As the son of a horn and string player, it’s no surprise that Johannes Brahms also took up the same instruments (plus piano) in his youth. His fondness for each shines through with the Horn Trio, a brilliant blend of melancholy, mystery, nostalgia, and exhilaration.
Brahms’ influence seeped into American composer Amy Beach’s chamber music, and most notably in her Piano Quintet. From the introduction’s slow and sinister arpeggios to the intense chromatic race to the finale, Beach’s musical coloring is both Brahms-tinted and uniquely her own.
Opening the evening is Robert Schumann’s elegiac Andante and variations. It’s delicately expressive, gradually becoming more animated with time, but at its core, the piece is dark, warm, and sensitive. “I must have been very melancholy when I wrote them,” he admitted.
Experience big performances on a more intimate scale when musicians from the LA Phil perform chamber music in small ensembles. Come early and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine before the performance, starting at 6:30pm.