2025 Festival Program Notes

June 20, 2025 - CHERRY

Michael Djupstrom - Songs of Spring

Michael Djupstrom is an American composer and pianist based in Philadelphia.  He has taught at the Curtis Institute of Music and Boston University, and is currently teaching chamber music at U. Penn. His compositions have been commissioned and performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Eugene Symphony, Curtis, Tanglewood Music Center, and numerous others.

From the Composer:  Songs of Spring was written on a request from the National Cherry Blossom Festival for a celebratory work to be included among the music performed at the 2016 festival's opening ceremony.  I first intended the work to be a kind of fantasy upon the well-known Japanese folk song "Sakura, Sakura," which invites the listener to observe the beautiful cherry blossoms that bloom each spring and which are the festival's namesake.  In researching the melody, however, I was delighted to discover the great richness of Japan's folk song heritage, and as a result, I decided to weave a number of traditional melodies into my piece, creating a lively, varied musical tapestry.  At its center, however, still stands the elegant "Sakura, Sakura," which receives the most elaborate treatment of any of the songs.

Georges Liferman - Sicilienne for Flute and Harp

Georges Liferman (1922 – 2018) was a Parisian, through and through and a great supporter of the arts and culture in Corvallis later in his life. He grew up in a time of war, and Georges worked as a mechanical designer until being drafted by the French Army, then the TODT, a German engineering organization that used young Frenchmen for forced labor. The work was on the Atlantic wall: concrete structures designed to prevent easy land access by Allied forces. He managed to escape the work site and was hidden for three months by the resistance before acquiring false papers. His parents and brother, Roger, were deported in 1944. Tragically, his parents died in the gas chambers in Auschwitz and his brother, Roger, died somewhere in Austria. Georges was able to protect his youngest brother, Lucien, by keeping him hidden on a farm.  Georges married and raised his family in Paris.  As a widower, he met Marilyn Miller and they married in 1995. They would spend the next 23 years splitting their time between Paris and Corvallis.

Georges had played the piano since he was six and always wanted to write music. Winning third prize in a competition in 1946 helped him make connections to advance his career. He played in piano bars and had a natural gift for melodies. Over time, he wrote over 1,000 songs, jingles for TV shows, commercials, sporting events, and the like.  He wrote very popular musicals that were performed in Paris and on tour throughout France.  He continued to write music in Corvallis, collaborating with local musicians and lyricists.  A highlight of these collaborations was the production of a musical, The Smile, which was performed at the Majestic Theater during two summer Da Vinci Days festivals.

Sicilienne was written for his son, Daniel, at the request of his flute instructor at the Charenton Music Conservatory. Sicilenne for Flute and Harp is a short melodic work that beautifully reflects Georges’ kind and gentle nature.

Albert Roussel - Serenade, Op. 30

Albert Roussel (1869 – 1937) was a contemporary of Ravel. His compositions are generally more romantic than the impressionists of his day but you can certainly hear elements of both late romantic and impressionistic music in his works. His early life was sailing with the navy to the Middle East, India, and Asia, and later he incorporated exotic melodies reminiscent of his travels. This exotic element is heard right at the start of the Seranade with the first flute entrance and driving rhythms.  The work is in three movements, following a fast-slow-fast pattern. The second movement, Andante, has a very impressionistic feel, with unusual dissonances and vague tonality. The third movement, Presto, is back to a strong, driving rhythm and exotic sounding melodies.

Carlos Simon - Be Still and Know

Carlos Simon is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, whose music ranges from concert music for large and small ensembles to film scores with influences of jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism. Simon is the Composer-in-Residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the inaugural Boston Symphony Orchestra Composer Chair, and was nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY award for his album Requiem for the Enslaved. 

This work for violin, cello and piano, was written in 2018 inspired by a quote from Oprah Winfrey during an interview:

“I have felt the presence of God my whole life. Even when I didn't have a name for it, I could feel the voice bigger than myself speaking to me, and all of us have that same voice. Be still and know it. You can acknowledge it or not. You can worship it or not. You can praise it, you can ignore it or you can know it. Know it. It’s always there speaking to you and waiting for you to hear it in every move, in every decision.” (Oprah Winfrey)

Antonín Dvořák - Piano Quartet, Op. 87

Antonin Dvořák (1841 – 1904) was a Czech composer from Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic) during the Romantic era.  He wrote music at a time when composers were beginning to use themes from their homeland, especially folk melodies and harmonies. He became very well-known in his lifetime, and his major works -- nine symphonies, numerous string quartets and other chamber music, concerti, choral music, operas, and more -- are frequently programmed for concerts today. Probably his most famous work is the Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”, composed in 1893 after his visit to the US.  His Piano Quartet, Op. 87, comes from just a few years earlier, having been composed in the summer of 1889. It is a work in four movements.  With no second violin, the trio of strings (violin, viola and cello) feels more like soloists all around, with a masterful piano part in equal collaboration with the string section.

