À Bientôt, Mes Amies: The final concert of the 2014 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival begins with a wonderful reimagining of the suite for solo piano, Children’s Corner, by Claude Debussy. Composer David Schiff has arranged the work for clarinet quintet, and gives us the opportunity to bring what is traditionally a lonely pursuit, the individual practice of scales and arpeggios (as in the first movement of the suite, Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum), into the full light and camaraderie of the chamber ensemble. Think of it as engendering a spirit of togetherness. The work will also serve as a gentle adieu to our 2014 poster’s decidedly French theme. Pietro Bottesini is best known as the father of a composer that most of you don’t know, but with whom any classical double bassist spends much time in that lonely pursuit I mentioned earlier. Giovanni Bottesini (the son) is the most prolific composer of virtuoso music for the double bass. He is the Paganini of the low end. Here we perform the charming Andante, Theme and Variations for flute, clarinet, and string quartet by dad, Pietro. Interestingly, there is no bass to be found. Clearly, Giovanni saw a need and filled it. Finally, we end the Festival with the American masterpiece Appalachian Spring, Suite for 13 Instruments, by Aaron Copland. Its themes of community and simplicity will bring the 2014 Season to a gentle and inspired conclusion. By the way, Copland studied primarily in France. À bientôt, mes amies!

Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Arranged by David Schiff (b. 1945)

Five Pieces and a Ghost from Children’s Corner

I. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum

II. Jimbo’s Lullaby

III. Serenade for the doll

IV. The snow is dancing

V. The little shepherd

VI. Golliwogg’s Ghost

Pietro Bottesini (1792-1874)

Andante and Variations for flute, clarinet and string quartet

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Appalachian Spring, Suite for 13 Instruments (1944)

Artists: Sarah Brady, Timothy Christie, Julia Gish-Salerno, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, Philip Payton, Paul Rafanelli, Maria Sampen, Kevin Schempf, Steve Schermer, and Wei-Han Wu.

Claude Debussy composed his suite, Children’s Corner, for his daughter Claude-Emma. It is, of course, a celebrated work for solo piano. Here, thanks to composer David Schiff, we are able reimagine this famous work as a quintet for clarinet and strings. Debussy clearly was in touch with his inner child. In addition to playful quotations of the Wagner opera Tristan und Isolde, we hear evocations of American ragtime music, a new sensation that was sweeping Europe. We try to remain in touch with our inner child, too, and there could be no better playground than the rolling Windrow Vineyard at TERO Estates. Come out and play!

Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Arranged by David Schiff (b. 1945)

Five Pieces and a Ghost from Children’s Corner

I. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum

II. Jimbo’s Lullaby

III. Serenade for the doll

IV. The snow is dancing

V. The little shepherd

VI. Golliwogg’s Ghost

Artists: Timothy Christie, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Philip Payton, and Kevin Schempf.

Kevin Schempf, Clarinet

Clarinetist Kevin Schempf is making his sixth WWCMF appearance. It’s about time we got to know him better. Sure, he seems to make the cover of the Walla Walla Union Bulletin each season, but what drives this incredible performer?

Long Shadows Vintners will open its doors to WWCMF for this final Portrait event of the 2014 Season. Music will include selections by Poulenc, Reich, Villa-Lobos, and Milhaud.

Artists: John Jamison, Sarah Brady, Philip Payton, and Paul Rafanelli.

June 2014: Special Event 3 — Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)

The 80’s Hair Bands took a lot of license in employing the umlaut. Motley Crüe, Queensrÿche, etc. Ever wonder how umlauts behave in their natural setting? We’ll explore the incredible Verklärte Nacht of Arnold Schönberg. Did we mention that it’s a sextet? One night only at jimgermanbar in Waitsburg. Jim will transfigure the ultimate cocktail, the Umlaut, for the occasion. Two dots never sounded or tasted so good!

Artists: Timothy Christie, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Philip Payton, Maria Sampen, Kevin Schempf, and Sally Singer Tuttle

Tonight’s program is made possible by the generosity of Iain and Stephanida Christie.

When Will Then Be Now?: The song Die Forelle (The Trout) by Franz Schubert is one of his most beloved. Its popularity is greatly enhanced by the Quintet in A Major for Piano and Strings, D. 667. The poem on which Schubert based his song was penned by the poet Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart. That’s right… Schubert setting Schubart. Confused? Good. Then it will come as no shock that the other works on this program were both composed by guys named Max, Reger and Bruch respectively. If only there were a composer named Max Schubort, we could have had a Max on the second half, too. Each composer, names aside, has a very interesting relationship to the notion of musical past, present and future. Schubert, generally under-appreciated in his own time, has come to be seen as one of the Greats. Max Bruch, whose tastes were considered conservative even in the mid-19th century, lived and composed until 1920, but clung tightly to the musical language of a less mechanized age. Reger on the other hand, who died in 1916, embraced a shifting and elusive tonality that was greatly admired by the likes of Arnold Schönberg. Though ever tonal, his music invited a changing of the guard. Regrettably, outside of his prolific output for the organ, Reger is not widely played in our time. So it’s time now!

