Cello++ – Friday, September 20 at 8 pm

Cello++

Liana Bérubé & Yuri Kye, violins
Aaron Rosengaus, viola
Brady Anderson & Michelle Kwon, cellos

Anton Arensky Cello Quartet in A minor, Op. 35
Franz Schubert Cello Quintet in C major, D. 956

Violist Aaron Rosengaus will be joined by the violinists and cellists from the Delphi and Alden piano trios to perform Arensky’s cello quartet and Schubert’s cello quintet. Come enjoy an evening of chamber music that celebrates the rich sounds of the tenor strings. Both pieces on the program prominently feature an added cello which tips the balance of the ensemble towards the bass. Arensky dedicated his cello Quartet in A minor to Tchaikovsky, who had died the previous year. The first movement features a theme based on Russian Orthodox chant. The extra cello voice (instead of a 2nd violin) imitates the sound of an all-male church choir. A tribute to Tchaikovsky, the 2nd movement variations are based on a theme from his Opus 54 Songs for Children. The shorter 3rd movement opens with another Russian chant, and then ends the piece in a rowdy fugue based on Beethoven’s Razumovsky theme. This seldom heard quartet is a true gem in the Russian repertoire, and will be performed by Yuri Kye, Aaron Rosengaus, Brady Anderson, and Michelle Kwon. Schubert’s cello quintet is one of the crown jewels of the chamber music repertoire, with its memorable soaring melodies and energetic fast movements. Liana Berube, concertmaster of the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, will join on 1st violin.