Bruch | Horovitz | Shostakovich

A colorful, chamber music journey through the 20th century featuring Horovitz, Shostakovich, and Bruch. Gerald Pachinger and Christoph Stradner, the solo clarinetist and the principal cellist of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, have been engaged for this performance.

Joseph Horovitz - Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano
Created at the request of clarinetist Gervase de Peyer, who was a good friend of the British-Austrian composer, and premiered in 1981 in London, the Sonatina draws on jazz and pop music in its melody and rhythm. Horovitz intentionally incorporated jazzy accents and dance-like rhythms to make the piece modern, cheerful, and accessible.

Dmitri Shostakovich - Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
Here, the cello takes the leading role: it carries lyrical melodies and conveys light humor and subtle irony in dialogue with the piano. Shostakovich wrote the cello sonata during a time of personal emotional turmoil. The work was premiered in 1934 in Moscow, and he himself played the piano.

Max Bruch - 8 Pieces, Op. 83 for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano
The pieces were composed in 1909/1910 for the composer’s son, Max Felix Bruch. With warm melodies and the multifaceted interplay of clarinet, cello, and piano, the pieces represent Bruch's late Romantic style. The arrangement of the eight movements as standalone musical pieces makes them a versatile and expressive listening experience.

Clarinet: Gerald Pachinger
Cello: Christoph Stradner
Piano: Christian Schmidt