Max Reger (1873-1916)

Serenade in G Major, Op. 141a (1915) for flute, violin, and viola

I. Vivace

II. Larghetto

III. Presto

Max Bruch (1838-1920)

Eight Pieces, Op. 83 for piano, clarinet and viola

II. Allegro con moto

V. Rumänische Melodie: Andante

VII. Allegro vivace, ma non troppo

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667, “Trout” (1819) for piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass

I. Allegro vivace

II. Andante

III. Scherzo: Presto

IV. Andantino — Allegretto

V. Allegro giusto

Artists: Sarah Brady, Timothy Christie, Julia Gish-Salerno, Norbert Lewandowski, Stephen Miahky, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, J. Patrick Rafferty, Maria Sampen, Steve Schermer, and Wei-Han Wu.

Tonight’s performance is made possible by the generosity of Laura and Joe Maier.

Max Reger had the unfortunate habit of locking horns with music critics. He also did himself few favors by making statements like the following: “I can say with a clear conscience that of all living composers, I am perhaps the one who is most closely in touch with the great Masters of the past.” In the case of his Serenade in G, Op. 141a, he might not be far off. The piece owes a great deal to Beethoven, who also composed a serenade for this unique combination of instruments: flute, violin and viola. Rasa Vineyards will provide a luxurious acoustic in which to experience this wholly delightful work.

Max Reger (1873-1916)

Serenade in G Major, Op. 141a (1915) for flute, violin, and viola

I. Vivace

II. Larghetto

III. Presto

Artists: Sarah Brady, Timothy Christie, and Stephen Miahky.

Tonight’s performance is made possible by the generosity of Dr. Michael and Susan Gillespie.

Walla Walla audiences have been drawn to charismatic violinist Philip Payton since the first season of WWCMF in 2008. Whether he’s playing Kinky Boots on Broadway, a concert at Lincoln Center, appearing on Saturday Night Live, the Today Show, or Late Night with David Letterman, Phil seems to pop up all over New York City.

When the asparagus, morels and Walla Walla wine call, however, New York heaves a collective sigh, knowing that Phil has gone west for the month of June to play chamber music and reunite with his Walla Walla friends. Main Street Studios will provide the perfect setting to have Phil to yourself for an evening. We’ll see if we can find out what makes this tireless artist and all around goodfella tick. Music will include selections by Vivaldi, Ysaÿe, Piazzola and Mozart.

Artists: Timothy Christie, Norbert Lewandowski, Stephen Miahky, and J. Patrick Rafferty.

“The older the violin, the sweeter the music.” This famous line helped author Larry McMurtry win the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his novel, Lonesome Dove. But is it true? Much alchemy goes into the making of a great violin. Is it the wood? The age? The maker? The varnish? In short, yes. All of these things contribute to the sound of a great violin. This event will explore the anatomy of the violin, and will offer a rare opportunity to hear eight great instruments side-by-side. Violinist J. Patrick Rafferty, and WWCMF Founder and Artistic Director, Timothy Christie, will guide the demonstration. They will be joined by six of the finest violinists in North America.

Artists: Timothy Christie, Andrew Jennings, Paul Kantor, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, Philip Payton, J. Patrick Rafferty, and Maria Sampen.

Tonight’s performance is made possible by the generosity of Dick and Julie Swenson.

Back to Front: Hugo Wolf’s lone string quartet, Italian Serenade, is most often performed as an encore. Hence, we lead off Festival Series II with this energizing work. At the opposite end of the aesthetic spectrum is the spacial stillness of Arvo Pärt’s 1978 composition Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the Mirror). Rounding out an eclectic first half is the masterpiece of both economy and virtuosity (a seeming contradiction) in the Ravel Duo, a sonata for violin and cello. At times, you can’t tell which of the two instruments you are hearing, as Ravel weaves melodic lines through shared musical heights. If you don’t know the cello term thumb position, you will. Finally, we present Ernst von Dohnanyi whose masterpiece, the Piano Quintet in C Minor, Op. 1, was his first published work. Rising quickly to the attention of luminaries like Brahms, Dohnanyi left Europe as 20th century gears for war turned, and finished his career in America as a professor of music at Florida State University. This program of interesting reversals lives neither at the beginning nor the end of the 2014 WWCMF Season.

Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)

Italian Serenade (1887) for string quartet

Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)

Spiegel im Spiegel for violin and piano

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Duo (Sonata for Violin and Cello) (1922)

I. Allegro

II. Très vif

III. Lent

IV. Vif, avec entrain

E. von Dohnanyi (1877-1960)

Piano Quintet in C minor, Op. 1 (1895)

I. Allegro

II. Scherzo. Allegro

III. Adagio, quasi andante

IV. Finale. Allegro animato

Artists: Jennifer Caine, Timothy Christie, Oksana Ezhokina, Andrew Jennings, Paul Kantor, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, Maria Sampen, and Sally Singer Tuttle.

Saturday, June 14 — 7:30 p.m — Gesa Power House Theater, 111 N 6th Ave, Walla Walla, WA 99362

Tonight’s performance is made possible by the generosity of Richard O’Connor.

