Arensky, Fujikura, & Brahms

Arensky, Fujikura, & Brahms

ANTON ARENSKY
Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 32

I. Allegro moderato
II. Scherzo. Allegro molto
III. Elegia. Adagio
IV. Finale. Allegro non troppo

Sergiu Schwartz, violin • David Ying, cello • Tao Lin, piano

DAI FUJIKURA
Cosmic Breath

Alexander Day, flute • Will Stevens, oboe

Abraham Schenck, clarinet • Sophie Steger, horn • Christian Whitacre, bassoon

JOHANNES BRAHMS
Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114

I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Andante grazioso
IV. Allegro

Stephen Williamson, clarinet • Amir Eldan, cello • Elinor Freer, piano

‬
‭ANTON ARENSKY‬
‭Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 32 (1894)‬

Anton Arensky was born to a musical family in Novgorod, Russia, a‬ city situated on the axis between St. Petersburg and Moscow.‬ Arensky showed compositional promise in his youth, and when his‬ family moved to St. Petersburg, he began studies with‬ Rimsky-Korsakov. Upon graduating in 1882, he immediately‬ became professor of harmony and counterpoint at the Moscow‬ Conservatory, where his students included Scriabin and‬ Rachmaninoff. In 1895, he returned to St. Petersburg to direct the‬ Imperial Choir until his retirement in 1901, whereupon he‬ dedicated himself to composition and touring as a pianist and‬ conductor. Arensky died from tuberculosis at the early age of 45,‬ by which time his life had become increasingly disorderly due to‬ drinking and gambling addictions.‬

Arensky’s Piano Trio in D Minor (1894) is the first of two trios he‬ composed, and without a doubt the work for which he is best‬ remembered today. It may be inscribed into a burgeoning‬ ‭fin-de-siècle‬‭ Russian tradition of composing piano trios as elegies,‬ beginning with Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio (1882), dedicated to the‬ memory of Nikolai Rubenstein, and continued by Rachmaninoff’s‬ pair of‬‭ Trios Élégiaques‬‭ (1892 & 1894), the second of which‬ memorialized Tchaikovsky. (The tradition reverberated in the‬ twentieth century with Shostakovich’s second piano trio.)‬

In Arensky’s case, the tribute was to Karl Davidoff, the renowned‬ cellist who had been director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory‬ while Arensky was a student there, and who died suddenly in‬ 1889. In contrast to Tchaikovsky’s and Rachmaninoff’s elegiac trios‬ (and also Shostakovich’s, for that matter), the lyrical opening‭ subject is presented not by the cellist but rather the violinist — perhaps an allusion to the void left by the dedicatee. The cellist‬ has plenty of moments to shine, however, not least in the “Elegia,” where he introduces a heartbroken lament played‬‭ con sordino‬‭ with the mute placed on the bridge.‬

DAI FUJIKURA‬
Cosmic Breath (2022)‬

Dai Fujikura has provided the following note to accompany‬‭ Cosmic‬ Breath‬‭:‬

Cosmic Breath is a composition for wind quintet. In the‬ classical world, this ensemble is often considered a‬ standard fare chamber group. I have always wondered,‬ “Why is the French horn included in this grouping?” To me,‬ it stands out like an “elephant in the room.”‬

Before delving into that question, I’d like to bring up my‬ attempt and failure to compose for this instrumentation‬ during my time as a student of music in college. I still‬ vividly recall the “world premiere” of my wind quintet,‬ performed in front of just seven (unfortunate) people in‬ college, six of whom were, naturally, fellow musicians‬ scheduled to perform other students’ works after mine.‬

I can’t recall the piece itself, but I do remember how‬ unhappy and disappointed I was with myself at that‬ moment. My writing for the horn was particularly abrasive‬ and loud, and I felt that I couldn’t strike a balance within‬ the ensemble.‬

Ever since the trauma of that day, I’ve hoped for the‬ chance to redeem my younger self, to write a proper wind‬ quintet.‬

I’m delighted that such a day has finally arrived! Thank you,‬ Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and the New World‬ Symphony for giving me a chance to overcome my past.‬

Cosmic Breath‬‭ is my fresh take on the wind quintet. I have‬ aimed to create a collective sound that transcends the‬ quality of the individual instruments themselves. The‬ French horn, in particular, plays notes that alternate‬ between open and closed. This effect guides the ear to‬‬ believe as if there are two horn players producing entirely‬ different sounds. Occasionally, the bassoon will play high‬ pitched notes that interweave themselves with the horn. There are also shimmering sounds produced by the‬ clarinet, flute, and oboe that comprise textures including‬ repeated note tremolos, sudden shifts in character, to ‭flowing melodic lines, and more. I imagine this interwoven‬ fabric as one person producing multiple “voices,” and‬ multiplying that polyphony by five. Needless to say, the‬ French horn was the perfect instrument in terms of sound‬ color and unification for this formation.‬

I enjoyed composing for the wind quintet, carefully‬ planning to ensure that each member has their moment to‬ shine while simultaneously supporting the bigger picture.‬
‭

JOHANNES BRAHMS
Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114 (1891)

Brahms’ Trio, Op. 114, testifies to a spirit of triumph and renewal in the face of despondency. As Brahms was composing his String Quintet, Op. 111, in the summer of 1890, he envisioned that the work would be his last. When he sent his publisher the completed manuscript, he wrote, “with this note you can take leave of my music, because it is high time to stop.” At the age of 57, Brahms felt he had said enough, and came to prefer the prospect of a relaxed retirement. He drafted a will, and set about tidying up some unfinished works rather than commencing any further projects.

It took just one musician — Richard Mühlfeld — for Brahms to decide to reverse course. Mühlfeld had been principal clarinetist of the Meiningen Court Orchestra since 1879. He may have already met Brahms earlier in the 1880s, when the orchestra premiered his Fourth Symphony. When Brahms visited Meiningen again in 1891, Mühlfeld had the opportunity to perform for him individually. Brahms was so moved by Mühlfeld’s renditions of Weber’s Clarinet Concerto and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet (the latter of which is on Friday evening’s program) that he resurrected his quill and returned to composition. That year, he composed this Trio, plus his own Clarinet Quintet (Op. 115), which he described as the Trio’s twin sister. These were followed by two Clarinet Sonatas (Op. 120) in 1894. Beyond inspiring Brahms musically, the two became warm friends, performing together over the coming years. As Pamela Weston reports, Brahms affectionately referred to Mühlfield as “Meine Prima donna” and “the nightingale of the orchestra.”

You may recognize the work from an arrangement in which the clarinet is replaced by the viola. In fact, Brahms prepared viola parts as authorized alternatives for each of the works he composed for Mühlfeld, including the sonatas, primarily for marketing purposes, since the clarinet trio formation was relatively uncommon. He maintained, however, a distinct preference for the clarinet version.

Program Notes by Peter Asimov

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