Our first Sandbar Chamber Series concert kicks off with Felix Mendelssohn's charming String Sextet and Rachmaninoff's lush and passionate Sonata for Cello and Piano.

Performers:

Bree Fotheringham, Jesse Macdonald, violins

Sam Kelder, viola

Tim Paek, cello

Heidi Chu, piano

General Admission $35 - Children & Students FREE

625 Main St, Chatham, MA 02633

Program Notes

In the final decade of his short life, Felix Mendelssohn balanced artistic commitments in London, Berlin, and Leipzig. He founded the Leipzig Conservatory in 1843, teaching composition alongside Ignaz Moscheles and Robert Schumann. In the fall of 1844, Mendelssohn decided to take a break from his busy schedule, moving temporarily to Frankfurt, where he relaxed and focused on writing. He described this time as "happy days" in a letter to his brother Paul.

During the summer of 1845, Mendelssohn composed his Second String Quintet, one of eight chamber works he created in the 1840s and among his last. Notably, Mendelssohn chose not to publish this Quintet, believing the finale was "not good," as he told Moscheles. It was published posthumously in 1851. The autograph score, with few markings, suggests Mendelssohn's ambivalence; he sometimes finished pieces despite not being entirely satisfied with them.

Despite Mendelssohn's reservations, the Quintet is now recognized as a strong chamber work from his later years, reflecting his evolving style. It features a prominent energy, beginning with a lively Allegro vivace, characterized by fierce tremolos and a sprightly theme. The Andante scherzando shifts to a light, courtly waltz mixed with pizzicato moments. The Adagio e lento contains some of Mendelssohn's most somber writing, with weighty chords over a steady cello line, culminating in intense tremolos. The Allegro molto vivace, which Mendelssohn found problematic, is the only monothematic finale in his works but ends the Quintet with a burst of energy.

More info coming soon!