String Quartet, No. 14 Op. 131, Beethoven's own favorite, its seven uninterrupted movements a wonder of invention and profundity.
Finally, on May 3, 2020, the SCS concludes its 33rd season with members of the SF Symphony playing Haydn's delightful String Quartet Op. 77 No. 2, James Muczynski's rollicking Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, and concluding with Bedrich Smetana's much beloved String Quartet No. 1, "From my life."
SCS ticket prices continue to represent one of the true bargains on the Bay Area chamber music scene. Individual tickets may be purchased via the link at this website, or at www.sierrachamber.com for a small additional fee. Seating is open, but SCS concerts frequently threaten to sell out, so advance ticket purchase is advisable.