Dvořák starts with the strong main theme in unison strings right from the opening notes, giving the piano its own chance to shine.  The whole first movement is filled with energetic moments contrasted with somewhat mysterious themes. The second movement, Lento, has been called one of Dvořák’s most beautiful slow movements.  I would describe it as tranquil and nostalgic, evoking quiet and loving memories, with contrasting moments of passion and longing. The third movement is filled with simplicity and grace, with melodies surely influenced by his Bohemian surroundings.  This simplicity is broken by an energetic and more excited rhythmic passage before returning to the slower melody. The final movement, marked Allegro ma non troppo (fast, but not too fast!) is playful, sparkling with joy and hope, with a good dash of romance for contrast.

Program notes by Ken Saul

June 23, 2025 - OAK

George Gershwin: Lullaby (1919)

American composer and pianist George Gershwin (1898 – 1937) is celebrated for his groundbreaking fusion of classical music with jazz and popular song to create a distinctly American sound, which can be heard in his iconic works Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess.  Gershwin’s Lullaby was originally written as an exercise during his studies and remained unknown to the public for decades, apart from the main theme, which Gershwin borrowed for his one-act opera Blue Monday.  Lullaby was a great favorite among those in his inner circle, but slipped into obscurity after Gershwin’s death, and its public premiere by the Juilliard String Quartet didn’t take place until 1967.

Lullaby begins with a quiet intimacy, almost as if the players are unaware of the audience.  Murmured, sustained chords sound, and the first violinist’s tentative, subdued harmonics seem to test the acoustics of the room. Then the cello begins a bluesy ostinato that evokes the rocking of a cradle, followed by a gently playful pizzicato bass line – all beneath the tender theme sung by the upper voices.  The violins soon take on a more speech-like, expressive quality, much like the recitativo style this central section is named for.  After this brief soliloquy, three of the four players resume the cello’s opening motif, and then the tempo, harmonies, and motion relax and ease, as if the lullaby has guided the listeners into dreamland.

Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, No.2 (1797)

Born in Austria, Franz Josef Haydn (1732 – 1809) is one of the Classical period’s foremost composers.  He was prolific in all genres of classical music but in addition to his most famous works (his “Surprise” Symphony, and oratorio The Creation) is known as the “Father of String Quartets”, as he essentially redefined the string quartet into what it is today: an ensemble of two violins, viola, and cello who are all equal partners in a musical conversation, rather than essentially one soloist with three accompanying players. The Op. 76 string quartets (six in all) were composed for Haydn’s patron, Hungarian prince Nikolaus Esterházy II; Haydn served as Kapellmeister (music director) for the Esterházy family for nearly 30 years, composing string quartets, symphonies, keyboard music, and more during his tenure.

Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 76, No. 2 is one of Haydn’s rare string quartets in a minor key.   This movement is quintessentially Classical: sonata form, balanced, elegant phrases, and clearly stated themes.  The Allegro begins with a descending perfect fifths motive, which recurs throughout the movement. This melody is restated at different tempos, inverted, reversed, compressed, augmented, and even serves as a countermelody to the movement’s second theme…all which contributes to the piece’s affectionate nickname of the Quintenquartett (“Fifths quartet”). Andante di molto più tosto allegretto is a dignified theme and variations, much lighter than its preceding movement in several ways: the parallel key of D major is calm and pleasant, the texture is more transparent, and the drama of the previous movement is replaced by a stately poise.  The third movement is a lively Menuetto and trio; while spirited, the minuet holds a sense of unease and restlessness due to its minor key, unexpected accents, and the continual chase of the violins by the viola and cello.  The sly, unnerving character of the movement caused it to eventually become known as Hexenminuett (“the Witches’ Minuet”).  The trio begins in D major, providing a respite from the darkness of the minuet, but is quick to return to D minor before resuming the minuet.  The finale, an agitated Vivace assai, continues in D minor; the minor tonality paired with relentless eighths give the movement a nervous energy.  The music transitions back to D major and gains an increased sense of motion when the beat subdivides into triplets, rather than duple rhythms.  This intensity propels the quartet to its big finish, ending with a triumphant flourish.

