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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2024 AT 4 PM CARTER BREY, RAFAEL FIGUEROA, EDWARD ARRON, & ZVI PLESSER, CELLOS WITH JEEWON PARK, PIANO CARTER BREY , Principal Cello, New York Philharmonic RAFAEL FIGUEROA , Principal Cello, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra ZVI PLESSER , Cello Professor, The Juilliard School EDWARD ARRON , Cello Professor, Amherst Collage JEEWON PARK , PIANO “Carter Brey opened the Beethoven Sonata with a jaw-droppingly resonant account of the rich low ascending notes…Brey’s natural eloquence was spotlighted time and again…ocher-toned mastery.” — The Washington Post “Edward Arron displayed a satiny tone and a light, elegant touch…He sang out beautifully.” — The Cincinnati Post “The solo part showcased the polished and confident playing of Israeli cellist, Zvi Plesser … The most difficult passages were enjoyable both for the ears and the eyes.” — Zoltán Szabó, Bachtrack ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS 2024-2025 SEASON September 29, 2024 Cellobration! October 20, 2024 Modigliani Quartet November 17, 2024 Paul Lewis Plays Schubert December 15, 2024 The Virtuoso Flutist Denis Bouriakov January 19, 2025 The Virtuoso Organist Paul Jacobs February 9, 2025 The Virtuoso Cellist Steven Isserlis March 9, 2025 Ravel’s 150th Birthday Concert April 13, 2025 Quartetto Di Cremona May 18, 2025 Late Night With Leonard Bernstein Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS Parlance Chamber Concerts’s 17th season will begin with a joyful “Cellobration ” featuring four of the leading cellists of our time. Carter Brey , principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic; Rafael Figueroa , principal cellist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Zvi Plesser , cello professor at The Juilliard School of Music; and renowned solo cellist and chamber musician Edward Arron will be joined by the elegant pianist Jeewon Park . Their program will highlight the cello’s uniquely rich and flexible musical voice in an afternoon of solos, duos, trios, and quartets by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Rachmaninoff and others. PROGRAM Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, arr. for four cellos by Douglas Moore Program Notes Sergei Rachmaninoff Andante from Sonata in G minor, Op. 19 for cello and piano Zvi Plesser, cello and Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Jean Barrière Allegro prestissimo from Sonata in G for two cellos Carter Brey and Edward Arron, cellos Program Notes Johann Sebastian Bach Air from Orchestra Suite No. 3 in D arr. for four cellos Program Notes Felix Mendelssohn Song Without Words in D for cello and piano Rafael Figueroa, cello and Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes David Popper Requiem for three cellos and piano Rafael Figueroa, Edward Arron, and Zvi Plesser, cellos; Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Frederic Chopin Polonaise Brillante in C, Op. 3 for cello and piano Carter Brey, cello and Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Intermission Johann Sebastian Bach Vor deinen Thron tret’ ich hiermit arr. for four cellos by Finckel Cello Quartet Program Notes Ludwig van Beethoven Seven Variations on Bei Männern from Mozart's Magic Flute for cello and piano Edward Arron, cello, and Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Georg Friedrich Händel Sonata in G minor, Op. 2, No. 8 for two cellos and piano Zvi Plesser and Rafael Figueroa, cellos; Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Georg Goltermann Serenade Op. 119, No. 2 for four cellos Program Notes Joseph Haydn Allegro molto from Cello Concerto in C major: Hob. VIIb/1 Program Notes Watch Carter Brey perform the Scherzo from Chopin’s Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Opus 65: Watch Edward Arron perform the 1st movement of Bach’s Prelude to Suite No. 1 in G: Watch Zvi Plesser perform the 1st movement of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2025 AT 4 PM THE BEL CANTO TENOR LAWRENCE BROWNLEE, TENOR KEVIN J. MILLER, PIANO LAWRENCE BROWNLEE , TENOR KEVIN J. MILLER , PIANO “With his sweet tone, fastidious pitch, and poetic phrasing, Brownlee made familiar fare sound intriguingly fresh, banishing, for a moment, the ghosts of Caruso and Pavarotti.” — Alex Ross, The New Yorker “Brownlee sang with agility, elegance, and Rossinian style, tossing off high notes and roulades..this was a winning performance for an increasingly important artist.” — The New YorkTimes ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS 2025-2026 SEASON September 14, 2025 “Singers” from the Met Orchestra October 12, 2025 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor November 2, 2025 Benjamin Appl, baritone; James Baillieu, piano December 7, 2025 The Tallis Scholars January 18, 2026 Benjamin Beilman, violin; Jonathan Swenson, cello; Orion Weiss, piano February 22, 2026 Radu Ratoi, accordion March 8, 2026 Jonathan Biss, piano April 26, 2026 Jerusalem String Quartet May 17, 2026 Chee-Yun, violin; Sterling Elliott, cello; Henry Kramer, piano Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS