The Santa Barbara Symphony’s February concerts — called Beethoven’s Triple — will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, in the Granada Theatre.
The concerts, conducted by Nir Kabaretti, will feature guest artists violinist Paul Huang and cellist Ani Aznavoorian, both of the Camerata Pacifica, and pianist Gilles Vonsattel.
The program consists of three works: Joseph Schwantner‘s “Chasing Light” (2008); Ludwig Beethoven‘s “Concerto in C-Major for Violin, Cello, and Piano, Opus 56, ‘Triple’ ” (1803); and Robert Schumann‘s “Symphony No. 3 in Eb-Major, Opus 97, ‘Rhenish’ ” (1850).
Joseph Schwantner (born 1943, USA) is what we would have once referred to as a “modernist,” but his music, though quite vigorous, is not aggressive or didactic.
“Chasing Light” is a remarkable work, adventurous and bold, exhibiting a bouquet of influences without being the slave of any of them. It has the additional virtue of having been co-commissioned by the Santa Barbara Symphony.
The first recording I bought of the Beethoven concerto was a inexpensive re-issue of a Czech Supraphon release with the Josef Suk Trio with Kurt Masur and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The author of the liner notes proclaimed the work “unpopular Beethoven.”
Being at the time a fervent dues-paying initiate of the Beethoven cult, I was outraged. Now, in the upper reaches of maturity (though still a Beethoven worshipper), I must admit to a certain technical justice in the annotator’s remark.
The “Triple” is, without a doubt, the least popular of the composer’s seven concertos. Yet, as is often the case, the popularity of the work is in no sense a judgment on its musical value.
The opening Allegro is sweeping, heroic, full of noble and beautiful tunes. The Largo is one of the most tranquil and exquisite movements Beethoven ever wrote, and leaves very little for Schubert to add.
And the closing Rondo, also proto-Schubertian, provides as satisfying a conclusion as as anyone could wish.
The “Rhenish” is by far Schumann’s most successful essay in the symphonic form, sometimes anticipating Wagner or Brahms in its grandeur, other times as devout as Franck, still others as nimble as Mendelssohn. A thoroughly delightful river cruise on the Schumann Line.
This concert is generously sponsored by Samarkand (principal sponsor), Karin Jacobson and Hans Koellner, John Trotti and Karen Drown, Bob Weinman, and Peter Schlueer.
Single tickets are $29-$135; they can be purchased from the Granada box office, 1214 State St., by phone at 805-899-2222, or online at www.granadasb.org.
To learn more about the Santa Barbara Symphony or its programming, visit www.thesymphony.org/.
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.