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February 9, 2025: The Virtuoso Cellist, with Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) 3 Pieces for cello and piano February 9, 2025: The Virtuoso Cellist, with Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih Nadia Boulanger together with her equally gifted sister, Lili, created quite a stir in many areas of French music that had typically been the domain of men. Their father and grandfather had been professors at the Paris Conservatoire, in which steps Nadia followed, though not without a struggle. Their mother, a Russian countess and singer, oversaw their early musical education but also instilled rigid values in them and rarely praised their achievements. Nadia often felt eclipsed by her sister, but devoted herself to promoting her younger sister’s works after Lili’s untimely death at age twenty-four in 1918. Nadia, however lived until the ripe old age of ninety-two, and became far more influential as a teacher of composition to many of the most renowned composers of the era—Leonard Bernstein, Elliott Carter, Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, and Virgil Thomson, to name just a few of the Americans she taught. She also influenced American musical life by conducting American works while touring the United States in the 1920s. In between the two World Wars she became the first woman to conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra and famously conducted the première of Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks in Washington (1938). During WWII she resided in the United States, where she guest-conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic and taught at Wellesley College, Radcliffe College, and the Juilliard School. After WWII Boulanger returned to teach at the Paris Conservatory, though she continued to travel internationally in response to a plethora of invitations, even teaching for a time at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England. Failing hearing and eyesight curtailed her activities at the end of her life, but she continued to work almost until her death in 1979. Boulanger composed her Trois pièces (Three pieces) in 1911 originally for organ, transcribing them for cello and piano in 1914. The Impressionistic opening piece projects a diaphonous effect whose delicacy was much admired by her contemporaries. The gently rippling piano effects complemented by long lines on the muted cello build toward the center point before ebbing. The second piece also projects an air of intimacy, now with a folklike melody whose tiny short-short-long melodic units in the cello are instantly imitated by the piano. The vigorous dance character of the final piece provides complete contrast, propelled by its motoric rhythms. The first section broadens into 5/8 time, its unusual metric feel taken up by the slower middle section now in 5/4. A tantalizing hesitancy brings on a vigorous return of the opening music to round off the piece in ebullient style. —©Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

< Back Igor Stravinsky The Soldier’s Tale Benjamin Luxon, narrator; Anni Crofut, dancer; Instrumental Septet Program Notes Previous Next

April 8, 2018: Danish String Quartet LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) String Quartet in F, Op. 59, No. 1 April 8, 2018: Danish String Quartet Beethoven composed his three Quartets, op. 59, in 1805–06 for the Russian ambassador in Vienna, Count Andreas Kyrilovich Razumovsky. The count was an excellent amateur violinist, who played second violin in his own house string quartet, except when Louis Sina stepped in so he could sit back and listen. His first violinist was the illustrious Ignaz Schuppanzigh, whom Beethoven had known since 1794 and who premiered many of the composer’s works. The three Razumovsky Quartets represent an entirely different world than Beethoven’s six early Quartets, op. 18, published only four years before. In between he had written his never-mailed letter, the heartrending “Heiligenstädt Testament,” which dealt with the anguish of his deafness and solitude, and had composed such innovative new works as the Eroica Symphony, the Appassionata Piano Sonata, and the first version of his opera Fidelio . His radical new style, with its expanded sonata forms, epic themes, complexities, and individualities, met with hostility and derision from early performers and critics. “Perhaps no work of Beethoven’s,” wrote his famed early biographer Alexander Wheelock Thayer, “met a more discouraging reception from musicians than these now famous Quartets.” The first movement of the present F major Razumovsky Quartet is remarkable for its lush expansiveness. This is already apparent in Beethoven’s first theme, which unfolds lyrically in the cello over pulsing repeated-note accompaniment, then is taken over by the first violin. The shift in register is something that he