THE BEL CANTO TENOR Tenor Lawrence Brownlee has been hailed by The New York Times as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory,” and described by The Boston Classical Review as “perhaps the most agile bel canto tenor on the scene today.” Brownlee is celebrated worldwide for the dazzling technique, expressive warmth, and vocal agility that he brings to the high-flying arias of this virtuosic repertoire. In this special recital appearance, he will perform a signature selection of beloved bel canto arias — the very works that have made him one of the most sought-after opera singers of our time. Lawrence Brownlee will be joined by pianist Kevin J. Miller. PROGRAM W.A. Mozart: Un’aura amorosa from Così fan tutte Program Notes Gioacchino Rossini: Two Songs La promessa La danza Program Notes Vincenzo Bellini: Six Songs Dolente imagine di Fille mia Malinconia, ninfa gentile Vanne e rosa fortunata Bella Nice, che d’amore Ma rendi pur contento Vaga luna Program Notes Gaetano Donizetti: Spirto gentil from La Favorita Program Notes INTERMISSION Jules Massenet: Pourquoi me reveiller from Werther Program Notes Paolo Tosti: Marechiare Program Notes Ottorino Respighi: Three Songs Nevicata Pioggia Nebbie Program Notes Friedrich von Flotow: M’appari tutt’amor from Martha Program Notes Pietro Mascagni: Serenata Program Notes Gabriele Sibella: La Girometta Program Notes Luigi Denza: Occhi di fata Program Notes Gaetano Donizetti: Fra poco a me rovero from Lucia di Lammermoor Program Notes Vincenzo Bellini: Nel furor nelle tempeste from Il Pirata Program Notes Watch tenor Lawrence Brownlee sing “Ecco ridente in cielo” from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville: Watch tenor Lawrence Brownlee sing "Oh fiamma soave” from Rossini’s La Donna de Lago:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025 AT 4 PM “SINGERS” FROM THE MET ORCHESTRA BRAD GEMEINHARDT, HORN WILLIAM SHORT, BASSOON ANTON RIST, CLARINET MUSICIANS FROM THE MET ORCHESTRA MICHAEL PARLOFF, CONDUCTOR BRAD GEMEINHARDT , HORN ANTON RIST , CLARINET WILLIAM SHORT , BASSOON MICHAEL PARLOFF , CONDUCTOR 2025-2026 SEASON September 14, 2025 “Singers” from the Met Orchestra October 12, 2025 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor November 2, 2025 Benjamin Appl, baritone; James Baillieu, piano December 7, 2025 The Tallis Scholars January 18, 2026 Benjamin Beilman, violin; Jonathan Swenson, cello; Orion Weiss, piano February 22, 2026 Radu Ratoi, accordion March 8, 2026 Jonathan Biss, piano April 26, 2026 Jerusalem String Quartet May 17, 2026 Chee-Yun, violin; Sterling Elliott, cello; Henry Kramer, piano Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS Musicians from the Met Orchestra Michael Parloff, conductor Benjamin Bowman, concertmaster Bruno Eicher violin Wen Qian, violin Sarah Vonsattel, violin Katherine Fong. violin Ming-Feng Hsin, violin Milan Milisavljević, viola Dov Scheindlin, viola Joel Noyes, cello Kari Docter, cello Leigh Mesh, bass Seth Morris, flute Lauren Scanio, flute Elaine Douvas, oboe Joseph Jordan, oboe Anton Rist, clarinet William Short, bassoon , Jensen Bocco, bassoon, Brad Gemeinhardt, horn Javier Gandara, horn Anne Scharer, horn ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS “SINGERS” FROM THE MET ORCHESTRA The members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra spend their careers listening to and collaborating with the world’s greatest singers. As a result, a vocal sensibility — lyrical, expressive, and flexible — deeply informs their approach to phrasing and musical line. Parlance Chamber Concerts’ Opening Concert will feature three of the Met’s principal instrumental "singers,” hornist Brad Gemeinhardt, bassoonist William Short, and clarinetist Anton Rist , performing some of Mozart’s greatest wind concertos with colleagues from the Met Orchestra, conducted by Artistic Director Michael Parloff. The program will also include Haydn’s Symphony No. 6, “Le Matin,” designed to showcase the artistry of the virtuoso musicians in his handpicked orchestra at the court of Prince Paul Anton Esterházy. PROGRAM W.A. Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat, K. 495 Program Notes Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 6 in D, Hob. 1/6 (“The Morning”) Program Notes INTERMISSION W.A. Mozart: Bassoon Concerto in B-flat, K. 191 Program Notes W.A. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 622 Program Notes Watch Members of the MET Orchestra perform Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364: Watch Hornist Brad Gemeinhardt perform Brahms’s Horn Trio, Op. 66:

