In a recent PMP magazine feature, Kyle described her work:

Sometimes the starting point of a piece is a particular sound-texture or a melody; sometimes it’s a story. Sometimes it’s a poem or a picture.  Sometimes it is a case of finding the right metaphor for something (a feeling? an idea?) that escapes direct analysis. This time I just felt a sense of movement, free movement, movement impeded by obstacles, movement that travels long distances, and movement that stands in place…

Read Kyle’s full “Sound Diary” on the Philadelphia Music Project’s blog.

• European Quartets.  European quartets offer a wonderful contrast, in terms of sound and approach, to what we are accustomed to hearing from many American quartets, and can often change the way you listen to chamber music altogether.  Many of these quartets don’t travel to this country on a regular basis, and it can often be years before you have a chance to hear them again.   Some of the very best  are appearing this season, including the Artemis and Hagen Quartets, from Germany; Prague’s Pavel Haas Quartet; the Takács Quartet, of Hungarian origin; and the truly international Belcea Quartet.

• Younger quartets.  For those inspired by youthful energy or a musical perspective not overly burdened by the past, or even those who worry that the great chamber music tradition will disappear with the retirement of older groups, these younger quartets should really be heard:  the Brentano, St. Lawrence, Chiara, Belcea and Miró.

• Established Quartets. In contrast, it can be very rewarding listening to the subtle ways an established quartet changes its sound over the years.  As they live with repertoire over several decades, they gain insights into music that very often escape groups that have spent much less time with each other.  It can be one of the great joys of concert-going following the paths of musicians such as the Emerson, Juilliard and Tokyo Quartets.  It should also be noted that this season is the last chance to hear the Mendelssohn Quartet before they retire,  and that three members of the recently retired Guarneri Quartet (Arnold Steinhardt, Michael Tree and Peter Wiley) will appear again in various ensembles (on November 18, January 11, January 21, February 12 and April 11).

• Rarely heard repertoire.  Several concerts have to be mentioned simply because there aren’t that many chances to hear these important pieces played by great musicians:  Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet on January 11; the Brahms Horn Trio on March 12; the Barber Quartet on March 19; Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht on April 11; and Grieg’s Quartet in G Minor on April 28.

• New music. Quartet audiences will have a chance to hear five Philadelphia premieres this season, including new works by Stephen Hartke, John Adams, James MacMillan, David Dzubay and Mario Davidovsky.

Have a question about any of these groups or the works they’re performing?  Send me an e-mail or give us a call here in the Box Office.  I’ll write more about the Piano, String and Vocal Series soon.

The paterfamilias of the musician-blogger, pianist Jeremy Denk (appearing October 28 at the Perelman Theater) has been engaging online audiences for years with the witty, occasionally neurotic and always enjoyable Think Denk.  Subtitled “the glamorous life and thoughts of a concert pianist,” Denk’s blog unmasks the artist as a multi-faceted character — one who not only wrestles with his craft but also quotes Walt Whitman and, one overcaffeinated day in Seattle, eschews practice in favor of rubbing gelato all over himself.  Yes, this one is a must read.

Baritone Thomas Meglioranza not only blogs about his opera experiences and his fondness for Bell’s beer (now there’s a man with good taste), but also sends out frequent “baritweets” on everything from Winterreise scores to his favorite desserts.  Check out his recent posts here, then come hear him with pianist Reiko Uchida in a recital of World War I era songs on October 21 at the Philosophical Society.

Last seen performing at President Obama’s inauguration, clarinetist Anthony McGill launched a new blog just this month.  He’s already posted audio clips from his forthcoming CD and some reflections on rehearsing Mahler’s 5^th with James Levine.  You can also find him on Twitter.  McGill performs with Michael Tree and Anna Polonsky at the Philosophical Society on December 13.

Local flute virtuoso Mimi Stillman maintains a blog that, while infrequently updated, has the virtue of linking to a treasure trove of her concert videos.  You can watch this talented artist performing solo and with Yumi Kendall and Charles Abramovic, her collaborators in the Dolce Suono Trio, with whom she appears on January 31 at the Philosophical Society.  If you’re looking for a sneak preview, there’s even a clip of the group performing George Crumb’s Vox Balaenae, which promises to be a highlight of that program.

