Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center To Present January Concerts

CMS's 50th anniversary season heads into 2020 with performances of new music, beloved classic pieces, stellar guest artists, and far-reaching tour dates. On January 14 the first truly impressionist-style piece of chamber music and a breakthrough for the string quartet form, Debussy's String Quartet in G minor for Strings, will be performed, along with Brahms's Quartet No. 2 in A major.

A night of piano mastery will be on January 26 when Wu Han, co-artistic director of CMS, leads an evening of French chamber music with Saint-Saëns's beguiling and elegant Trio No. 1 in F major. Saint-Saëns revived chamber music in France after its near disappearance after the Baroque era, and his compositions inspired his countrymen, as evidenced by pieces by Ravel and Fauré that are also on the program.

"Electronic Chamber Music in a New Form" on January 16 is one of the "New Milestones" concerts that mark CMS's 50th anniversary season. Works by Saariaho and Meadowcroft will flank Stockhausen's Kontakte, a musical dialogue between electronic and instrumental sounds. Stockhausen's innovation paved the way for the continued exploration of electronic sound in chamber music. In the Rose Studio, both early and late on the evening of January 30, there will be a performance of music by Nielsen and Mozart.

January 2020 is also the inauguration of CMS Miami, a new, multi-year residency that includes public concerts on January 9 and 10 at the historic Colony Theatre in Miami Beach, as well as a master class and open rehearsal for Miami-area music students.

On January 12 families with children will have an opportunity to learn more about the music of Beethoven, whose 250th anniversary is this year, when Meet the Music! presents "Leave It to Ludwig," a concert event featuring an appearance by the composer himself.

Tour dates for CMS in January include performances of the "French Enchantment" concert program, following its first performance in Miami Beach on January 10, in Calgary, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia; Houston, TX; Athens, GA; Palm Beach, FL; Grand Rapids, MI; Purchase, NY; culminating in the performance in Alice Tully Hall on January 26.

January 2020 Concerts

ALICE TULLY HALL

1893: Debussy's String Quartet - Tuesday 1/14/20, 7:30 PM

Suk: Elegie for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 23 (1902)

Janáček: Sonata for Violin and Piano (1914-15)

Debussy: Quartet in G minor for Strings, Op. 10 (1893)

Brahms: Quartet No. 2 in A major for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 26 (1861)

Juho Pohjonen, piano; Danbi Um, violin; Richard O'Neill, viola; Jan Vogler, cello; Escher String Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, Brendan Speltz, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola; Brook Speltz, cello)

Meet the Music! "Leave It to Ludwig" - Sunday 1/12/20, 2:00 PM

A concert event for the entire family, with Beethoven himself (portrayed by CMS's Director of Family Programs, Bruce Adolphe) appearing in Alice Tully Hall to help a young pianist play his music as it was meant to be played.

1864: Saint-Saëns's First Piano Trio - Sunday 1/26/20, 5:00 PM

Saint-Saëns: Trio No. 1 in F major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 18 (1864)

Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Cello (1920-22)

Fauré: Quartet No. 1 in C minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 15 (1876-79)

Wu Han, piano; Paul Huang, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Clive Greensmith, cello

KAPLAN PENTHOUSE

New Milestones: Electronic Chamber Music in a New Form - Thursday 1/16/20, 7:30 PM

Meadowcroft: Cradles for Percussion Duo with Wurlitzer e-Piano (2013)

Saariaho: Trois riviéres for Percussion Quartet and Electronics (1994)

Stockhausen: Kontakte for Piano, Percussion, and Electronic Sounds (1958-60)

Michael Brown, piano; Christopher Froh, Ayano Kataoka, Eduardo Leandro, Ian David Rosenbaum, percussion; David Adamcyk, electronics

ROSE STUDIO

Rose Studio Concert and Late Night Rose - Thursday 1/30/20, 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM

Nielsen: Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn, Op. 43 (1922)

Mozart: Serenade for C minor for Two Oboes, Two Clarinets, Two Bassoons, and Two Horns,

K. 388 (c. 1782)

Sooyun Kim, flute; James Austin Smith, Stephen Taylor, oboe; Romie de Guise-Langlois, Tommaso Longquich, clarinet; Marc Goldberg, Peter Kolkay, bassoon; David Jolley, Eric Reed, horn

Colony Theatre, MIAMI BEACH, FL

Thursday 1/9/20, 8:00 PM

Bach: Sonata in G major for Cello and Keyboard, BWV 1027 (before 1741)

Beethoven: Sonata in C major for Cello and Piano, Op. 102, No. 1 (1815)

Mendelssohn: Sonata in D major for Cello and Piano, Op. 58 (1843)

Albéniz: Selections from Suite española for Piano, Op. 47 (1886)

Britten: Sonata in C major for Cello and Piano, Op. 65 (1960-61)

Wu Han, piano; David Finckel, cello

Friday 1/10/20, 8:00 PM

Saint-Saëns: Trio No. 1 in F major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 18 (1864)

Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Cello (1920-22)

Fauré: Quartet No. 1 in C minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 15 (1876-79)

Wu Han, piano; Paul Huang, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Clive Greensmith, cello

Same program and artists as above, for the following dates:

ECKHARDT-GRAMETTE HALL - CALGARY, ALBERTA

Sunday and Monday 1/12/20, 7:00 PM and 1/13/20, 7:30 PM

VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE - VANCOUVER, BC

Tuesday 1/14/20, 8:00 PM

ZILKHA HALL - THE HOBBY CENTER, HOUSTON, TX

Thursday 1/16/20, 8:00 PM

HUGH HODGSON HALL - ATHENS, GA

Tuesday 1/21/20, 7:30 PM

WALTER S. GUBELMAN AUDITORIUM - Palm Beach, FL

Wednesday 1/22/20, 7:30 PM

ST. CECILIA MUSIC CENTER - GRAND RAPIDS, MI

Wednesday 1/23/20, 7:30 PM

RECITAL HALL, PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, SUNY - PURCHASE, NY

Saturday 1/25/20, 5:00 PM

HARRIS THEATER, CHICAGO, IL

The Creative Spirit - Monday 1/13/20, 7:30 PM

Suk: Elegie for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 23 (1902)

Janáček: Sonata for Violin and Piano (1914-15)