explores throughout the work and is one aspect, in addition to length, that gives such a spacious impression. Once this theme peaks, Beethoven instantly changes texture and introduces several new ideas before moving on to his new key area. When the composer eventually launches what sounds like a repeat of the exposition, he suddenly shoots off in another direction, a grand deception clearly playing on the listener’s expectation of that repeat. A famous “first” in the annals of sonata-form, this “non-repeat” considerably alters the structure of the first movement by making it one long sweep and shifting a greater proportion of time and weight onto the development section. Beethoven takes full advantage of the space he created for development by indulging in contrasts of register, new figuration, tension-building, fugal writing, and a mysterious and enormous preparation for the onset of the recapitulation. Beethoven labeled his second movement “Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando” rather than calling it a scherzo outright, perhaps because he ingeniously adopts a full-fledged sonata form instead of the traditional scherzo-trio-scherzo or five-fold expansion of that form. Placed second rather than in the more typical third spot in the sequence of movements, this extraordinary scherzo ranks as Beethoven’s most original in form. Again, expansiveness is the ruling feature of the movement, which grows out of the distinctive repeated-note rhythmic pattern of the opening. This idea generates a remarkable number of miniature themes, which Beethoven treats in wonderfully airy “scherzando” textures. The composer uses the relatively rare description “mesto” (mournful) in his performance direction for his slow movement, thereby acknowledging its tragic qualities. It was here in his sketches that he made the strange notation: “A weeping willow or acacia on my brother’s grave.” He may have been referring to his distress at his brother Caspar Carl’s marriage to Johanna Reiss, who was six months pregnant, or remembering another brother who died in infancy, but the main melody, featuring the first violin and then the cello in high register, is certainly an expressive lament. The movement closes with a florid cadenza for the first violin, in which the darkness seems to dissipate and which leads directly into the finale, a device Beethoven had explored in other middle-period works. Beethoven incorporated a Russian theme into each of the first two Razumovsky Quartets, making an audible connection to his patron, though it is uncertain whether the idea and the choice of theme was Beethoven’s or the count’s. Here the cello merrily introduces the Russian theme while the violin is still trilling. We wonder what Count Razumovsky thought of Beethoven’s cheerful rendition of the originally soulful melody. The mood has definitely lightened here, though the scope is still grand—a full sonata form, complete with repeat of the exposition. Beethoven crowns the work with an imaginative coda in which he slows the Russian theme, imbuing it with mock sadness, only to sweep it away with his virtuosic final flourish © Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

September 18, 2022: Elaine Douvas, oboe; Joel Noyes, cello; Bryan Wagorn, piano HENRI BROD (1799 – 1839) Duo from Lucia di Lammermoor, Op. 55 for oboe and cello & piano accompaniment September 18, 2022: Elaine Douvas, oboe; Joel Noyes, cello; Bryan Wagorn, piano Henri Brod began studying oboe at the Paris Conservatory at the age of twelve. After receiving the Premier Prix in 1818, he was appointed second oboe in the Paris Opéra orchestra alongside his teacher, Gustav Vogt. Brod filled in as first oboist during Vogt’s absences and succeeded him in 1834. Contemporary accounts often compare the two players—the famous French musicologist and encyclopedist François-Joseph Fétis wrote: “The sound he drew from the oboe was sweeter, smoother and not as forceful as that of his teacher; his phrasing was elegant and graceful; his execution of the virtuosic passages was lively and brilliant.” Brod’s career was all too short—he died just three months short of his fortieth birthday, when he would have received a pension that would have supported his wife and young son. In another facet of his career, Brod, along with his brother Jean-Godefroy, was an innovative oboe maker, possibly the first in France to add the octave key and to extend the oboe’s range. He also developed a straight English horn as well as baritone and “petit” oboes, and he invented a gouging machine for making reeds. In addition, he is the author of an informative method book in two volumes (1826, 1835), of which at least the first is still readily available in an edition by Valerie Anderson. As with many performing composers, Brod wrote mainly for his own instrument—opera fantasies, variations, and chamber works such as wind quintets and trios, as well as six oboe