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2024 AT 4 PM PIANIST PAUL LEWIS PLAYS SCHUBERT’S LAST THREE SONATAS ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS On November 17 , the poetic English pianist Paul Lewis will return to PCC's stage. Universally acclaimed for his sovereign Schubert interpretations, Lewis will perform Schubert’s profound final trilogy of sonatas . Read what the London Guardian’s critic Andrew Clements: Schubert’s last works given a masterful treatment “Over the last two years Paul Lewis has been working his way through Schubert’s piano sonatas, and he has now reached the fourth and last programme in his series. Logically enough it is devoted to the final three sonatas, in C minor, D. 958, A major D. 959, and in B flat, D.960, a triptych that Schubert completed in September 1828, two months before his death. Lewis is a wonderfully unfussy and straightforwardly lucid interpreter of these great works, judicious with his rubato, and never imposing unnecessary mannerisms on the music” whether structurally or texturally everything is consistently uncluttered. And just as importantly, he was always at pains to allow the music the expressive space it requires, whether giving full weight to the silences that play such an important role in late Schubert, or letting the twists and shifts of the harmony work their magic.” 2024-2025 SEASON September 29, 2024 Cellobration! October 20, 2024 Modigliani Quartet November 17, 2024 Paul Lewis Plays Schubert December 15, 2024 The Virtuoso Flutist Denis Bouriakov January 19, 2025 The Virtuoso Organist Paul Jacobs February 9, 2025 The Virtuoso Cellist Steven Isserlis March 9, 2025 Ravel’s 150th Birthday Concert April 13, 2025 Quartetto Di Cremona May 18, 2025 Late Night With Leonard Bernstein Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS PAUL LEWIS , piano PROGRAM Program Notes The Late Piano Sonatas Franz Schubert Franz Schubert Sonata no. 19 in C minor D. 958 Franz Schubert Sonata no. 20 in A major D. 959 Franz Schubert Sonata no. 21 in B flat major D. 960 Watch Paul Lewis discuss and perform the Andantino from Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959: Watch Paul Lewis discuss his deep relationship with the piano sonatas of Franz Schubert:

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2025 AT 4 PM THE RENAISSANCE CHOIR: THE TALLIS SCHOLARS “MOTHER AND CHILD” THE TALLIS SCHOLARS “The rock stars of Renaissance vocal music” — The New York Times “The sound coming from the Tallis Scholars almost surpassed the humanly possible.” — The Telegraph “One of the UK’s greatest cultural exports.” — BBC Radio 3 ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS For over five decades, The Tallis Scholars , led by founder and director Peter Phillips , have reigned as the world’s leading interpreters of Renaissance sacred music. Renowned for their purity of tone, exquisite blend, and deep musical insight, the ensemble has brought the glories of early choral music to audiences across the globe. Their program, Mother and Child , offers a profoundly moving meditation on motherhood, mystery, and the divine. Spanning five centuries, the all-English program features Thomas Tallis’s magnificent Missa Puer natus, William Byrd’s tender Votive Mass of the Virgin, John Taverner and John Nesbett’s intricate Renaissance gems, and Benjamin Britten’s radiant Hymn to the Virgin. Together, these works form a luminous arc that connects England’s sacred choral tradition from the Tudor era to the modern age. 2025-2026 SEASON September 14, 2025 “Singers” from the Met Orchestra October 12, 2025 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor November 2, 2025 Benjamin Appl, baritone; James Baillieu, piano December 7, 2025 The Tallis Scholars January 18, 2026 Benjamin Beilman, violin; Jonathan Swenson, cello; Orion Weiss, piano February 22, 2026 Radu Ratoi, accordion March 8, 2026 Jonathan Biss, piano April 26, 2026 Jerusalem String Quartet May 17, 2026 Chee-Yun, violin; Sterling Elliott, cello; Henry Kramer, piano Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS PROGRAM MOTHER AND CHILD Program Notes Thomas Tallis: Missa Puer natus - Gloria William Byrd: Votive Mass of the Virgin Matthew Martin: Salve Regina INTERMISSION Thomas Tallis: Missa Puer natus - Sanctus and Agnus Benjamin Britten: Hymn to the Virgin John Taverner: Mater Christi John Nesbett: Magnificat Watch The Tallis Scholars perform Christmas highlights from the Renaissance : Watch The Tallis Scholars sing Tomás Luis de Victoria's First Lamentation for Maundy Thursday:

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2025 AT 4 PM “FOR DIETER: THE PAST AND THE FUTURE” A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF DIETRICH FISCHER-DIESKAU BENJAMIN APPL, BARITONE JAMES BAILLIEU, PIANO
 PETER FRANCIS JAMES, NARRATOR BENJAMIN APPL , BARITONE JAMES BAILLIEU , PIANO PETER FRANCIS JAMES , NARRATOR “Benjamin Appl sounds as if singing is his most natural mode of expression; and since he has an extraordinarily beautiful voice, there should be decades of happiness as he continues to expand his repertoire.” — BBC Music Magazine “Appl’s voice has a burnished, oaky beauty as well as considerable sweetness, while the interpretations are suffused with a gentle intelligence, an instinct for unforced but direct communication and what feels like a real love for the repertoire.” — Gramophone “James Baillieu is in a class of his own, he is in the Gerald Moore/Graham Johnson bracket, a remarkable pianist.” — The Daily Telegraph ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS 2025-2026 SEASON September 14, 2025 “Singers” from the Met Orchestra October 12, 2025 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor November 2, 2025 Benjamin Appl, baritone; James Baillieu, piano December 7, 2025 The Tallis Scholars January 18, 2026 Benjamin Beilman, violin; Jonathan Swenson, cello; Orion Weiss, piano February 22, 2026 Radu Ratoi, accordion March 8, 2026 Jonathan Biss, piano April 26, 2026 Jerusalem String Quartet May 17, 2026 Chee-Yun, violin; Sterling Elliott, cello; Henry Kramer, piano Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS BBC Music Magazine has called baritone Benjamin Appl “not only a singer of boundless promise, but already a great artist.” Appl will bring his warmly expressive voice and deeply personal artistry to a heartfelt tribute honoring his mentor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, in the year of the legendary baritone’s centennial. Entitled “To Dieter: The Past and The Future,” this richly varied program will feature songs by Schubert, Brahms, Clara Schumann, Wolf, Tchaikovsky, Britten, Barber, and others — composers who shaped Fischer-Dieskau’s legacy and continue to inspire Appl’s own musical journey. He will be joined by his superb recital partner, pianist James Baillieu . This event will include narration by acclaimed actor Peter Francis James. Dietrich Fischer‑Dieskau was a renowned German Lieder baritone, widely regarded as one of the greatest interpreters of art song in the 20th century. His expressive depth, intellectual rigor, and unmatched command of text and nuance elevated the Lied to new artistic heights, influencing generations of singers and reshaping standards for vocal recital performance. Benjamin Appl was Fischer‑Dieskau’s final protégé. On May 28, 2025, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Fischer‑Dieskau’s birth, Appl penned the following appreciation for The New York Times: “What I Learned From Dietrich Fischer‑Dieskau, a Sublime Voice” Read program description by Benjamin Appl For Dieter: the past and the future PROGRAM FOR DIETER: THE PAST AND THE FUTURE FIRST ENCOUNTER Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Liebesbotschaft (Rellstab) D957/1 3‘00" Am Bach im Frühling (Schober) D361 3‘40" Der Musensohn (Goethe) D764 time 2’10" CHILDHOOD IN BERLIN Albert Fischer-Dieskau (1865-1937) Heidenröslein (Goethe) from his Singspiel Sesenheim 1’30” Klaus Fischer-Dieskau (1921-1994) Nocturne I (excerpt) (Der Mutter gewidmet) op. 1/1 (1935) 1’00” Wehmut (Goethe) (1936) op. 3/2 1‘30” YOUTH AND FIRST STEPS AS A SINGER Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Wie bist du meine Königin (Daumer) op. 32/9 4’30” WAR TIMES AND BEING A SOLDIER 1944/45 Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) Andenken (Matthison) 2’20” Aribert Reimann (1936-2024) Tenebrae (Celan) (UA 1962, Berlin) 3’00” PRISONER OF WAR 1945-1947 Christian Sinding (1856-1941) Sylvelin (Vislie) op. 55/1 2’10” Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt (Goethe) op. 6/6 3’10” Eduard Künneke (1885-1953) Ich bin nur ein armer Wandergesell (Haller/Rideamus) 1’30” RETURN TO BERLIN 1947 Hanns Eisler (1898-1962) Die Heimkehr (Brecht) 2’00” Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) Der Traum (Bodenstedt) 3’30 INTERMISSION FIRST STEPS OF A WORLD CAREER Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Vier ernste Gesänge op. 121 18‘00" Denn es gehet dem Menschen wie dem Vieh (Ecclesiastes) Ich wandte mich, und sahe an (Ecclesiastes) O Tod, wie bitter bist du (Ecclesiastes) Wenn ich mit Menschen (Corinthians) SONG ACCOMPANISTS AND FRIENDS Franz Schubert (1797-1828) An mein Klavier (Schubart) D342 3’20” Samuel Barber (1910-1981) A Green Lowland of Pianos (Harsymowicz/Miłosz) op. 45/2 2’10 Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Proverb III (Blake) op. 74 0’50" LOSS OF HIS FIRST WIFE IRMEL 1963 Carl Loewe (1796-1869) Süßes Begräbnis (Rückert) op. 62/4 3‘10” DEATH OF MOTHER THEODORA 1966 Hanns Eisler (1898-1962) Mutterns Hände (Tucholsky) 2’15” MARITAL LIFE (Ruth Leuwerik 1965-1967//Kristina Pugell 1968-1975 //Julia Varady 1977-2012) Franz Grothe (1908-1982) Excerpt from film music of ‘Vater braucht eine Frau‘ (1952) 0’20" Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Liebhaber in allen Gestalten (Goethe) D558 2’00” Clara Schumann (1819-1896) Liebst du um Schönheit (Rückert) op. 12/2 2‘30” EPILOGUE Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) Meine Lieder, meine Sänger (Löwenstein-Werthheim) op. 15/1 2’30" Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen (Jacobi) D343 2’00" An die Musik (Schober) D547 2’40" Watch Benjamin Appl and James Baillieu perform Schubert’s Erlkönig: Watch Benjamin Appl perform Bach’s “Jesus remains my joy” from Cantata BWV 147:

November 12, 2023: Angel Blue, soprano; Bryan Wagorn, piano GIACOMO PUCCINI (1858–1924) Three Arias November 12, 2023: Angel Blue, soprano; Bryan Wagorn, piano Chi il bel sogno While in Vienna in 1913 for a performance of La fanciulla del West, Puccini was invited to compose an operetta for the Carltheater. He agreed in principle but insisted on a through-composed comic opera rather than an operetta which would have had spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. By the time he had set Giuseppe Adamo’s Italian version of A. M. Willner and Heinz Reichert’s German libretto, however, Italy had entered World War I. The contract with Vienna had to be revised, and La rondine (The swallow) was ultimately launched in neutral Monte Carlo on March 27, 1917. Revisions for Bologna, Rome, and Vienna failed to secure the opera’s success and regrettably this elegant work with its part Viennese, part Parisian flair and waltz rhythms remains Puccini’s least-known mature work. The story, similar to La traviata, involves Magda de Civry, a high-society courtesan who falls in love with the earnest but naive Ruggero. When he eventually gets his mother’s consent to their marriage, the heartbroken Magda feels compelled to reveal her past and leaves him to return to her old life—like a swallow returning to its nest. The opera’s most famous aria occurs in Act I before they have even met: At a party at her house, Magda is the only one who takes poet Prunier’s idea of true love seriously. When he begins to tell his unfinished story about Doretta, who spurned a king’s ransom for love—“Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” (Doretta’s beautiful dream)—Magda takes over its completion, recounting how Doretta falls deeply in love with a student. The aria’s pathos and floating melodic lines always evoke an emotional response. How fitting that Angel Blue presents “Chi il bel sogno” this afternoon in anticipation of her starring role in this spring’s revival of La rondine at the Met. Vissi d’arte Composed in 1898–99, Tosca is based on a dramatic play by Victorien Sardou with a libretto by Luigo Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Puccini’s theatrical instincts proved correct when, having had his way with changes to the libretto and having ignored his publisher’s wish for a transcendental love duet in Act III, Tosca played to full houses for twenty evenings beginning January 14, 1900, at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Though critical reviews were mixed, Tosca’s success was sealed after performances conducted by Toscanini two months later at Milan’s La Scala. The tragic plot concerns the popular opera singer Floria Tosca and her lover Mario Cavaradossi, a painter who assists fugitive freedom fighter Cesare Angelotti. The evil chief of police, Baron Scarpia, and his agents track down and torture Cavaradossi, leading Tosca to make a deal to save his life—Scarpia will arrange a fake execution in exchange for her favors. As soon as he has penned the safe-conduct papers she kills him. But Scarpia has deceived her, and when Cavaradossi is actually shot and killed, she leaps from the parapet to her own death. Tosca sings “Vissi d’arte” (I lived for art) in Act II just after Scarpia has proposed his cruel bargain. She addresses God movingly, asking why he is treating her thus when she has dedicated herself to music, love, and religious observance. Scarpia is unmoved, and Tosca is forced to give in, setting up the final tragedy. Puccini almost did not include the aria, fearing that it would interrupt the dramatic flow, but audiences remain forever grateful that in the end he kept this beautiful showstopper. O mio babbino caro Puccini completed his first comic opera, Gianni Schicchi, in February 1918 as the third of a series of one-act operas, preceded by the tragic Il tabarro (1916) and the mystic Suor Angelica (1917). Under the title Il trittico (The triptych), these operas premiered at New York’s Metropolitan Opera on December 14, 1918, followed less than a month later by a production in Rome. According to popular success but against Puccini’s wishes, the triptych was soon broken up, with Gianni Schicchi receiving the lion’s share of performances. Composing Gianni Schicchi had gone particularly quickly because Puccini was on familiar territory with an Italian subject and he was thrilled to be working on a comedy for the first time and also to be reaching back to medieval times and Dante’s Divine Comedy. Dante referred to Gianni Schicci only briefly and without humor in Cantos XXV and XXX of the Inferno as a “goblin” who cheated Buoso Donati’s relatives (Dante’s wife was a Donati) out of an inheritance. It was left to librettist Giovacchino Forzano and Puccini 600 years later to turn these scandalous events into a comedy—a brilliant if slightly ghastly one at that. Aside from the shenanigans with a body not even cold, there are the threats of chopped-off hands if the criminal scheme were uncovered. As a counterbalance there are the heartfelt arias for the initially thwarted lovers—such as Lauretta’s extremely popular “O mio babbino caro.” In her brief lyrical outpouring she begs her father, Gianni Schicchi, to help Rinuccio’s family recover some of the money that the just-deceased Buoso Donati has left to the church instead of to them—otherwise the couple will not be allowed to marry. Her heartfelt plea—one of the world’s favorite arias—melts his and the audience’s heart. —©Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