Ernest Bloch: Prélude, B63 (1925)

Ernest Bloch (1880 – 1959) was a composer of contradictions. His music is Romantic in character (brooding, grand, and sweeping) while also implementing modern techniques (dissonance and unpredictable rhythms).  He shunned institutional religion so was not a devout practitioner of the Jewish faith but was still deeply spiritual and used his music to embrace his Jewish cultural identity.  Born in Geneva, Bloch began his life as a Swiss citizen but then gained American citizenship in 1924, and the juxtaposition of European form and American style elements are clearly seen in his oeuvre.  Bloch spent the last half of his life in Oregon; he was buried in Newport, and his final home is still standing in Agate Beach. 

While Bloch’s most famous works have a Jewish theme and Hebrew name, his Prelude for string quartet does not have any religious significance.  However, its emotional depth and gravitas match that of his Schelomo and Suite Hébraïque.  Subtitled Recueillement (“Contemplation”), the quartet is full of progressive twentieth-century harmonies and a quiet intensity.  The viola sings a mournful solo, which is then picked up by the cello, then the second violin, then finally the first violin.  The pressure builds, then releases, returning to the initial theme.  Harmonic and emotional tension build once again before giving way to what at first appears to be an emotional reprieve, but the major key is tinged with sadness and finally succumbs to the previous anguish.  As the music winds down to its end, it remains melancholic until the two final chords – D major – which bring resolution and a final glimmer of hope.

Brahms: String Quartet No.1 in C minor, Op. 51 (1873)

Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897) was born in Hamburg and began working as a professional musician in his teens.  After an endorsement from Robert Schumann, Brahms launched his career as a pianist and conductor, eventually becoming one of the nineteenth century’s most prominent musical figures.  While revered as a master, Brahms was a perfectionist who didn’t publish his first string quartet until the age of forty, as he spent years laboring over the work until he felt that it was a masterpiece.

Stormy and dramatic, Allegro is bursting with never-ending angst. The pulsing eighth notes crescendo and then the music hesitates, only to move forward again and then trail off, creating a searching, unsettled atmosphere.  Even the calmer passages smolder beneath the surface and never feel resolved until the final chord.  The second movement, Romanze: Poco adagio is lyrical and reflective...but still contains some of the darkness of its predecessor, especially in its triplet section between the outer segments.  When the beginning duple theme resumes, it is layered with the triplet theme, adding complexity and depth to its original statement.  Allegretto molto moderato e comodo is a slow burn; while not vigorous, there is a sensation of growing foreboding. There are occasional lilting, pastoral moments but the ominous undercurrent is never far away.  The conclusion, Allegro, finally unleashes the building storm from the previous three movements – tumultuous, wild, and moving with insistent momentum.  Whether booming or distant, thunder can be heard throughout the entire movement, up through the three final defiant chords.

Program notes by Lauren Servias

June 27, 2025 - DOUGLAS

Gerald Finzi: Interlude Op. 21 (1932 – 1936; revised 1945)

English composer Gerald Finzi (1901 – 1956) is known for his wonderfully lyrical, introspective music that exemplifies the English pastoral tradition: long, singing melodies, modal harmonies, gentle dissonance, and dignified melancholy. This bittersweet quality is very present in Finzi’s Interlude for oboe and string quartet. He began composing this work as the world – with World War I still in recent memory – watched with dread as fascism escalated in Germany and Italy, realizing that another global conflict was likely on the horizon. Finzi worked on his Interlude from 1932 to 1936, then added an additional bass part in 1945. Oboe legend Léon Goossens played the premiere in 1936 and loved it so much that he asked Finzi if he could receive the dedication of the piece; Finzi happily complied.

Interlude begins with a long, introspective introduction before the plaintive oboe solo begins. Searching and questioning, the oboe’s voice is sometimes a lone narrator as the strings provide a rich backdrop, and at other times, the strings are equal partners in a dialogue with the oboe. There is a sense of restlessness, ebbing and flowing, that gradually increases into a climax…but it never quite comes to a definite harmonic or emotional cadence. As the intensity wanes, the music hints at closure, but again never quite reaches one. Even at the piece’s conclusion, the tension retreats, rather than being resolved.

Gwyneth Walker: Letters to the World (2001)

Commissioned by the New World Ensemble, West Hartford, Connecticut.