sonatas that were among the works he published in his method book. He also composed an opera, Thésée, presumed lost, which was rejected for performance in 1826 but received a partial performance in 1837. A complete list of his works has yet to be made. Brod’s Duo from Lucia di Lammermoor (or Lucia ed Edgardo, duo de Lucia di Lamermoor de Donizetti arrangé pour hautbois ou clarinette et basson ou violoncelle avec accompaniment de piano, op. 55, as its original title reads) likely dates from around 1837, when Donizetti’s successful 1835 opera was first performed in France. No doubt Brod gave its first performance with some of his Paris Opéra/Conservatory colleagues. The duo appeared in print in 1841, two years after his death. The original title, Lucia ed Edgardo, is apt because the piece is essentially an arrangement of their extended duet from Act I, Scene 2, with the bassoon taking the role of Edgardo, laird of Ravenswood, and the oboe that of Lucia Ashton. The story, set in Scotland, revolves around the love affair they are carrying on despite the bitter feud between their two families. Before the tragic events of her madness and both their deaths, Edgardo meets Lucia secretly to say that he must leave for France, and he wants to make peace with her brother Enrico so he can ask for her hand in marriage. She begs Edgardo to keep their relationship secret, which rekindles his anger against Enrico. This is the point at which the Duo picks up the story. After the three instruments provide a portentous introduction, Lucia (oboe) tries to calm Edgardo (bassoon), but he begins singing mournfully about the tomb of his betrayed father on which he swore revenge. She tries again to calm him and tells him to banish all feelings but love. After a grand pause, a martial-sounding section signals Edgardo’s resolve as he hits on the idea of marrying her on the spot. They exchange rings and call on heaven to witness their vows. The lovers must part, which brings on a wistful mood, and the final section lilts as they sing of the breeze that will carry their ardent sighs. Brod caps the piece with a virtuoso coda of his own design. © Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2021 AT 3 PM THE SCHUMANN STRING QUARTET MENDELSSOHN, RAVEL, AND MOZART BUY TICKETS PAUL HUANG, VIOLIN Paul Huang possesses a big, luscious tone, spot-on intonation and a technique that makes the most punishing string phrases feel as natural as breathing.” — The Washington Post SCHUMANN STRING QUARTET “Fire and energy. The Schumann Quartet plays staggeringly well with sparkling virtuosity and a willingness to astonish” — Süddeutsche Zeitung FEATURING ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS One of today’s fastest rising ensembles, the Schumann String Quartet has been hailed worldwide for their fire, energy, and supreme technical accomplishment. Their Parlance debut will include Mendelssohn’s precocious Quartet in A minor, Op. 13, Maurice Ravel’s spellbinding Quartet in F, and Mozart’s adventurous “Dissonance” quartet. PROGRAM Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13 Program Notes Maurice Ravel String Quartet in F Program Notes W.A. Mozart String Quartet in C, K. 465 (“Dissonance”) Program Notes Watch the Schumann String Quartet perform Mendelssohn’s F-minor Quartet, Op. 80:

March 6, 2016: The Escher String Quartet WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791) String Quartet in D major, K. 575, “Prussian No. 1” March 6, 2016: The Escher String Quartet The String Quartet in D major, K. 575, is the first of the three Prussian Quartets—the last string quartets Mozart ever wrote. In April of 1789 he had left Vienna for Potsdam with his pupil, Prince Karl Lichnowsky (later Beethoven’s patron), who was to introduce him to King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. The king, like his flutist/composer uncle, King Friedrich Wilhelm I, and his pianist/composer cousin, Prince Louis Ferdinand, was a great music lover—his instrument was the cello. Mozart hoped the visit would result in some financial gain, but all he received was a small amount of money and a commission to compose “six easy clavier sonatas for Princess Friederike and six quartets for the king.” When Mozart got back to Vienna his situation was no better. He was constantly begging money from friends, who this time did not answer his requests; his wife fell seriously ill; and he himself was suffering from rheumatism, toothaches, headaches, and insomnia. He composed one quartet, K. 575 in D major, but waited almost a year before adding two more, K. 589 in B-flat major and K. 590 in F major. He never wrote the other three, nor did he complete the set of sonatas for the princess. He sold the three quartets to a publisher “for a mockery of a fee, only to lay my hands on some money to keep myself going.” In order to highlight the king’s instrument, Mozart wrote significant cello parts in high register, which