May 19, 2019: Calidore String Quartet; Matthew Lipman, viola WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791) String Quintet in E-flat, K. 614 May 19, 2019: Calidore String Quartet; Matthew Lipman, viola Mozart’s five string quintets (six with the addition of the quintet version of the Serenade for wind octet, K. 516b), show a certain connection with the Haydn brothers, Michael and Joseph. The first, K. 174, an early work from his Salzburg days, no doubt grew out of Mozart’s interest in the quintets of his colleague Michael. Already at this date Mozart was eager to try his hand at the fuller sonorities made possible by the additional of a second viola to the standard string quartet configuration. The later quintets—the glorious C major and G minor, written in Vienna within a month of one another in the spring of 1787, and the last two, in D major and E-flat major, written four months apart in the winter and spring of 1790–91—show a distinct connection with Joseph Haydn. The older composer was reported to have played Mozart’s quintets with him frequently—including the first private reading of the D major, K. 593—and no doubt would have done the same with the E-flat major, K. 614, had Haydn’s career not taken him to London. The music of this last Quintet shows the definite stamp of Haydn’s influence. Dated “April 12, 1791” in Mozart’s own catalog of his works, this E-flat Quintet turned out to be his last major chamber work. The first edition, published posthumously in 1793 with K. 593, bore the inscription “Composto per un Amatore Ongarese” (Composed for a Hungarian Enthusiast), and the publisher, Artaria, was reported by the Wiener Zeitung to have said that both quintets were written in response to “the very active encouragement of a music lover.” Scholar Ernst Franz Schmid suggested in the mid-twentieth century that the commissioner of the two quintets may have been Johann Tost—who had been a second violin player in Haydn’s orchestra at Esterháza and later became a wealthy businessman—though Tost was actually born in Moravia rather than Hungary. Mozart’s widow had mentioned in a letter to publisher André in 1800 that Mozart had done work for Tost, who said he possessed some of her husband’s manuscripts and had promised to identify them for her by their themes, but whether he did so and whether the two quintets were among them remains unknown. Eminent scholars Otto Eric Deutsch and H. C. Robbins Landon took up Schmid’s supposition, but Tost’s involvement remains speculation. Suffice it to say that Mozart seldom composed works without some financial gain in mind, and Tost as commissioner is a likely candidate. Mozart often played viola in the readings of his chamber music with Haydn and others, but he rarely led off boldly with a viola theme which is how the E-flat major Quintet begins. The two violas play a “hunting horn” call in lively 6/8 meter—typical for “hunt” themes but atypical for a Mozart first movement. Robbins Landon suggests that he may have borrowed the idea for a 6/8 first movement from Haydn’s Symphony No. 67 in F major, but an even closer model might be his own “Hunt” Quartet, K. 458. Mozart ingeniously explores this theme with counterpoint, trills, and cello interjections, even transforming it into a lyrical second theme. Another “viola moment” occurs in the recapitulation when the first viola gets to lead off the second theme. The slow movement unfolds as a stately theme with four free variations. Scholar Charles Rosen points to the slow movement in Haydn’s Symphony No. 85, “La Reine,” as a possible influence. Mozart interjects a remarkable chromatically inflected interlude before the first variation begins. The minuet skips along merrily, its playful simplicity masking some sophisticated touches, such as making his main motive rise in the violas instead of making its usual descent. The charming trio section draws on the pastoral device of a rustic drone. Mozart’s finale perhaps pays the greatest tribute to Haydn. As Rosen points out, its jolly main theme bears a remarkable similarity to the finale of one of the quartets that Haydn dedicated to Tost in 1790, op. 64, no. 6, but even more, Mozart’s style throughout reminds us of Haydn’s mischievous wit. The exuberant movement unfolds in masterful sonata-rondo form, with one of its most delicious surprises coming in the form of a fugato section in the development. We can only hope that Haydn got to experience this captivating piece of chamber music even though Mozart’s tragically early death prevented them from ever playing it together. © Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