Letters to the World -- reflections on the poetry of Emily Dickinson are five short pieces for piano quartet (violin, viola, cello, and piano). Each movement is inspired by a particular Dickinson poem which may be read aloud before the musical portrait.

The correlation between poetic imagery and instrumental music has often fascinated the composer. And the poetry of Emily Dickinson, which encompasses a wide variety of topic and mood, presents itself as an appealing choice for a multi-movement chamber work.

The first movement, "Invocation," follows the reading of the familiar poem, "This is My Letter." This music is intended as an invitation, a greeting and an opening message. Thus, the piano initiates the music with open fifths and octaves. The Violin motive which arrives later might be heard to speak -- "This is my letter to the World that never wrote to Me." This movement is characterized by simplicity and tenderness, as evoked in the poem.

The second movement, "Spring," is inspired by the poem, "A Light Exists in Spring." The poem describes a special light in March which is so delicate that it passes away. The music opens with short patterns in the strings, perhaps reflecting specks of light. The middle section presents dancing patterns of light. And in the end, the patterns rise and the light fades away.

"Nobody! -- or The Frog Pond" is inspired by the frog reference in the poem. After some opening "banter" in the strings ("I'm Nobody. Who are You?"), the pond comes alive. With the piano providing background cricket sounds, a mosquito arrives, to be swatted. Frogs croak. Locusts trill. The "Nobody" motive returns. And one last frog jumps into the pond.

The poem "Wild Nights!" has led to the fourth movement, "Passion." The music is marked "with abandon" and "passionately" throughout. Rippling patterns (the sea) predominate. Oscillation between pitches may be heard as a boat tossing on the waves. At the end, the boat settles into its mooring, as the poem closes with the lines "Might I but moor -- Tonight -- In Thee!"

"Indian Summer" is a celebration of the fullness of life. Thus, the piano opens with expanding patterns, and sustained pedal sonorities. This is fullness. Other images which inspire the music are playfulness (the child referred to in the poem), which comes in the bouncing scalar patterns in the piano, and the leaf blowing in the wind, represented by the rising/falling lines in the strings. The theme (Viola, Cello) is associated with the words "These are the days when Birds come back...These are the days when skies resume..." All strings join together to praise "Oh Sacrament of summer days." The unfolding patterns and rich sonorities from the beginning return to celebrate "thine immortal wine."

Notes by Gwyneth Walker

Arthur Bliss: Conversations (1921)  

Englishman Arthur Bliss (1891 – 1975) wore many hats in his life: decorated WWI soldier, Director of Music for the BBC, Knight, and Master of the Queen’s Music for Queen Elizabeth II. His most impactful role, however, was that of composer. Bliss covered a wide range of genres: orchestral works, chamber music, operas, ballets, art song, piano works, and music for film, television, and state affairs. Conversations debuted in 1921 and was dedicated to the New Instrumental Quintet. Its premiere reportedly received a scathing review as it was considered too modern and daring, but despite its initial reception, Conversations is now recognized and appreciated for its innovation and charm.

Clever and full of character, Conversations paints a series of colorful, evocative images that live up to their descriptive titles. The Committee Meeting will resonate with anyone who has ever served on a committee – each voice speaks loudly, full of conviction in its individual opinion, and not synchronizing with the other voices in the room. Each part gets louder, trying to make sure it isn’t eclipsed, until the cacophony is cut short after an exasperated chord. After a moment of silence, the violin restates its main idea, answered by the viola, then the string instruments give one final, emphatic chord, as if – at least for the moment – in agreement against their wind instrument colleagues.

In the Wood, by contrast, brings gentle breezes, rustling leaves, and a peaceful forest scene to mind. Warm, tranquil, and flowing, this movement is a breath of fresh air after the stridence and combativeness of the preceding Committee Meeting.

In the Ballroom begins jauntily, with a jazzy, spinning buoyancy that suggests the social whirl of the ballroom: greetings, finding partners, and enjoying the glitter and excitement of the event. The music transitions into a more understated triple feel that could be a well-mannered waltz, but the joie de vivre of the opening sneaks back in, and in the final measures one can picture the dancers dropping into one last bow and courtesy to their partner.

Soliloquy offers a change in tone; true to its name, the oboe has a conversation with itself, rather than engaging in a conversation with the other players. At first this monologue is legato and wandering, but then picks up energy; smaller rhythmic subdivisions, larger intervals, and staccato notes convey urgency and the sense of being hurried. This harried section culminates in a cascade of descending sextuplets followed by a pause – then once again, the oboe is calm, but still searching, as in the movement’s opening.