he balanced with soloistic opportunities for the other instruments—a style called “quatuor concertant,” which was particularly popular in Paris. Here in the D major Quartet Mozart featured solo cello writing in all movements, whereas in the second quartet the cello comes to the fore only in the first two movements and in the third primarily in the first movement. It seems the image of the cello-playing king receded as time went on. Mozart chose the relaxed tempo marking “Allegretto” for three of the D major Quartet’s movements. He emphasizes the opening movement’s delicate quality by giving the rare directive “sotto voce” (in an undertone, subdued) at the outset and at the start of the recapitulation. The first violin, then viola, present the main theme, with equal prominence given to the cello when it enters with the second theme in high register. Mozart marks this “dolce” (sweetly), another of his exceptional directives. The Andante, his only non-Allegretto movement, is only moderately slow—a walking tempo—further minimizing the tempo contrast between movements. His lovely melody bears enough similarity to his 1785 song “Das Veilchen” (The violet) to have given that nickname to the Quartet on occasion. The arching phrases in the middle section of this A-B-A form also feature the cello as an equal conversationalist. An introductory ornament and light staccato repeated notes, both essential thematic elements, give verve to this elegant Menuetto. The cello particularly comes to the fore in the middle trio section, presenting a singing melody in response to the violins’ lightly tripping invitation. The cheerful finale combines both sonata and rondo form with a recurring main theme introduced by the cello with viola counterpoint. Many commentators have pointed out the similarity of the main idea to the that of the first movement, suggesting a possible anticipation of Romantic composers’ interest in cyclic unity. Mozart’s astounding but seemingly effortless contrapuntal writing throughout the movement makes refrains, episodes, and development alike a witty and elegant experience. © Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

RAFAEL FIGUEROA, CELLO Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, cellist Rafael Figueroa is established as one of the most sought-after cellists of his generation, having appeared in numerous performances throughout the United States, Europe, Central and South Americas, Japan and his homeland of Puerto Rico. His impressive list of prizes and awards include the First Prize at the Gregor Piatigorsky Competition in Boston, The Bronze Medal at the International Pablo Casals Competition in Budapest, winner of the Jill Sackler Cello Competition at the Third American Cello Congress and winner of the Gina Bachauer Memorial Award. Mr. Figueroa occupies the prestigious position of principal cellist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under James Levine in addition to his participation in many of the chamber music series in the New York area including The Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, The Met Chamber Ensemble with James Levine, The New Jersey Chamber Music Society, The Morgan Library Chamber Music Series and Bargemusic. Rafael has appeared in recitals and concerts along such artists as the late Rudolf Serkin, Peter Serkin, the late Samuel Sanders, Andre Michel Shub, Ruth Laredo, Michael Tree, Cho Liang Lin, The Cleveland Quartet, the late Alexander Schneider and James Levine. Mr. Figueroa completed his studies at the Indiana University School of Music under Janos Starker and Gary Hoffman where upon graduation, he became a member of this school’s cello faculty. In 1987 Rafael moved to New York City where he began a ten year collaboration with The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, touring world-wide and recording for Deutsche Grammophon. For five years he was the cellist of The Amadeus Trio and a member of the Chelsea Chamber Ensemble, with whom he premiered and championed a large number of works by contemporary American composers. His summer festival activities have included the Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland, the Aspen Music Festival, The Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Marlboro Chamber Music Festival, Lemi-Lappenranta Chamber Music festival in Finland and the Rockport and Marblehead Chamber music Festivals. In addition to his participation for the first time at the International Festival of Music in Cheyu, Korea in the summer of 2003. Highlights of the past seaons include a performance to critical acclaim of the Brahms Double Concerto with Concertmaster David Chan and The Met Orchestra under James Levine at Carnegie Hall on February 2 , 2003 as part of the orchestra’s subscription series at Carnegie Hall and a second performance of the Brahms Double and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations in Seoul, Korea.