You might guess that The Fiddler’s Beat would be the brainchild of some young string virtuoso, but it actually contains the online musings of the venerable violinist Arnold Steinhardt.   The Guarneri Quartet’s beloved first violinist appears twice on our series this year — once with the Johannes Quartet and once as part of an all-star quintet — and if you ever wondered where Arnold went to celebrate the last Guarneri performance or what to say to him after a performance, you’ll find his blog both entertaining and informative.

I hope these links help you get to know our artists a little better.  Do you have a favorite artist blog or web site?  Tell us about it!

McGill performed on our series last season and will be back during 2009/2010.  We’re looking forward to it!

Performance on YouTube from the Obama Inauguration

Profile article in the NYTimes

All of us at PCMS went into the holiday break on a real “high” – very excited for the start of the 2009 Season.   Not to disappoint, pianist Vladimir Feltsman kicked off January with a superb recital. Not only was the concert sold-out but the audience was attentive and engaged, concluding with a rare performance (on our series) of Schumann’s Carnaval.

What many in the audience were unaware of – was that all day and night Mr. Feltsman had been battling sever back pain. So bad that I was not sure the concert would continue after the first half. However, despite Mr. Feltsman’s struggles to stand, he summoned all his strength and went back out on stage. 

Earlier in the day I asked Mr. Feltsman if he could explain why he thought his performance of Schumann’s Carnaval was only the third time in 23 seasons that PCMS an artist perform this incredible piece – especially when all of the other large Schumann works (Fantasy in C Major, Kreisleriana, Davidsbündlertänze) had been performed at least twice as often. Mr. Feltsman shook his head a bit and explained how Carnaval used to be a very popular piece but may have fallen out of favor in modern times – possibly seen as a less mature work than his other larger-scale pieces. 

Backstage, after the concert, Mr. Feltsman took a deep breath and exhaled a sigh of relief – very happy to be back in Philadelphia in a hall he is quite fond of and with an audience with whom he feels a deep connection.

Q: At 53 (note: Mr. Schiff’s age at the time of the interview), is this your first or second complete sonata cycle?
A: I’ve done them before, at least half of them. It wasn’t until I was maybe 40 that I felt ready…. There are no shortcuts to Beethoven; you have to be a man. Maybe I’m a late developer…I had done the Schubert cycle…You know, everything Schubert does has a link to Beethoven. Now when I go back to Schubert I see the growth.

Q: Who are your Beethoven mentors?
A: Artur Schnabel. The recordings of course; I never heard him in person.

Q: What is the biggest challenge of this project?
A: The great challenge is the diversity.

Q: Is there any artist to whom you compare Beethoven’s art?
A: Shakespeare. There are so many worlds, characters, dimensions; only Dante may approach the spiritual dimension. Of course in visual art, people have said Michelangelo. I cannot make a musical comparison—even someone as great as Bach does not have the musical diversity of Beethoven. We all know about the periods—early, middle and late—but within these we find the very lyrical, the dramatic, the humorous, the spiritual; nobody else has this range of expression.

Q: What discoveries did you make working on this project?
A: That Beethoven was absolutely a virtuoso of the keyboard and that he could play what he wrote. His sonatas were ahead of their time with pedal, with his use of registers, with dynamics. The Waldstein is an epic, a milestone in the literature. I have read with great delight the composer György Ligeti noting that. It shows a great, great pianist who has begun to think orchestrally, who is inventing sonorities. The Waldstein opens with three pianissimos, and expands to three fortes. Of course, today we think it a virtue that the registers on the modern piano are even from top to bottom, but on the fortepiano they were not. This is very important: the use of registrations and the way Beethoven was extending dynamic range.
The Moonlight is the first time in history that the pedal is used for deliberate poetic effect, though its title is foolishness! A poet and music critic, Ludwig Rellstab, named it. He was sitting in a boat in Lake Lucerne and thought the scene reminded him of the first movement of Beethoven’s sonata in C# minor. It is one of the most spoiled and misunderstood sonatas in history; 99% of pianists ignore the pedal mark. On the modern piano, the sonata doesn’t have to be held all the way down but only one third or one quarter to create a wash, a cloud of sound so that the overtones are heard. This was deliberate for the 1800’s and is an extraordinary innovation. It makes such a contrast for the Scherzo that follows when for the first time you get a clear effect. The tempo marking is also misunderstood. The first movement of the Sonata quasi una fantasia should not be performed slowly, solemnly, sentimentally, but twice as quickly, you should count two in a bar: it is Alla Breve.