Contrary to what the name suggests, Oxford Circus is not a circus but instead one of the London Underground’s busiest stations, named for its location on Oxford Street. The Tube at Oxford Circus is noisy, bustling, and chaotic. In addition to the energy and hustle of a crowded tube station, there are as many different moods as there would be for a variety of passengers with different purposes for taking the subway: the stress of commuters who can’t be late to work, the sweetness of a child about to see a beloved grandparent, someone on their way to an anticipated – or dreaded - activity. But despite the different goals of each person at the station, they all share the same goal: to arrive at their destination, which is achieved at the movement’s big finish.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonata (1901)

The end of the nineteenth century was difficult for Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943). The 1897 premiere of his first Symphony was a disaster, due to the allegedly drunk and unprepared conductor, leaving the Russian composer depressed and discouraged. He considered leaving the music profession, but after intensive counseling and encouragement, published his second piano concerto and cello sonata in 1901. Both were immensely successful, and Rachmaninoff eventually was considered one of the most legendary pianists of the twentieth century as well one of Russia’s most revered composers.

The cellist and pianist are equal partners in Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata – the keyboard part is no mere accompaniment but holds remarkable weight and scope. Both parts require supreme technique and musicianship from their performers, and the exchange between the two instruments is a remarkable journey through despair, ferocity, yearning, and triumph.

Lento – Allegro moderato begins simply, meditatively, and with great emotional weight. The introduction slowly unfolds, and then like the beginning of a wild storm, the notes begin to rain down in a sweeping and tumultuous cascade. Blazing and desperate, the cello sings long melodic lines over the passionate arpeggios of the piano, coming together with a feverish energy. This tempest alternates back and forth with the tenderness and intimacy of the second theme, but the anguish is never far away and finally returns full force for the movement’s impassioned coda, which ends with forceful conviction.

The built-up despondence of the first movement erupts into a rebellious fierceness in the Allegro scherzando. Scherzando traditionally indicates a jovial playfulness, but here the joke manifests itself as a dark and biting humor. Triplet rhythms and the recurring descending melody emit urgency and increased desperation, and while the soaring nobility of the central trio section softens the sharp edges of the movement, the movement ends with a quiet defiance.

Ephemeral and dreamlike, Andante drifts between tonalities – first E-flat major, then E-flat minor. The simple melody is passed back and forth between the cello and piano, first as an intimate murmur and then gradually rising into a stirring climax. The music is infused with tenderness and sorrow, and even in the impassioned height of the movement, there is an undercurrent of longing. The major key harmonies provide warmth, but they are still tinged with sadness, and the beauty of the Andante can’t be separated from a sense of loss.

After the despondency and darkness of the previous movements, the Allegro mosso bursts forth in heroic grandeur, as if finally ready to ride into battle to reclaim what had been lost and mourned. Fiery and lightning-fast, the instruments engage in a brilliant display of virtuosity. Hints of previous themes can be heard, but are reframed in a noble, redemptive light, and as the movement races toward the finale, it becomes more and more ecstatic, finally concluding the sonata’s narrative with a shower of triumphant and glorious fireworks.  

Program notes by Lauren Servias

June 29, 2025 - ALDER

Dmitry Shostakovich- Adagio and Allegretto

Both these pieces for string quartet were extracted and arranged by Shostakovich from earlier works of his. The Adagio is a transcription of the aria sung by the main character, Katerina, in the third scene of the opera "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk", which debuted in what was then Leningrad in 1934.  The gentle waltz-like character of the music gives no hint of the grisly plot of the opera. A bored housewife named Katerina has an affair with a hired farm worker, and when her father-in-law finds out, Katerina poisons him by putting rat poison in a dish of mushrooms. Several other violent actions ensue.  The opera had been successfully running for two years when Joseph Stalin decided to attend a performance.  Of course, he hated it and left the theater before the performance ended.  The following morning a newspaper review appeared in Pravda titled "Muddle instead of Music" declared that the music was “a flood of confusing sound, trifling with difficult matters.”  Rumor had it that Stalin himself had written the article.  Shostakovich lived in a purgatory of fear until Stalin died in 1953.  

