Romance for Violin, Op. 40, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

It is difficult to overstate the impact Beethoven had on Western classical music. His early compositions might be mistaken for those of Haydn, with whom he had studied, or of Mozart. From his earliest compositions, however, Beethoven’s own voice was starting to emerge, moving away from Classical constraints and ushering in Romanticism. He was also throwing off the shackles under which previous composers had labored. He would not be a servant like Bach or Haydn; he was declaring a new order.

"The difference between Beethoven and all other musicians before him …. was that Beethoven looked upon himself as an artist, and he stood up for his rights as an artist. Where Mozart moved in the periphery of the aristocratic world, anxiously knocking but never really admitted, Beethoven … kicked open the doors, stormed in, and made himself at home" [Harold Schonberg]. The revolutionary from Bonn moved to Vienna, where he dominated the musical scene for nearly four decades, demanding—and getting—respect as an artist and changing the course of music history.

Beethoven differed from his predecessors in another way: his output. He composed only nine symphonies to Haydn’s 106 and Mozart’s 41, and 16 string quartets (Haydn wrote 68). He wrote 32 piano sonatas (51 for Haydn), only one opera and one mass, but Beethoven’s work solidly remains in the modern repertoire.

The Romance for Violin was composed in 1801 or 1802. It is one of two Romances Beethoven composed for violin, and it was written second but published first. It is speculated that this piece could have been intended for the slow movement of an abandoned Violin Concerto in C major. The Romance is in rondo form, with a graceful main theme contrasted with active secondary themes.

Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 2, Clara Josephine Schumann (1819-1896)

Clara Josephine Schumann (nèe Wieck; 1819-1896) was born in Leipzig to a father who was a pianist and music teacher, and a mother who was an accomplished singer. She married the composer Robert Schumann and their marriage produced eight children before Robert’s death in 1856. The Schumanns famously promoted the career of a promising young Johannes Brahms. Her career as a pianist spanned over 60 years at a time when opportunities for women was rare. She frequently toured with the virtuoso violinist Joseph Joachim, for whom these Romances were composed.

The Romances are grouped in a 3-movement form. The first movement features a lyrical main theme, and the final section includes a loving reference to her husband Robert’s first violin sonata. The second Romance is more playful and features wide intervallic leaps and embellished arpeggios before returning to the main theme. The third Romance is a set of variations featuring a soaring violin theme and a constantly moving arpeggiated accompaniment from the piano.

Romanze for Clarinet and Piano, Princess Marie Elisabeth von Sachsen-Meiningen (1853- 1923)

Princess Marie Elisabeth was raised in an artistic environment. She studied piano with Johannes Brahms and was acquainted with a coterie of Europe’s finest musicians, among them Richard Strauss and Hans von Bulow. She performed the Brahms Violin Sonata with another of Brahms’ royal pupils at a birthday celebration for Joachim Raff and composed the music for her brother’s royal wedding.

The Romanze for Clarinet and Piano is influenced by her studies with Brahms. The opening section features the clarinet’s wide tonal range, exploiting the high and low registers of the instrument. The harmonies are typically Romantic in nature, with unpredictable twists and turns. The center section is more agitated, featuring rubato tempo variations and a virtuoso clarinet part. After an unexpected cadence, the piece returns to the plaintive main theme.

Quartet in E-Flat major for Clarinet and Strings, Op. 2, No. 1, Bernhard Crusell (1775-1838)

The works of Finnish Clarinetist/Conductor/Composer Bernhard Crusell include clarinet concertos, solo and choral songs, an opera, and quartets for clarinet and strings. He was known as one of the greatest clarinet virtuosos of the era. For most of his career he lived and worked in Sweden, where he was conductor of the national opera and a member of the royal orchestra. He translated 10 operas, including Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Magic Flute and Rossini’s William Tell.

The Quartet for Clarinet and Strings is composed in a strict four-movement form, reminiscent of the chamber works of Haydn and the string quartets that Mozart dedicated to Haydn. The first movement is a traditional sonata form with a slow introduction. The clarinet doesn’t enter until the beginning of the exposition, which gives this work some elements of a classical concerto. Both primary themes are given to the clarinet, and there is a dramatic development section. The delicate romanza features dialog between the clarinet and violin. The third movement is a minuet and trio that has a very Haydnesque “unexpected pause” in the minuet. A rollicking and virtuoso rondo finishes out the work.

The Jeannette Sias Memorial Concert, In Memory Of Jeannette Joullian Sias (1932-2014)

Jeannette Sias was a tireless civic leader, supporter of the arts, and advocate for education in Oklahoma City. She served on the Boards of the Oklahoma Arts Council, Oklahoma City University, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, the KCSC Classical Radio Foundation, and the Oklahoma Methodist Foundation, as well as an Honorary Director of the Brightmusic Society of Oklahoma. She was an active member of the Oklahoma City Orchestra League, Allied Arts, the Ladies Music Club, the Nichols Hills United Methodist Church, and the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. She was the recipient of awards too numerous to list. With her husband of 54 years, Richard L. Sias, Jeannette founded the Ad Astra Foundation and Joullian Vineyards of Carmel, California. A graduate of Oklahoma State University (BA, Speech Therapy) and Northwestern University (MA Speech), she was a speech therapist in the Oklahoma City Public Schools for a number of years, and volunteered as a speech therapist in many schools. When she and Dick were inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society, they were honored for their “lifetimes spent in lifting the culture of Oklahoma to a higher level than they found it” through “generous contributions of time, money, and leadership.”