DANIELLE DE NIESE, SOPRANO Danielle de Niese’s “sweet, gleaming soprano,” “phenomenal musicality” and “sharply comic, yet utterly moving acting,” combined with youth and physical presence, have brought her to the edge of a spectacular career. At only 30 years of age, the Australian-born American singer regularly graces many of the world’s most prestigious opera and concert stages, and has an exclusive contract with Decca Records. Her debut solo album, Handel Arias was released to international acclaim in 2007 and her much anticipated second recording, The Mozart Album, is due out internationally this fall. Ms. de Niese’s career got off to a prestigious start when, at age 18, she became the youngest singer ever to enter the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. A year later she made her house debut as Barbarina in a new Jonathan Miller production of Le nozze di Figaro in a cast featuring Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel, and Cecilia Bartoli, and led by James Levine. Soon after came important operatic debuts with the Netherlands Opera, the Saito Kinen Festival, and the Paris Opera. But it was her portrayal of Cleopatra in a David McVicar production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare for her 2005 Glyndebourne Festival debut that brought her to true international acclaim. The New York Times hailed de Niese’s performance, writing, “Her singing is utterly delectable and completely assured…Sheer ‘joie de vivre’ and mastery come spilling across, to the eyes as well as the ears.” Since then Ms. de Niese has enjoyed operatic successes on the stages of the Paris Opera, Zurich Opera, Netherlands Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago among many others. Orchestral engagements have included appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. In the 2009-10 season Ms. de Niese returns to the Metropolitan Opera in the same production of Le nozze di Figaro where she made her house debut but this time as Susanna. Other important opera engagements this season include L’incoronazione di Poppea with the Teatro Real, Semele with Théâtre des Champs Elysées, as well as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Lyric Opera of Chicago under the direction of Edward Gardner. Additionally, Ms. de Niese will tour Europe with the period instrument group Il giardino armonico with an all Handel program with performances in Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin and Madrid among others. She will make her debut in Prague with the Philharmonia under the direction of Jakub Hrusa. Australian-born to parents of Sri Lankan and Dutch heritage, Danielle de Niese grew up in Los Angeles. The soprano has been captivating audiences since childhood, when she was a fixture of Los Angeles local television hosting a weekly arts showcase for teenagers, for which she won an Emmy Award. Trained in dance and piano as well as music at the famed Colburn School in Los Angeles, she participated in the Tanglewood, Aspen and Marlboro summer programs before coming to New York in 1997 to attend the Mannes School of Music. Recently the Netherlands Opera awarded Ms. de Niese their “Prix d’Amis” which is an honor bestowed upon the artist who their audience votes as the past season’s favorite performer. Ms. de Niese is the recipient of the 2008 Echo Award’s New Artist of the Year, the 2008 Orphee D’Or given by the Academie Du Disque Lyrique, and was nominated for the 2009 Classical Brit Award for female artist of the year, all for her debut album, Handel Arias.

BORIS BERMAN, PIANO Boris Berman is regularly performing in more than fifty countries on six continents. His highly acclaimed performances have included appearances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchestra, The Philharmonia (London), the Toronto Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Royal Scottish Orchestra. A frequent performer on major recital series, he has also appeared in many important festivals. Born in Moscow, he studied at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with the distinguished pianist Lev Oborin. In 1973, he left a flourishing career in the Soviet Union to immigrate to Israel where he quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after keyboard performers. Presently, he resides in New Haven, USA. A teacher of international stature, Boris Berman heads the Piano Department of Yale School of Music and conducts master classes throughout the world. He has been named a Honorary Professor of Shanghai Conservatory, of the Danish Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen, and of China Conservatory in Beijing. He is frequently invited to join juries of various international competitions. A Grammy nominee, Mr. Berman’s recorded all solo piano works by Prokofiev and Schnittke, complete sonatas by Scriabin, works by Mozart, Weber, Schumann, Brahms, Franck, Shostakovich, Debussy, Stravinsky, Berio, Cage, and Joplin. Most recently French label Le Palais des Degustateurs released Boris Berman’s recording of Brahms’s Klavierstücke and Brahms’s chamber music CD with Ettore Causa and Clive Greensmith. In 2000, the prestigious Yale University Press published Professor Berman’s Notes from the Pianist’s Bench . In this book, he explores issues of piano technique and music interpretation. The book has been translated to several languages. In November, 2017 Yale University Press has published the newly revised version of the book electronically enhanced with audio and video components. In 2008, Yale University Press has published Boris Berman’s Prokofiev’s Piano Sonatas: A Guide for the Listener and the Performer . Boris Berman has also been an editor of the new critical edition of Piano Sonatas by Prokofiev (Shanghai Music Publishing House). In 2022-23, Boris Berman is performing and teaching in Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and the USA.