Q: Who do you recommend for analysis of the sonatas?
A Donald Tovey and Heinrich Schenker are my favorites. For editions, I mostly use the Henle Verlag.

Q: How do you feel about repeats?
A: Beethoven uses them for creative means. Not to play them is criminal—it changes the intent. Sometimes they return with changes. People who do not play them are like the actors who mess around with someone’s play. If they are going to do this, write their own play!

Q: Beethoven composed some sonatas for his students. Can you suggest which works are good for students or amateurs?
A: Half of the sonatas are playable by amateurs….The sonatas of Opus 49 are a perfect introduction for students….Do not let the chronology fool you. The ones in Opus 2 are actually are more difficult than the sonata Opus 90.

Q: Do you approach Beethoven any differently than Bartok?
A: Bartok for me—as a native of Hungary—was mother’s milk. Not as difficult to approach. But Bartok prepared me, too, because so much of Bartok is influenced by Beethoven. For example, the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. One of the main influences for Bartok was Beethoven’s sense of form, sense of structure, especially the sonata form.

Q: You have called the sonata “the perfect form.”
A: The sonata is one of the greatest inventions of mankind…..Beethoven learned it from Haydn and the sonata form is even more important than the fugue, because it connects diverse ideas…in a fugue you develop an idea, a thought, but the sonata connects! The sonata is perfect for expressing contrast, endless varieties of contrasting thought, and Beethoven provides the examples. He doesn’t repeat himself. He sometimes uses the classic examples of three distinct themes. But then we have the Sonata Opus 10, No. 3, in which all the themes and elements are derived from the same cell (monochromatic), which he learned from Haydn—a four-note motive that might have been created by a musical scientist. This is the great thing about the sonata form. In the hands of a great master, it is not just an exercise: it is emotional, it can present dramatic situations. Working out these conflicts, which is what happens in the development sections, we find Beethoven at his greatest. There are never mechanical repetitions, as with other composers. He always saves something new to show us…
Of course, Beethoven also incorporated some of the most beautiful fugues into his sonatas, for example Opus 106, and Opus 110, but when he used this archival form, he achieved heights of expression that were very new. They were not fugues as Bach used them, even in his great Art of the Fugue.

Q: Not everyone presents a Beethoven cycle chronologically. Why are you?
A: They are so interesting and so diverse I can’t do them any other way. They fit together. With Schubert’s, it wasn’t possible; the early ones were too similar. It just didn’t work, but with Beethoven’s it makes sense to present them as they come. I hope people get to know all of them, not just the big, famous ones.

Q: You play and conduct a great deal of Mozart. Are there are distinctions to make between playing his music and Beethoven’s?
A: Beethoven is a very generous composer. With Mozart, if you get a tempo wrong, it revolts. With Beethoven, there is more…

Q: Humanity?
A: I wouldn’t call Beethoven human. He’s not just one of us but the best of us.”

The Quartet will end its 45-year run after that May concert, one in which founding cellist David Soyer, now 85, will rejoin the ensemble in a symbolic farewell, Schubert’s Quintet in C, featuring the only five members who have shaped the ensemble..

A PCMS season without the Guarneri is all but impossible to imagine, for the ensemble played in the series’ opening in 1986, and more than 30 times since then. Its repertoire has embraced Beethoven, Dvorak and Schubert, Lutoslawski, Bartok and Berg.  With guest artists, its reach has extended even farther.

Any future without the Guarneri is equally impossible to picture. This is the seminal American quartet, not the oldest, but the one that helped to change the ambitions of a generation of string players, expanded horizons in conservatories and refigured the listening habits of the country.  Before the four players joined hands in 1964 and committed to a life as quartet members, chamber music in America was almost a private matter. True, the Juilliard Quartet, at home in New York City, played mainly in university series; the Budapest Quartet was moving into its final years; the LaSalle Quartet made Cincinnati a place to study for European quartets.

In the 1960’s, conservatory students learned the big concertos and set off to play in major halls as soloists or orchestral players. Once settled, they sometimes played chamber music. Philadelphians with long memories recall that chamber music was proscribed for Philadelphia Orchestra members in the same year the Guarneri was founded. Small ensembles diverted orchestra musicians’ attention from their true profession for which they were being paid year-round.

