It is a pleasure to welcome the Rossetti Ensemble to Luton, their pianist, John Lenehan, in particular being a long standing friend of Luton Music. Discussing the new season’s theme of The Ties between Pupil & Teacher, John revealed that his own line of pedagogical connection takes him back in six simple steps to none other than Beethoven. That lineage can be traced back from John Lenehan through Yonty Solomon to Charles Rosen to Moriz Rosenthal to Franz Liszt to Carl Czerny and finally to Ludwig van Beethoven himself! I look forward to learning about the distinguished pedigrees of our other performers in this concert.
The programme features the two earliest piano quartets of Brahms and Dvořák. Exploring our theme further I’d suggest that it is in such early works that the influence of composition teachers can be most clearly discerned – Eduard Marxsen in Brahms’ case and František Blažek in Dvořák’s. The other work in this concert, by British composer David Matthews, is by contrast certainly not a youthful work as he celebrates his 80th birthday this year! Nonetheless David can himself boast a most distinguished lineage that includes study with both Benjamin Britten and Michael Tippett.
Welcome to our new season.
Richard Sisson (Programme Planner)
Programme
Antonín Dvořák – Quartet in D Op 23
David Matthews – A Song and Dance Sketchbook
INTERVAL
Johannes Brahms – Quartet in G minor Op 25
A Song and Dance Sketchbook was commissioned by the Newbury Spring Festival for The Schubert Ensemble of London with funds from Southern Arts and the Schubert Ensemble Trust. It was written in January and February 1995 and first performed at the Newbury Spring Festival on 12 May 1995.
This performance of David Matthews’ Song and Dance Sketchbook has been supported by the Schubert Ensemble Trust Commission Grant Scheme.
Performers
- Sara Trickey (violin)
- Sarah-Jane Bradley (viola)
- Tim Lowe (cello)
- John Lenehan (piano)
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