Season 2 draws audiences into the highly expressive world of Robert Schumann and his close musical ally Johannes Brahms. Hailed for its illuminating forays into the performing style of the nineteenth-century German school, Ironwood presents Schumann’s “extroverted and exuberant” Piano Quintet in E flat op. 44, arguably the first work for piano and strings that revolutionised the piano quintet form in the Romantic era.

Composed in Schumann’s so-called Chamber Music Year of 1842, Clara Schumann who championed the work throughout her life described it as “splendid, full of vigour and freshness”. The Quintet is complemented with Brahms’ Piano Trio in C Major op. 87 composed in 1880-2, when the composer had reached the height of his financial success and maturation as a composer. Schumann, in his famous article Neue Bahnen (New Paths), had already extolled Brahms as “destined to give ideal expression to the times.” Brahms was extremely happy with this work commenting to his publisher:

“You have not yet had such a beautiful trio from me and very likely have not published its equal in the last ten years.”

Program

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Piano trio in C major, Op. 87

I. Allegro

II. Andante con moto

III. Presto

IV. Allegro giocoso

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)

Piano quintet in E flat major Op. 44

I. Allegro brillante
II. In modo d’una Marcia (Un poco largamente)

III. Scherzo (Molto vivace)

IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Artists

Robin Wilson (violin), Anna McMichael (violin), Gabrielle Kancachian (viola), Daniel Yeadon (cello), Neal Peres Da Costa (historical piano)