And, Philadelphia played its role in the Quartet’s founding – rather like the nation’s. Three of the four players had studied at the Curtis Institute; all attended the summer festival at Marlboro, Vermont, where Rudolf Serkin, Adolf Busch, Felix Galimir, Marcel Moyse and Pablo Casals combined to bring the largely European tradition of chamber music into the center of a generation of American instrumentalists’ consciousness.

At Curtis, director Efrem Zimbalist, part of the tidal wave of Russian and Ukrainian violinists who defined the instrument at the time, said chamber music was something you did in retirement, and implied that great violinists played concertos; the lesser talents?  Maybe chamber music.

But in this antagonistic atmosphere, violinists Arnold Steinhardt, John Dalley and Michael Tree, and cellist David Soyer declared their dream achievable and plunged in. Quartet life is often and sometimes tiresomely compared with marriage, but like marriage nobody knows for sure how it works until you do it. Their first hurdle was in deciding who would play viola and how the violinists would sit.

These players had to learn how to balance profession with home life, how to mediate differences in the tight and sometimes explosive world of intimate music making.  They needed to find managerial support to convince concert promoters that a quartet could actually find an audience. And they had to support themselves, wives and families.

They were lucky early on to find a berth at Harpur College in Binghamton. There they had practice space and a schedule that encouraged their own development through discoveries while planning repertoire and touring schedules.  Soon, the ensemble was on its own, a true American quartet playing for audiences just getting used to the idea that quartet repertoire may be the most sublime in the Western heritage.

Their very existence caught the fancy of the media. This must be the most documented quartet in history. Films, interviews, books, TV documentaries traced their growth, revealed bits of their lives inside and outside the quartet, showed squabbles in rehearsal and on planes. The Guarneri seemed larger than life, but wondrously accessible, quixotic, even lovable.

Not beginning with a firm image of themselves, the Quartet defined itself as it went along. Fired with the love of the core repertoire, the players took on Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart, Brahms, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Haydn.  Where European quartets could bring repertoire from their own countries, the very American Guarneri had to show themselves musical polyglots, capable of enunciating Ravel and Debussy, Shostakovich, Arriaga and Britten with the same aplomb as native speakers.

Other fledgling ensembles – crowding down the road cut by the Guarneri – called them the “imperial” quartet, explorers of what everyone knew as the great masterpieces. Yet those critics forgot that the Guarneri was among the first to record all six Bartok quartets, music that had seemed thorny and impenetrable only a few years before the Guarneri recorded.

The Guarneri has had a special gift for the big pieces. They have won recording honors for the three Beethoven Op. 59, and all the other Beethoven quartets, plus Mozart, Schubert and Dvorak works.  Their approach has always been exploratory rather than didactic. Listeners have come away from concerts wondering if they had heard right. Was that the Op. 132 we remembered from only three years ago?

The answer was “no,” for the classics were always under re-examination, tempos adjusted or junked, details re-imagined. Intriguingly, the new works – by Bolcom, Rorem, Derek Bermel, among others, in first performance – seemed settled, authoritative and even final.

So much a timeless part of the musical scene, signs of change were hard to digest. When founding cellist David Soyer left, it sent a shudder through the chamber music world.  The Amadeus Quartet in England had stopped playing after the death of their violist. The Guarneri suddenly seemed finite and mortal.  Yet the ensemble found Peter Wiley, who had been a student of Soyer’s and who knew the other players well – and musically well.

The decision to stop playing after this season cannot have been easy, yet the tradition of quartet has to be recognized.  Orchestras can annually regenerate themselves and play for decades and decades. A quartet is much more personal. It is the sum of the four players’ thinking, musical beliefs and backgrounds. Personnel changes may add to longevity (a managerial function), but take away from personality (the founding musical urge).

The players have been notably withheld about their thoughts on ending such an emblazoning career.  Learning how to stop may be as difficult as it was learning how to start on an unmapped route.  For listeners, the Guarneri’s work remains on recordings. For quartet members, their work stands in the newspapers, where concerts by string quartets directly descended from their decision – 45 years ago – are scheduled everywhere. What courage! What standards! What a gift to music!  What a gift to us!

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society expresses its thanks and appreciation to Daniel Webster for this special tribute.