By Signe Hammer
Mostly Mozart comes to San Miguel! Pro Musica is thrilled to welcome back the Atlanta Chamber Players. Audiences fell in love with them when they played here four years ago. They will perform St. Paul’s Church on Friday, February 17, and Sunday, February 19, at 5pm.
An ensemble of strings, winds, and piano, the Atlanta Chamber Players (ACP) is enjoying its 47th season. Four ACP members play in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra—Kenn Wagner is a veteran ASO first violinist; Catherine Lynn is ASO assistant principal violist; Brad Ritchie, cello, is a 20-year orchestra veteran; and Laura Ardan, clarinet, holds an endowed orchestra chair—and a fifth, Helen Kim, violin, is a former associate concertmaster. The ensemble tours throughout the U.S. and worldwide, playing in such spaces as Boston’s Jordan Hall and venues across France. Our pianist will be Robert Henry, whose career includes solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Washington DCs John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and London’s Wigmore Hall
The program features some of Mozart’s best-loved chamber works and works by other Romantic composers. Friday’s program starts with Mozart’s “Piano Trio in C major,” one of two he wrote in 1788. Popular with amateur musicians, piano trios were moneymakers for the composer and his music publisher. Next up is Meyerbeer’s stunning “Clarinet Quintet,” featuring colorful writing by this opera-composer grandmaster that pushes the clarinet to the limits of its virtuosity.
The program’s second half commences with the enchantingly lovely tonal combination of viola and clarinet in an excerpt from Bruch’s “Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano.” Mozart’s “Piano Quartet No. 2” completes the program. Mozart’s music publisher had commissioned three piano quartets from him but released him from the commission when “No. 1” proved too technically demanding for the amateur market. Fortunately for us, Mozart wrote “No. 2” anyway.
On Sunday, February 19, we first hear Mozart’s “Piano Trio No. 1,” written two years before Friday’s trio. The piano trio—piano, violin, and cello, with each instrument given equal weight—is the most important chamber ensemble after the string quartet. Schumann’s “Piano Quartet in E-flat major” follows it. The piano quartet does not include a second violin, which creates an intimate, neoclassical quality. After a suggestion from Mendelsohn, the second movement contains two trios. After the intermission, we hear the gorgeous sound of Mozart’s “Clarinet Quintet in A major.” Inspired by the artistry of clarinetist Anton Stadler, it was Mozart’s final instrumental work completed and premiered less than two months before the composer’s death. Tickets for the concerts at St. Paul’s are 300, 500, and 750 pesos donation each and are on sale through our website and at the concert 45 minutes before performance time. Find details of all Pro Musica’s concerts and Patron Membership on our website, www.promusicasma.org, or contact us at promusicasma@aol.com.
Pro Musica Concert Series
Atlanta Chamber Players
“Mostly Mozart”
Fri., Feb. 17 and Sun., Feb. 19, 5pm
St. Paul’s Church, calle Cardo
300, 500, 750 pesos
