An upcoming concert in Yakima will bring classical music to audiences in time for Valentine’s Day.
The event features the music of Chausson and Beethoven as part of the Sempre Chamber Music Sunday Concert Series. The program includes the Concerto for Piano, Violin & String Quartet, Op. 21, by Ernest Chausson, and Beethoven’s String Quartet in A-minor, Op. 132.
Beethoven’s work includes an adagio that is 23 minutes long, which has been described as the “music of the spheres.” The composition looks forward to modern music and the way it describes life’s moments, both of importance and of suffering. The suffering in this case was the fact Beethoven lost his hearing late in his career, a tragedy for a musician.
Chausson's work, titled “Sicilienne,” is far different and is typical of the romanticism found in Paris in the late 1800s. Chausson composed the Concert between 1889 and 1891, and the piece is unique, as it was written for violin and solo piano with string quartet. The work comes somewhere between a sextet, in which six instruments are given equal treatment, and a double concerto, where two soloist play against a complete orchestra. Brochure printing is often used to create programs for events like this.
The concert is February 13, from 6.00 pm until 8.00 pm, and tickets are available for those who want to attend in person. Attendance at the hall requires a negative Covid test or proof of vaccination. An online streaming option is also available.