In January, we presented the Ravel String Quartet. Festival Series 1 included the Ravel Trio. The countdown comes to an end with this Duo of unmatched economy and lyricism. It requires two virtuoso performers, and we are fortunate to have just the right combo in violinist Maria Sampen and cellist Sally Singer Tuttle. We return to Walla Walla Vintners for this performance. Stunning views of the Walla Walla Valley provide the perfect setting in which to experience the music. We will send our 2014 poster composer out in style!

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Duo (Sonata for Violin and Cello) (1922)

I. Allegro

I. Très vif

III. Lent

IV. Vif, avec entrain

Artists: Maria Sampen and Sally Singer Tuttle.

Andrew Jennings, Violin

From his inaugural season of concerts with the Concord String Quartet in 1971 through captivating performances at WWCMF in recent seasons, Andrew Jennings is one of the most important violinists, pedagogues, and chamber musicians of our time.

WWCMF is honored to present Andrew Jennings on Portrait of an Artist 2. The beautiful gallery at Foundry Vineyards will set the perfect stage for this evening of insights and delights. Music will include a wide array from Bach to Dvorak to Stockhausen and even the champion Scottish fiddler, Alasdair Fraser.

Artists: Timothy Christie, Norbert Lewandowski, Maria Sampen, and Sally Singer Tuttle.

Inversion Without the Freezing Fog: In the Pacific Northwest, we have our own definition for the term inversion. It has frosty meteorological implications. On Festival Series I, however, the implications are aesthetic. Anton Webern, known as a leading figure of the Second Viennese School of composition, penned some of the most innovative scores of the 20th century. His works are known for their brevity, but also the microscopic detail, density and care with which he deploys a language devoid of tonality or traditional structure. Webern’s reputation for thorny modern works is so firmly established that his lush, romantic Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement) for string quartet from 1905, will come as a complete surprise. Speaking of string quartets, Festival Series I will see the world premiere of Yotam Haber’s quartet Society of the Free and Easy. Instead of the traditional 2 violins, viola and cello, the ensemble is inverted: two cellos, viola and violin. Finally, the Piano Trio of Maurice Ravel, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is an imitate work for three players that deploys each voice in ways that can only be described as symphonic in scope. Opening night of the 2014 Festival Series will be a night to remember.

Yotam Haber (b. 1976)

World Premiere: Society of the Free and Easy, for violin, viola and two cellos

Anton Webern (1883-1945)

Langsamer Satz in E Flat (1905) for string quartet

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Terzetto in C for two violins and viola

I. Indtroduzione. Allegro ma non troppo

II. Larghetto

III. Scherzo. Vivace — Trio. Poco meno mosso

IV. Tema con variazioni. Poco Adagio — Molto Allegro — Moderato (quasi Recit.) — Moderato e risoluto — Molto Allegro

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Piano Trio in A minor (1914)

I. Modéré

II. Pantoum. Assez vite

III. Passacaille. Très large

IV. Final. Animé

Artists: Jennifer Caine, Timothy Christie, Oksana Ezhokina, Yotam Haber, Norbert Lewandowski, Christina McGann, Stephen Miahky, Maria Sampen, Sally Singer Tuttle, and Volta Piano Trio.

The Tasting Music Series helps you go deeper into four great chamber music masterpieces. This series highlights the union of composer and performer. Tonight’s performance is made possible by the generosity of Rick and Cecile Ervin.

Tonight we return to Canoe Ridge Vineyards and the historical Trolley House. The music, Langsamer Satz (slow movement) for string quartet by Anton Webern, is a lyrical and heartfelt testament of love. Anton Webern, along with his teacher Arnold Schönberg and colleague Alban Berg, is closely associated with a movement in music known as the Second Viennese School. The Second Viennese School marks the dissolution of tonality and a new compositional and harmonic approach known as Twelve-Tone Technique. To many, this new style of composition was an affront. To others it became a gateway to a world of endless harmonic possibilities. Tonight we will be content to revel in the beauty of one of Webern’s only tonal works. The revolution of modernism can wait on this night.

Anton Webern (1883-1945)

Langsamer Satz in E Flat (1905) for string quartet

Artists: Timothy Christie, Norbert Lewandowski, Stephen Miahky, and Maria Sampen.

Tonight’s performance is made possible by the generosity of the Bonnie and Clifford Braden Trust.

Portrait of an Artist 1 finds us at the idyllic Basel Cellars. Majestic views of the Blue Mountains will have a soundtrack. Cellist Norbert Lewandowski is a multifaceted artist who serves as Principal Cellist of the Charleston Symphony in South Carolina and solo cellist of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. He is in demand on chamber music series around the country.

Tonight you’ll hear Norbert all by his lonesome... kind of. With an interest in electronics, Norbert has found a way to accompany himself. Featured musical selections include Bach, Britten, U2, and even some folk music. Norbert’s an interesting guy, but don’t take our word for it. Check it out. One night only.

Artists: Norbert Lewandowski