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.

Sergei Rachmaninoff's music is renowned for its rich and lush textures, and his Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 19, is no exception. The piano part is as demanding and spectacular as in his solo works, with rich countermelodies and sumptuous themes. Despite the addition of the cello, the piano remains dominant, leading some to view the piece as a piano sonata with cello accompaniment.

Rachmaninoff dedicated his Sonata to the Russian cellist Anatoliy Brandukov, who premiered the piece in Moscow with the composer playing the challenging piano part. Brandukov, 14 years Rachmaninoff's senior, was a close friend and best man at his wedding, and they often performed together. 

Rachmaninoff viewed the cello and piano as equal partners in the sonata, hence he refrained from calling it a cello sonata. Most themes are introduced by the piano and elaborated by the cello, leading to its frequent reference as the Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano.

The four-movement sonata embodies the character of Russia's Romantic era. Few composers before Rachmaninoff had explored the cello's expressive potential so deeply, and Brandukov's playing brought out every nuance.

Rachmaninoff couldn't have known this sonata would be his last chamber work, as he shifted focus to solo piano, orchestral, and choral compositions thereafter. This piece marks both an end and a testament to Rachmaninoff's musical friendship with Brandukov.