The stage of the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium is the setting for a program of three masterpieces from the Romantic Era on Saturday, January 18, at 7:30 p.m. Three musicians from the US and a Canadian from Calgary will play works by Brahms, Rabl, and Smetana.
The entire second half of the program will be taken up with the Piano Trio No. 1 by Bedrich Smetana. Smetana became famous as the father of nationalistic Czech music with works such as the symphonic cycle My Fatherland.
This piano trio has a very different focus. From the first gripping notes of the violin followed by the piano’s entry on minor chords, it is evident that the work is deeply personal. The dedication Smetana wrote explains everything: “In memory of our eldest child Bedriska, whose rare musical talent gave us such delight; too early snatched from us by death at the age of four and a half years.”
Smetana was no stranger to death in the family. When Fritzi (her German nickname) succumbed to scarlet fever, Smetana had already lost his second child to tuberculosis. Bedrich himself was the only child to survive in his family. His ten siblings all died before the age of two.
That Smetana could write such glorious music amidst his grief is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The third and final movement appears to be closing with the rhythm of a funeral march when it bursts forth in a buoyant and hopeful coda.
The trio was not well received at its first performance, but Smetana later played it for Franz Liszt. The great Hungarian liked it well enough to arrange a tour for the work in Germany and Austria, and it has become a part of the classical repertoire.
All of the composers on this program were outstanding pianists. We are fortunate to have the wonderful pianist Henry Kramer to interpret these works for us. A native of Maine in the US, Kramer studied at Juilliard and earned a doctorate at Yale.
Among a number of prizes he won at competitions, his second-place finish at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium provided a springboard for his career. He is currently an instructor at the University of Montreal.
Tickets for this concert are available online at www.valleyconcertsociety.com at $32 for adults/seniors and $20 for students. Call 604-289-3377 for more information.