KERRY McDERMOTT, violin Violinist Kerry McDermott has been recognized as one of the most versatile and exciting artists of her generation. A first violinist with the New York Philharmonic, Ms. McDermott joined as its youngest member at the age of twenty-one, and has since appeared as soloist with them throughout North America. She has garnered prizes and awards in major competitions including the Montreal International Violin Competition and the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow – where she also received a special award for “Best Artistic Interpretation”. At age seventeen, Ms. McDermott became the youngest winner in the history of Artists International Auditions which resulted in her New York recital debut. She has performed on tour throughout Holland with Reizend Muziek, as well as North American tours with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Muir String Quartet. Ms. McDermott has also appeared at Summerfest La Jolla, Angel Fire, Music in the Vineyards, Chamber Music Northwest, Bravo! Colorado, Caramour, Marlboro, Tanglewood, Wolftrap, Mostly Mozart, OK Mozart, Newport, Fredericksburg, Ravinia and on three continents with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles. She has recorded for Cala, New World Records and Melodia, and her media appearances include a PBS/ABC/BBC Documentary, the motion picture FAME and an AT&T commercial for National Network Television. She is a member of The McDermott trio with her sisters, pianist, Anne-Marie and cellist, Maureen, and a Master Artist and National Reviewer for the National YoungArts Foundation. Ms. McDermott is an alumna of the Manhattan School of Music and Yale College.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2024 AT 4 PM THE VIRTUOSO FLUTIST DENIS BOURIAKOV, FLUTE A RECITAL FOR FLUTE AND ORCHESTRA with Erin Bouriakov, Flute Musicians From The New York Philharmonic Michael Parloff, Conductor DENIS BOURIAKOV , FLUTE ERIN BOURIAKOV , FLUTE 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 In 2012, Sir James Galway called the young Crimean flutist Denis Bouriakov “the greatest living talent at the moment on the flute.” Since that time, Bouriakov has established himself as one of the world’s leading soloists. With his phenomenal instrumental command and impeccable artistry, he is continually expanding the limits of the flute’s technique and repertoire through his burgeoning catalogue of transcriptions, recordings, and videos. His unique virtuosity will be showcased in a recital of music for flute and orchestra supported by eighteen musicians from the New York Philharmonic conducted by PCC’s Artistic Director, Michael Parloff . The program will include concertos by Mozart and François Devienne , and Denis’ wife, Erin, will share the spotlight in Bach’s Double Concerto in D minor , arranged for two flutes and orchestra. The afternoon will culminate with Denis’s bravura transcription Camille Saint-Saëns’s scintillating Rondo Capriccioso for flute and strings. Musicians from the New York Philharmonic Michael Parloff, conductor Sheryl Staples, Concertmaster Michelle Kim, violin Quan Ge, violin Qianqian Li, violin Audrey Wright, violin Alina Kobialka, violin Cong Wu, viola Robert Rinehart, viola Mathew Christakos, cello Nathan Vickery, cello Timothy Cobb, bass Lauren Scanio, flute Sarah Beaird, flute Ryan Roberts, oboe Michal Cieślik, oboe Tanner West, horn Liana Hoffman, horn Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord PROGRAM W.A. Mozart: Flute Concerto in G, K. 313 Program Notes J. S. Bach: Double Concerto for Two Flutes in D minor, BWV 1043, arr. by Denis Bouriakov (Denis and Erin Bouriakov, flutes) Program Notes INTERMISSION François Devienne: Flute Concerto No. 7 in E minor Program Notes W.A. Mozart: Andante in C, K. 315 for flute and orchestra Program Notes Camille Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28, arr. by Denis Bouriakov Program Notes Watch the thrilling conclusion to Denis Bouriakov’s bravura arrangement of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Rondo Capriccioso for flute and strings: Watch Denis Bouriakov’s performance of the third movement of CPE Bach’s virtuosic Concerto in D minor:

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, APRIL 26, 2026 AT 4 PM JERUSALEM STRING QUARTET ALEXANDER PAVLOVSKY, VIOLIN SERGEI BRESLER, VIOLIN MATHIS ROCHAT, VIOLA KYRIL ZLOTNIKOV, CELLO JERUSALEM STRING QUARTET “Consummately brilliant playing throughout, combining amazing technical finesse with overwhelming musical insight….” — BBC Music Magazine ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS Renowned for their “amazing technical finesse and overwhelming musical insight” (BBC Music Magazine ), the Jerusalem String Quartet returns to Parlance Chamber Concerts for an expressively far-ranging program featuring works by Haydn, Beethoven , and Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Shulamit Ran . Celebrated for their warm, balanced sound and eloquent ensemble unity, the Quartet brings a rare blend of tradition, individuality, and emotional depth to both classical masterworks and contemporary voices. Their program will culminate with Beethoven’s Quartet in B-flat, Op. 130 , including the boundary-pushing Grosse Fuge . This great quartet —by turns rustic, playful, introspective, and adventurous —showcases the full range of Beethoven’s extraordinary late-life inventiveness and mastery.” 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 Joseph Haydn: Quartet in B-flat, Op. 76, No. 4 (“Sunrise”) Program Notes Shulamit Ran: New Work composed for the Jerusalem Quartet Program Notes INTERMISSION Ludwig van Beethoven: Quartet in B-flat, Op. 130 (with the Grosse Fuge) Program Notes Watch the Jerusalem Quartet perform the Haydn’s String Quartet in D, Op. 64, No. 5 (The Lark): Watch the Jerusalem Quartet perform the third movement of Brahms's String Quartet No.3, Op.67:

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: