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In 2020 when the concert world was dark we began posting short pieces of music from our archives as well as videos of artists who have performed for CMS. Usually these are encores, short sections from longer works, or unusual musical performances.
Below is an archive of our first seven months. Follow this link to the most recent posts.
Musical Moments Archive April 18, 2020–May 8, 2021
May 8, 2021 Johann Nepomuk Hummel Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778 –1837) was a child prodigy. At age eight, he was housed and taught by Mozart. He later received lessons from Muzio Clementi and Antonio Salieri, and then from Joseph Haydn who taught both Hummel and Beethoven; at that time fellow students and friends. A later friend was Franz Schubert, who dedicated his last three piano sonatas to him. Hummel had 127 published Opus works and nine Op. posthumus. Most of his compositions related to the piano; concertos and sonatas, quintets and trios. Here are two examples of his music: |
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May 1, 2021 Tim Fain, violinist Violinist Tim Fain has played twice in Carmel. In 2009, and earlier in 2007 with Rina Dokshitsky piano accompanist. They performed works by Mozart, Bach, Mendelssohn and also Beethoven, Sonata Op. 24, No.5 (Spring Sonata). Here is the entire work.
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April 24, 2021 Edward Trybek, guitarist Edward Trybek was a prize winner in the CMS instrumental competition in 2008. He has since developed a very successful career as composer, orchestrator and conductor in the visual media industry. Edward continues to play his guitar. Here are the three movements from "La Catedral" written by virtuoso classical guitarist; Agustín Barrios. |
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April 17, 2021 Nobuyuki Tsujii, pianist Japanese pianist, Nobuyuki Tsujii, blind from birth, shared the gold medal prize in the Cliburn Piano Competition in 2009. He played for Carmel Music Society in October 2011. His concert included music by Mozart, Chopin and Liszt. He concluded with an elegy that he composed, in memory of the victims of the Japan tsunami of March 11, 2011. To hear another version, click on the photo. |
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April 10, 2021 The Bennewitz Quartet The Bennewitz Quartet, on tour from Prague, played in Carmel in 2008 and 2011. Founded in 1998 they have developed a wide repertoire beyond Czechoslovakian, composers; Smetana, Janáček and Dvořák. Here they play the Scherzo movement - allegro, from the Schubert String Quartet No.15 D887 |
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April 3, 2021 Easter Musical Moments for You 8 eggs... In his full career, Joseph Haydn wrote sixty-eight string quartets. Op.33 #2 named the "Joke" has many internal musical inconsistencies which would puzzle his contemporary audience. Haydn is supposed to have wagered that some of them would start talking before the players finish. Here is the last movement. Quartet Op. 33 #2, Presto (Playing time 3:21) |
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March 27, 2021 Janina Fialkowska, pianist In February 2011, Janina Fialkowska and the Chamber Players of Canada played a concert including two Mozart piano concertos. Mozart arranged his early concertos for string quartet and keyboard ("a quattro") as well as for larger orchestra. Here they play the last movement (Rondeau Allegretto) from Concerto #12 in A major K. 414. (Playing time 6:27) |
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March 20, 2021 Mendelssohn's Concertos for Two Pianos Early in his career Felix Mendelssohn wrote two concertos, each for two pianos and orchestra. Much of the thematic material from these he used in later compositions, and the concertos are rarely played. Here is the last movement from each concerto, performed by Anthony & Joseph Paratore with the Rias Symphony (1980). A flat Major, Allegro vivace (Playing time 7:43) E Major, Allegro (Playing time 7:11) |
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March 13, 2021 Benjamin Grosvenor, pianist Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor arrived from from London with a U.S. tour planned, and was to visit Carmel in March 2020. Concert venues became closed and the tour was cancelled. His appearance in Carmel is now scheduled for March 26, 2023. Benjamin supplied a sample CD including two Scarlatti works. (More, 555 if you need) |
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March 6, 2021 Musica Pacifica Musica Pacifica played for the Society in March 2014. The concert was devoted mostly to music of the Bach family. In J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, BWV 1050, there is a "richly textured solo cadenza" for the harpsichord. It is performed here by Charles Sherman on an instrument graciously loaned by Christine Baker from her collection. |
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Christine also wrote a full review of the concert, including details of the harpsichord construction. |
February 27, 2021 András Schiff, pianist András Schiff (now Sir, in 2014) visited Carmel in March 1998 and also in October 2005. In this concert, he played works by Haydn and Beethoven. The Beethoven included the Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7 Here is the first movement 'allegro con brio'. (Playing time 8:52) |
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February 20, 2021 A Cello Moment Towards the end section of the Andante movement of Mozart's String Quartet No.18, K.464, the cello plays a dominant role with a repeating staccato motif. This persists for almost the whole section except for a short violin parody, played mostly with the same motif. Listen to it here. (Playing time 3:32) |
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February 13, 2021 Garrick Ohlsson, pianist In March 2012 Garrick Ohlsson included in his Carmel concert a Liszt transposition for piano, of the organ version of Bach's Fantasy and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542. Fantasy (Playing time 5:08) Fugue (Playing time 5:02) (better known) |
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February 6, 2021 Academy of St. Martin in the Fields In their concert of October 2006, the Chamber Ensemble from the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields played octets by Felix Mendelssohn and Joachim Raff. The younger Raff greatly admired Mendelssohn, and sent him his piano composition samples. Mendelssohn, impressed, recommended him to his publisher. |
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Raff became a prolific composer with 216 opus numbers and 74 other works, now rarely heard. He modeled his own string octet on Mendelssohn's. Here is the last movement of each work: |
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January 30, 2021 at 5:00pm Pacific Time Live in Concert A live-stream co-presented by Carmel Music Society Olga Kern, Gold Medalist of the Cliburn Competition, performed in Carmel for CMS in 2006 and 2019. CMS was delighted to be a co-presenter of Ms Kern's exciting and eclectic concert livestreamed from Prague. Complete program details here. For a limited time a video of the concert can be viewed on this website. |
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January 23, 2021 The Parker Brothers, pianists In April 2015, the Parker brothers, Jackie from Austin, and Jamie from Toronto, played in Carmel a duo piano concert, with works by Ravel, Mozart, Piazzola and Rachmaninof. As encore they joined at one piano and played Dvorak's Slavonic Dance #7. Here it is. (Playing time 3:05) |
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January 16, 2021 Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra has performed for Carmel Music Society on five occasions; first in 2007, last in January 2000. Their concerts have been conducted by Nicholas McGegan, or led by Elizabeth Blumenstock. In January 2013, they played Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", Op18. Here are the three sections of "Spring" from that concert: |
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January 9, 2021 Noël Wan, harpist Noël Wan was the Grand Prize Winner of the Society's 2014 instrumental competition. In a return engagement for a Music Society's donor event, she Included a transcription for harp of the "Italian Concerto" BWV 971 by J. S. Bach. Here are the movements, playable separately. Allegro (Playing time 4:32) Andante (Playing time 5:13) Presto (Playing time 4:34) |
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January 2, 2021 The Romeros Guitar Quartet The Romeros Guitar Quartet played for Carmel Music Society in 2014 and 2016. They performed a wide range of music and here is their rendition of the introduction to Bizet's opera Carmen. |
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December 26, 2020 Jon Kimura Parker, pianist In their concert in January 2011, cellist Lynn Harrell and pianist Jon Kimura Parker played together and also as soloists. A full review by Lyn Bronson: The solo piano piece was Beethoven Sonata #23, Op.57 "The Appassionata." Here is the first movement. (Playing time 9:34) |
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December 19, 2020 The Gryphon Trio The Toronto based Gryphon Trio have played in Carmel many times, in concert and for outreach events at schools, and in senior residences. In their 2011 concert with CMS they performed Beethoven's Piano Trio, Op 97, the "Archduke." Here is the fourth movement. (Playing time 7:12) |
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December 12, 2020 Hans Boepple, pianist Hans Boepple is Professor of Music at Santa Clara University, where he served as department chair from 1995-2007. He is also a highly skilled pianist; in his career, winner of many competitions. He is a frequent performer in the Carmel and Santa Cruz areas. In his January 2009 concert for Carmel Music Society, he played the Goldberg Variations by J. S. Bach and Chopin's Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 28. His encore (!) was the first movement (Allegro moderato) of the Mozart Sonata in C Major, K. 330. |
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December 5, 2020 The Takács Quartet The Takács Quartet is now quartet in residence at the University of Colorado, Boulder. They play frequently on the West Coast, and at their 2014 concert for CMS, they performed works by Beethoven and Britten. Their concert started with Haydn's Op 76 #4 "The Sunrise." (pdf) Here is the first movement. (Playing time 8:34) |
Click here to visit the Takács website. |
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November 28, 2020 Liszt and Beethoven Franz Liszt was an ardent admirer of Beethoven's works, and in particular of the symphonies. Over a 30 year period, as a "conscientious translator," he re-wrote the scores of all nine for piano performance. A full description of the Liszt-Beethoven symphonies here. Listen here to his adaptation of the last movement of #6, the "Pastoral", performed by Michel Dalberto. (Playing time 8:37) |
Franz Liszt (1811-1886) |
November 21, 2020
Anderson & Roe, duo pianists
Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Roe, duo pianists, were scheduled to play for CMS audience on April 25, 2021. Their concert was cancelled as was the whole season.
This was to be an exceptional program. See reviews here...
In this video you can enjoy a visual performance of their arrangement of Papagano's melodies, from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute.
November 14, 2020 Sean Chen, pianist Sean Chen was third-place prize winner in the Cliburn competition in 2013. He performed for Carmel Music Society on February 14, 2016: Valentine's Day. He started the concert with his own piano adaptation of the Offertorium from Mozart's Requiem in D Minor, K. 626. Part 1 is 4 minutes, the entire movement is 8:36. |
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November 7, 2020 Our 30th Musical Moment for you All well-established string quartets, (e.g. Alexander, Takacs, Guarneri, Shanghai and many more) have recorded all sixteen of the Beethoven quartets. Each group creates their unique interpretation. Here is the ending of the last movement of number nine, Opus 59 #3, marked as "Allegro molto". When played by the Alexander Quartet, the duration is 3:19 minutes. The Shanghai Quartet played it in 2:52 minutes. |
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October 31, 2020 Yefin Bronfman, pianist At Sunset Center in May 2009, Yefim Bronfman played works by Beethoven, Schumann and Prokofiev. He then made a fervent performance of "Islamay" by Mily Balakirev. He followed with two encores: Sonata in C-minor (Kirkpatrick 11) - D. Scarlatti Étude Op.10, Nr.12 (Revolutionary) - Chopin |
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October 24, 2020 Bennewitz Quartet On their US tours from Prague, the Bennewitz Quartet has performed twice for the Carmel Music Society in 2009 and 2011. This concert included works by Mozart and Smetena and a string quartet by Antonín Dvořák. |
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Here is the finale: Allegro assai, from Dvorák's String Quartet No.10 |
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October 17, 2020 Frederic Chiu, pianist After his concert for the Music Society in January 2005, pianist Frederic Chiu donated a CD of all his recordings of piano sonatas by Felix Mendelssohn. Here are excerpts from two of them, each about 4 minutes: Presto from Rondo capriccioso, Op.14 Presto from Sonata No.2, Op.105 |
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October 10, 2020
In 1964, a seven inch diameter, 45 rpm vinyl disk was issued titled:
The title puzzled both the popular and classical music audiences and it did not sell well. Link here to see the record sleeve notes
However the music has since been recognized as very close in style to Mozart's early string quartet compositions, the time when he supposedly copied themes by Salieri and others.
Now with some more recent melodies available, this is what he might have written.
October 3, 2020
Musical Moments for you from Rudolf Schroeter, pianist
Following a long career as litigation lawyer and decades of devoted amateur piano playing, Rudolf served the Mozart Society and the Carmel Music Society in various executive roles.
Rudolf's colleagues at Carmel Music, thank him for his support, advice, and friendship over many years. We wish him and Lydia success in everything for their future life in Newnan, Georgia.
Here he plays two of his favorites:
Praeludium, BWV 846, by J.S. Bach, arranged by Franz Liszt
Ständchen, D957, by Franz Schubert, also arranged by Liszt
September 26, 2020 Misha and Cipa Dichter, pianists Duo pianists Misha and Cipa Dichter first played for the Society in 1986, and again in 2010. Their separate and joint careers have extended more than fifty years. They played Mozart's Sonata in D Minor, K.448. Click below to hear the entire 23-minute work. |
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September 19, 2020
Alexander String Quartet
The Alexander String Quartet performed twice for Carmel Music Society in Novembers 2007 and 2009.
Each concert included a Beethoven string quartet.
In the 2007 concert they played from Opus 59.
"The three quartets, Opus 59 (The Razumovsky), were generally received with uncertainty, as they deviated from the established genre of string quartets in their content and emotional range."
Here is the fourth movement 'presto' from quartet No.8, Opus 59 #2.
September 12, 2020
Louis Lortie, pianist
Louis played all 27 Chopin études in Carmel, on Sunday, April 13th, 2014, after surviving flight delays from Toronto and airport sleeping on the previous night.
The études were published by Chopin in three groups; Opus 10 #1-12, and Opus 25 #1-12. The last three were named "Trois nouvelles études," and had no opus number assigned.
For more (wikipedia) detail, click here.
In this video, Louis plays all of Opus 10.
September 5, 2020
David Finckel, cello; Wu Han, piano;
and Philip Setzer, violin
David Finckel and Wu Han gave their first concert for the Carmel Music Society in 2004.
Together with violinist Phillip Setzer, they have performed in three more Carmel concerts, the latest in 2017. They are scheduled to visit Carmel again in May 2022.
In their 2017 concert they played the Beethoven trio, Opus 70 #1, known as "The Ghost Trio". Click the player below to hear the first movement.
Since that time the trio has added Arnaud Sussmann, to comprise the quartet of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
August 29, 2020
Orion Weiss, pianist
The Calgary Herald reported: "Playing with a rich, even voluptuous tone, and with cascades of notes from the ever reliable Orion Weiss."
Orion played for Carmel Music on October 8, 2017. Here is a detailed concert review.
He performed works by Grieg, Chopin and Liszt. He also played Schumann's, Op. 82, Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), a set of nine piano pieces. Click below to hear the entire 21-minute work.
August 22, 2020
The Lydian String Quartet with Rhonda Rider, cellist
On May 10, 2013, the Lydian String Quartet and cellist Rhonda Rider performed music by Mozart, Glazunov and Luigi Boccherini, playing his Quintet in E-major Op11 #5.
Click on the player below to listen to the three-minute, third movement, "Minuetto"..... Instantly recognisable.
Here is a detailed concert review.
August 15, 2020
Michael Noble, pianist
Michael Noble was first place prize winner in the Carmel Music Society piano competition in 2013.
He performed his winner's concert in May 2014.
Here is a detailed concert review.
Quote: "It is refreshing to hear Michael Noble address himself to the music with great sincerity and achieve such pleasing results."
In the concert he played Mozart's Rondo in A Minor, K. 511.
August 8, 2020
Modigliani Quartet
On November 19, 2019, the Modigliani String Quartet from Paris extended their tour to visit Carmel Music Society.
Here is a detailed concert review.
They played works by Mozart and Brahms, and also included Mendelssohn's Capriccio in E Minor and Fugue in E-flat Major, from his Op. 81.
Here are the two movements:
August 1, 2020
Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg, violin
Anne Marie McDermott, piano
In their concert in April 2012, Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg and Anne Marie McDermott played sonatas for Violin and Piano.
Their program included music by Bach, Franck and Beethoven.
Here is the third movement from the Beethoven, Sonata in D Major, Op 12 No 1, Rondo-Allegro
July 25, 2020
Jean-Philippe Collard, pianist
In March 2013, Jean Phillipe Collard traveled from Paris to SFO. The next day he played a full concert with encore, and the day after, returned to Paris. Here is a detailed concert review
He performed major works by Schumann and Chopin and then he played for encore, "Widmung" (Dedication), Schumann's song arranged for piano by Franz Liszt.
“Widmung is much more than a mere showpiece – containing probably the most passionate music writing and most heartfelt feelings.”
July 18, 2020 Jeremy Denk, pianist Jeremy Denk's second encore in his April 2018 concert was a piano transcription made by Douglas Lambert of Richard Wagner's "Pilgrim's Chorus," from his opera: Tannhäuser. It starts with the familiar musical theme, then, after 36 seconds "strides" into a very different style. The audience loved it. Click the play button below to listen. |
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July 11, 2020
Jeremy Denk, piano
In April 2018, world-famous pianist, Jeremy Denk gave his first concert for Carmel Music Society.
He played two major works: Beethoven's Sonata in E Major, Opus 109 and Schubert's Sonata in B flat Major, D. 960 and then two encores.
The first encore was the Andante middle movement from Mozart's Sonata #16, K.545. Click the play button below to listen.
The second encore amazed the audience. It will feature in the "Musical Moment" next week. Visit Jeremy Denk's website here.
June 27, 2020
Elizabeth Schumann, piano
Elizabeth was first prize winner in the Society's 2008 Biennial Piano Competition. She then won prizes in many more competitions. (Visit her website.)
In this 4-minute video Elizabeth plays the Liszt adaptation of Schubert's lied, The Elf King, "Erlkönig."
In 2012, Elizabeth founded "Project Classical," designed to encourage the appreciation of classical music.
Elizabeth also devised and directs "Piano Carnival," a project to introduce free, high quality classical concert music to children, based around Saint-Saëns' famous composition, Carnival of the Animals. View on the Apple app store.
View more of Elizabeth's videos here.
June 20, 2020
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
with Akira Eguchi, piano
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers performed for the Music Society with accompanist Li Jian in October 1992.
A pdf of that CMS program is here.
Anne returned to Carmel in 2016 for a concert with the Monterey Symphony Orchestra.
In this encore performance of the Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria," Anne is accompanied by Akira Eguchi. The concert was at the 2018 opening of the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia.
June 13, 2020
Frederic Chiu, pianist
Pianist Frederic Chiu played a concert for the Music Society in January 2005.
In his comments in Peninsula Reviews Lyn Bronson wrote, "Chiu played one encore, the Schubert/Liszt Serenade, (Ständchen) and it was lovely."
Frederic has since recorded this piece and you can watch the five minute performance.
Visit Frederic Chiu's website
June 6
The Hagen String Quartet
Mozart started writing string quartets at age14. By age 17 he had written thirteen. Of these, the later ones were influenced by the quartets of Joseph Haydn then age 41.
One good example is in the fugal fourth movement of No.13 (KV.173).
The next six quartets that Mozart wrote were dedicated to Haydn. They were not published until 12 years later in 1785.
The Hagen String Quartet played two Mozart quartets (#19, #20) for the Music Society on November 4, 2014.
This movement (KV.173-4, Allegro) is from their recordings collection.
May 30, 2020
Sean Chen, pianist
Among his many professional skills, Sean Chen arranges music from other genres for piano performance.
In his 2016 Carmel concert, he played his own paraphrase of the aria; "Madamina" from Mozart's opera, Don Giovanni.
“He achieved an amazing feat in combining complicated vocal and instrumental textures. Madamina was so much fun that you instantly wanted to hear it again.” (Read Lyn Bronson’s online review)
"Madamina, il catalogo è questo" (also known as the Catalogue Aria) is sung by Don Giovanni's servant, Leporello, to Elvira, who is the Don's most recent "liaison."
An operatic Madamina performance is here and you can read the full text of Mozart's aria here.
Remember Elvira Madigan anyone?
May 23, 2020
Sean Chen, pianist
After winning the 2013 American Pianists Awards, placing third at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and being named a 2015 Annenberg Fellow, Mr. Chen is now a Millsap Artist in Residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance.
He performed for Carmel Music Society on February 14, 2016: Valentine's Day.
Appropriate to the date, as an encore he played Gershwin's 'Love Walked In' arranged by Percy Grainger.
May 16, 2020
Man-Ling Bai, pianist
Winner of the 2016 Carmel Music Society Piano Competition
Man-Ling Bai, in her competition award winner's concert in 2017, played an improvisation on a theme which had previously been requested from music teachers.
Of the eight themes submitted, Man-Ling chose one at random. It was written by piano student Jordi Faxon, then 14 years old.
Click here to view a pdf of the original composition.
In this live excerpt from the concert, Man-Ling plays first the theme as written, and then makes a three minute improvisation.
For the full review of the concert by Lyn Bronson, click here.
May 9, 2020
Remembering Lynn Harrell
Internationally renowned cellist Lynn Harrell, who died on April 27, 2020, presented concerts for CMS in 1992, 2006, 2011, and 2012. He was always gracious, friendly and humorous.
In the 2012 concert he and pianist Jon Kimura Parker played an aria from Mozart's Magic Flute: "Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja!" In the opera the baritone plays pan pipes between verses. The pipes you hear were made to Lynn's specifications for this piece, and he plays them alternately with the cello.
Halfway through Lynn begins to sing and is joined in an unscripted performance by baritone Peter Tuff, Executive Director of CMS, who sings a verse, much to the audience's amusement.
We shall remember Lynn Harrell for a long time. He is part of our history.
May 2, 2020
Name the mystery composer!
This brief musical work, played by the late Tatiana Nikolayeva, is titled Fugue in A Major.
The composer's name will be familiar to you, but it will not be revealed until the very end of the two-minute performance.
Can you identify the composer during the playing time?
Click the thumbnail to the right to listen and watch...
April 25, 2020
Tanya Gabrielian, pianist
Continuing with the Alexander Siloti arrangements of Bach's music for modern piano, here is Siloti's transcription of the Andante from Bach's Sonata for Violin in A Minor, BWV 1003. It's about five minutes.
The pianist is Tanya Gabrielian, first prize winner of Carmel Music Society's piano competition in 2010.
April 18, 2020 OUR FIRST MUSICAL MOMENT
Vadym Kholodenko, pianist
As an encore at the conclusion of his 2013 CMS concert in Sunset Center, Russian pianist Vadym Kholodenko plays an arrangement of J.S. Bach's Prelude in E Minor BWV 855a by Alexander Siloti (1863-1945).
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For a listening comparison, here is a YouTube video of the original Bach Prelude played on piano (Vadym is not the pianist). It is performed twice: once with a view of the keyboard and then with a display of the score. Notice that Bach's melody is originally in the left hand; Siloti moved it to the right hand in his arrangement.
