The next Chamber on the Mountain concert is devoted to the internationally celebrated pianist Christopher Goodpasture, performing works by Beethoven, Janácek, Scriabin and Schubert.

The concert takes place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 in Logan House at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, Ojai.
 
Goodpasture’s program will include Ludwig Beethoven‘s “Six Bagatelles, Opus 126 (1825);” Leoš Janácek‘s “Sonata for Piano in E-flat minor, ‘In the Street, 1 October’” (1905); Alexander Scriabin‘s “Vers la flamme (Toward the Flame), poème” (1914); and Franz Schubert‘s “Piano Sonata in Bb-Major, D. 960” (1828).

Beethoven (1770-1827) and Schubert (1797-1828) were contemporaries; so were Janácek (1854-1928) and Scriabin (1872-1915). In each pair, moreover, the life of the older composer all but encompasses the life of the younger. There the similarities, tenuous in any case, peter out.

Beethoven and Schubert inhabited the same town (Vienna) at the same time for years, off and on, yet they had no direct relationship. They knew and admired each other’s music, and Schubert was heavily influenced by Beethoven, but they are only on record as having met on one occasion, in 1822, and apparently no conversation occurred.

Janácek and Scriabin never met, and it is unlikely the egomaniacal Scriabin was aware of the older man’s existence.

Janácek probably knew Scriabin by reputation, since the flamboyant Russian concertized all over Europe and was the center of a fervent personality cult, but J’s music shows no sign of influence (in my experience, that is: I’m prepared for people to write in angrily, telling me I’m full of it, and citing chapter and verse of Scriabin’s decisive influence on Janácek).

The Czech was an excellent pianist and organist, but didn’t go in for concertizing, concentrating his energy on composing and teaching. He made two brief visits to Moscow, and was concerned with his daughter’s failing health rather than attending concerts. He was, in my opinion, one of the greatest composers of the Twentieth Century.
 
As for the piano sonata, Wikipedia says: “In 1905, Janáček attended a demonstration in support of a Czech university in Brno, where the violent death of František Pavlík, a young joiner, at the hands of the police inspired his piano sonata, 1. X. 1905 (‘From The Street’).”

While this is interesting, it is as irrelevant to the work of art as any backstory. The sonata, beautiful and haunting, is not a polemic or a protest, but a purely musical masterpiece.

A Meet the Artist reception will be held on the Logan House patio following the performance, which has been underwritten, in part, by the Monimos Foundation.

Tickets to Christopher Goodpasture are $35; they can be purchased by phone at 805-646-3381 or online at www.chamberonthemountain.com/tickets.html.

Also, If a performance does not sell out, tickets will be available at the door on the day of the performance.

Note: Tickets will not be mailed to concertgoers. When you purchase your tickets, your name will appear on the Will Call list. Please check in at the door on the afternoon of the performance.

For more information, visit www.ChamberOnTheMountain.com.