heart
strings

Zoltán Kodály’s Serenade, a rambunctious blend of folk inspiration and modern harmonies wrapped in classical form, was written during a fraught period when he was accused of crimes against the state. Yet his close friend Bartók considered the piece a delight: “We find ourselves in a fairy world never dreamed of before.” Henriette Renié was one of the foremost authorities on the harp in Edwardian England, gaining prominence as virtuoso performer and composer in an era where fame was socially unacceptable for women. Her gorgeous trio is a sensitive, heartfelt gem. Dmitri Shostakovich wrote his Piano Quintet four years after being denounced for pandering to the decadent tastes of the bourgeois West, deliberately infusing his own distinctive voice into traditional Classical forms. Combining shades of Bach and Russian circus music, the piece builds towards an ending that is at once enigmatic and bittersweet.

PROGRAM:
Zoltán Kodály | Serenade, Op. 12
Henriette Renié | Trio for Harp, Violin and Cello
Dmitri Shostakovich | Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57

Visit pcmf.org for artist information and program notes. Programs and artists subject to change.

RUN TIME: 90min