SITKOVETSKY TRIO Alexander Sitkovetsky – violin Wu Qian – piano
Isang Enders – cello The Sitkovetsky Trio has established itself as an exceptional piano trio, with sensational performances in the foremost concert halls around the world. Their thoughtful and committed approach has brought the ensemble critical acclaim and invitations to renowned concert halls around the world, such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Palais des Beaux Arts, Musée du Louvre, l’Auditori Barcelona, Wigmore Hall or Lincoln Center New York. In 2021 the Trio toured Spain, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark and Germany, including appearances at the Mikkeli Festival, the chamber music series in Berne and Basel and a return to the Rheingau Festival. The Trio finished the year off with a tour of the UK and Italy, including performances in Manchester and Rimini. 2022 will see the Trio return to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw as part of an extensive tour of Holland. Further appearances include the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Helsinki, Milan, the Marvāo and Westport Chamber Music Festivals, and a debut tour of South America. Highlights of the past seasons have been a residency at Hong Kong City Hall, including performances of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, as well as a recital debut in the prestigious Premiere Performances Series. They also toured Asia performing concerts throughout South Korea, Singapore and Japan. In May 2019 they gave the world premiere of a new triple concerto by Charlotte Bray with the Philharmonia Orchestra, with further concerts planned. The Trio has performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto e.g. with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Netherlands Philharmonic, the Munich Symphoniker and the Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau. First prize-winners of the International Commerzbank Chamber Music Award, the Sitkovetsky Trio is also a recipient of the NORDMETALL Chamber Music Award at the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival and the Philharmonia-Martin Chamber Music Award. They have been supported by the Hattori Foundation, the Musicians Benevolent Fund, the Fidelio Trust and the Swiss Global Artistic Foundation. In 2014, the Sitkovetsky Trio released their first recording for BIS Records with works by Smetana, Suk and Dvořák to much critical acclaim. This led to further releases of works by Brahms and Schubert on the Wigmore Live Label and another recording for BIS of Mendelssohn Trios in 2015. In spring 2020, just in time for Beethoven’s birthday celebrations, they recorded their third disc for BIS: Beethoven’s Trios, Op. 1 and Op. 70, and Allegretto in B-flat major for Piano Trio, WoO 39. The album received a Diapason d’Or ARTE and was released as Vol. 1 of a complete Beethoven cycle. In July 2021, the Trio’s fifth album — Ravel Trio and Saint Saëns Trio No. 2 — was released to great critical acclaim and received a Supersonic Award from Pizzicato Magazine and a 2022 BBC Music Magazine Award for Best Chamber Music. Alexander Sitkovetsky plays a Stradivari violin (Cremona, 1697) and Isang Enders plays a cello by Carlo Tononi (Venice, 1720); both instruments have been kindly loaned by the J. & A. Beare Violin Society.

LAUREN SCANIO, FLUTE Flutist Lauren Scanio's performances exhibit an adventurously eclectic range of repertoire, spanning from the baroque to the contemporary. As an active freelancer in the New York metropolitan area, she frequently appears as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet. Her engagements also include performances with Syracuse Symphoria, Festival Napa Valley, APEX Ensemble, the New World Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado. Her orchestral artistry is featured on John Williams and Yo-Yo Ma’s 2022 album, A Gathering of Friends , as well as the PBS broadcast Live from Lincoln Center: Celebrating Sondheim in 2020. As a chamber musician, Ms. Kelly has collaborated with the New York Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet for their Very Young People’s concert series, the Sylvan Winds, and Seven Hills Chamber Music in Lynchburg, Virginia. She has also recorded under the Dreyer-Gaido label as part of a flute/viola/harp trio for the project Opus 961, which highlights works by contemporary Lebanese composers. A founding member of the “Third Rail Duo,” she presented monthly recitals on the Sunday Afternoon Classical series at the Morgan Library and Museum for three seasons. Ms. Scanio holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music.