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was born in Hamburg and moved to Vienna in 1863. His works were promoted by the prominent musicians Robert and Clara Schumann, and he has been variously described as both a traditional and a progressive Romantic composer. His output shows both the traditional classical treatment of form as well as the progressive harmonic innovations that presaged the development of later Romantic composers. His works include four symphonies, a requiem, two piano concertos, a violin concerto, chamber music, and over 200 songs.

Trio in A Minor for Piano, Clarinet, and Cello, Op. 114

Johannes Brahms’ friendship with the clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld inspired Brahms to write the Trio for Piano, Clarinet, and Cello, in 1891. Brahms had unofficially retired from composing when he heard a performance by Mühlfeld performing the Mozart Clarinet Quintet and Weber’s first Clarinet Concerto. The two developed a friendship, and Brahms composed the A-minor Trio with Mühlfeld in mind.

The first movement is in sonata form, with the main A-minor theme stated in an ambiguously rhythmic opening. The movement has typical Brahmsian dramatic flourishes and explores the clarinet’s low register. The movement ends in the unexpected key of A major, which sets up the second movement’s D major tonality. The second movement is a sonatina (sonata without development) movement featuring pensive dialogue between the instruments. The third movement is a folk waltz, the gently plucked chords in the cello reminiscent of the sound of a guitar. The fourth movement returns to the home key of A minor and features Brahms’ personal motto F-A-F: “Frei aber Froh” (“free but happy”), which Brahms had used previously to organize the harmony of his Third Symphony. The recapitulation leads to a dramatic finale.

Sonata for Piano and Cello in E Minor, Op. 38

Brahms composed the first two movements in 1862 and the final movement in 1865. The principal themes of the first and third movements are based on material from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “The Art of the Fugue.”

The first movement is in an extended sonata form with the second theme group appearing in B minor instead of the expected B major. The coda features the B major theme restated in E major, which sets up the second movement in A minor. The second movement is a minuet and trio. The trio is ambiguously minor and major, constantly toggling between the two before returning to the A minor minuet theme. The third movement’s opening theme is based on Contrapunctus XIII from Bach’s The Art of the Fugue. Brahms homage to Bach is clear, with the composer exploiting fugal development by using inversion, rhythmic variation, imitation, and canon techniques. The opening theme, in descending octaves, is easy to follow throughout the piece and provides the expected structure in the exposition before transitioning to the second theme group in G major. A piu presto coda with virtuoso unison lines provides an exciting finale.

Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op 13 - Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Gabriel Fauré is one of the leading French Romantic composers. The New Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians describes him as the most advanced composer of his generation in France, and notes that his harmonic and melodic innovations influenced the teaching of harmony for later generations. His output includes works for piano, orchestra, a notable series of art songs, and a Requiem. He studied piano with Camille Saint-Saens, who introduced him to the music of Schumann, Liszt, and Wagner. He was a church organist for over 60 years yet never composed a single piece for the instrument.

The violin sonata is in a traditional four-movement form. The first movement is in a strict sonata form. Fauré handles the transitions between sections with ease; the harmonies, although quite Romantic, seem inevitable. The dialogue between the piano and violin fascinates, and the drama is palpable. The second movement is a slow movement in D minor in triple meter, reminiscent of a sad waltz. The third movement is a very fast (allegro vivo) scherzo that features virtuoso performances from both instruments. The legato center section contrasts with the outer section’s rapid-fire pacing and syncopations. A restrained yet dramatic rondo finishes out the work.

Quintet in B-flat Major for Clarinet and String Quartet, Op. 34 - Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Carl Maria von Weber is mainly known as an opera composer, having produced ten operas, including his first written at the tender age of 14, the early German Romantic masterpiece Der Freishutz, and an unfinished work that was completed by Gustav Mahler. While his instrumental works are largely overlooked, Weber wrote extensively for piano, orchestra, concerti for horn, bassoon, flute, two concerti and concertino for clarinet, and chamber music, such as the Clarinet Quintet that is presented on this concert.

The Quintet in Bb Major for Clarinet and String Quartet, Op. 34, was composed between 1811 and 1815. Weber’s works for clarinet are influenced by his time spent in Munich in 1811, where he met and worked with the clarinet virtuoso Heinrich Bärmann, from whom he wrote the two concerti and concertino. Indeed, this work is known variously as the “Grand Quintet” and the “Bärmann Quintet.” Mozart composed a work for the same forces, yet the Mozart is more of a collaboration between the clarinet and the quartet, whereas the Weber is more of a clarinet concerto with string quartet accompaniment.

The first movement is in a traditionally organized sonata form, yet the first theme seems almost introductory, with the rhythmic elements of traditional sonata-allegro not appearing until the second theme group appears in G minor in a “sturm und drung” contrast to the calm opening. The development begins in D minor but the harmony is constantly shifting, sometimes into unexpected areas, including a brief section in Db major. This would seem remote, but Weber handles the harmony with typical Romantic aplomb. The clarinet writing is virtuosic throughout, and displays Weber’s deep knowledge of the instrument.

The G minor second movement, adagio, titled “Fantasia”, is in ternary form, with the center section in B-flat major. The movement is beautifully lyrical and the final phrase is marked “as softly as possible”.

The third movement is a Minuet and Trio “Cappricio Presto” in B-flat major that features dialog between the clarinet and cello in high and low registers, respectively, creating and call and response between the two instruments. There are some interesting “empty measures” reminiscent of Haydn’s “Joke” quartet.

The finale is a rollicking rondo. Weber’s flair for the dramatic is on full display, as all the themes show a distinctive character. All types of contrasts are on display; major versus minor, high versus low, legato versus staccato, loud versus soft, tense versus relaxed, and more. A series of virtuoso sextuplet runs in the clarinet takes us to a satisfying finale.