The Allegretto is a version of the famous Polka from the music hall-style ballet "The Age of Gold".    The work is satirical spoof on the political and cultural changes in 1920s Europe.  The plot concerns a Soviet soccer team which tours to a Western city, where the players meet many politically incorrect people.  The team is accused of match rigging and tossed in prison.  They are freed when local workers overthrow their capitalist overlords.  Shostakovich was an avid soccer fan and must have enjoyed writing this music.   The Polka is an irreverent and spiky break-the-rules caricature of a polka.  

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Clarinet Quintet Op. 10

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was born in 1875 in London, son of an English woman and a physician from Sierra Leone.  The doctor returned to Africa and may not have known about his son.  Samuel showed early talent and studied violin at the Royal College of Music from the age of 15.  He later switched to composition, studying under Charles Villiers Stanford. In 1895 Stanford challenged his student to write a clarinet quintet that did not imitate the one by Johannes Brahms from 1891.  When Coleridge-Taylor presented his quintet, Stanford reportedly exclaimed "You've done it, my boy!" 

It must have been difficult growing up in working class Victorian England as a mixed race illegitimate child. It was remarkable that Samuel got a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in 1890.   Coleridge-Taylor's first early success was his cantata, "Song of Hiawatha", based on the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Coleridge-Taylor knew several prominent musicians of his time, including Edward Elgar.  Coleridge-Taylor made three tours of the U.S. in 1904, 1906, and 1910 and was received at the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt.  Even though his music was widely performed, he struggled financially because he had sold the rights to his early compositions to his publishers. He was later involved in the formation of the 'Performing Rights Society.' Coleridge-Taylor died unexpectedly of pneumonia in 1912.

The clarinet quartet is in four movements.  The first (Allegro molto energico) is bold and energetic, as the title implies.  The second movement (Larghetto affettuoso) has ravishingly beautiful melodies.  The third (Allegro Leggiero) uses mixed meters of 3/4 and 9/8, producing many cross rhythms.   The Finale: Allegro agitato, lives up to its title, with drumming rhythmic figures leading to a dramatic climax and a very fast coda.  

Caroline Shaw-Entr'acte

Caroline Shaw, born in 1982, has had an amazing rise to recognition in the world of classical music.  She is a member of the vocal group Roomful of Teeth and in 2013 became the youngest ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, for her composition Partita for 8 Voices.  Although she had written only a handful of pieces before the Partita, she has since had numerous commissions and maintains a busy freelance career as a violinist and singer. About Entr'acte Shaw writes:

“Entr’acte was written in 2011 after hearing the Brentano Quartet play Haydn’s Op. 77, no. 2 - with their spare and soulful shift to the D-flat major trio in the minuet.  Entr’acte is structured like a minuet and trio, riffing on that classical form but taking it a little further.   I love the way some music (like the minuets of Op. 77) suddenly takes you to the other side of Alice’s looking glass, in a kind of absurd, subtle Technicolor transition.”

Entr’acte is not easy to describe because it is completely original.  As Shaw said, it does follow the A-B-A form of the traditional minuet, with a beginning section followed by a completely different idea before returning to the first section’s material.  The first and third parts have some rather haunting sounds, with many quick crescendos that don’t seem to move on to something else. Several short parts ask the players to bow across the strings without producing an actual pitch, which is disconcerting to the listener who expects to hear sounds when the bows move!  The middle section is a virtual compendium of pizzicato techniques.  

Milhaud – Quartet No. 1, Op. 5

Darius Milhaud was born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France but left for Paris to study at the Conservatory at age 17.  After graduating he served as a secretary to a French government minister in Brazil.  Upon returning to Paris in 1918 he became part of an avant-garde group of artists which included Satie, Cocteau and Picasso.  After a trip to New York Milhaud was one of the first to incorporate jazz into his compositions. Beginning in 1940 Milhaud taught at Mills College in Oakland, California for several years.  He returned to Paris but visited the U.S. nearly every year, even though severe arthritis compelled him to sit down while conducting.  He was a very prolific composer: the list of his works fills four columns in this writer’s copy of Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians.  Relatively few are performed today, the most familiar to most listeners are probably ‘Scaramouche’ and ‘Le Creation du Monde.’ 

Milhaud’s Quartet No. 1 appeared as Op. 5 in 1912.  It is in three movements, although he originally composed a fourth movement.  Milhaud deleted that movement in a subsequent revision after a critic had accused him of ‘prolixity’, that is, having too many ideas.  The movements are labelled: 1. Rhythmic,   2. Intimate, restrained, and 3. Fast, very rhythmic, very marked and heavy.   

Program notes by Angela Carlson