Join ChamberFest Canandaigua for an evening of beautiful chamber music on the lake in Canandaigua, NY.

The program begins with a solo cello performing Bach before gradually building a rich musical tapestry. A violin joins for a Scottish duo, followed by viola for a lighthearted Dohnányi Trio movement. The piano then enters for Mozart's magnificent Quartet in G minor before a second violin completes the ensemble for Dvořák's breathtaking Quintet for Piano and Strings.

This elegant concert showcases the intimacy, artistry, and collaborative spirit that make chamber music one of the most captivating live music experiences in the Finger Lakes region.

The Repertoire

Suite No. 1 in G Major for solo cello, BWV 1007

‍ ‍– Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

• I. Prelude

Shetland Set for violin and cello

– Alasdair Fraser (b. 1955) and Natalie Haas (b. 1983)

Serenade in C Major, op. 10 for violin, viola, and cello

‍ ‍– Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960)

• I. Marcia

Quartet in G minor, K. 478 for violin, viola, cello, and piano

‍ ‍– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

• I. Allegro

• II. Andante

• III. Rondo: Allegro

Quintet No. 2 in A Major, op. 81 for two violins, viola, cello, and piano

‍ ‍– Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

A masterpiece of late romantic chamber music composed in 1887, scored for piano and string quartet. It is highly regarded for its melodic richness. 

The quintet is a mixture of Dvořák's personal form of expressive lyricism with elements from Czech folk music. Characteristically, those elements include styles and forms of song and dance, but not actual folk tunes; Dvořák created original melodies in the authentic folk style.

• I. Allegro, ma non tanto: This movement opens with a noble theme in the cello and the piano provides arpeggiated chords before the ensemble shifts to a new theme in F-sharp minor and then to C major.

• II. Dumka: Andante con moto: The second movement is based on the Ukrainian and Slavic folk form known as the dumka, which alternates between slow and fast sections. It opens with a delicate, wistful piano theme in F-sharp minor.

• III. Scherzo (Furiant): Molto vivace: This movement is a spirited Furiant, a Bohemian folk dance characterized by strong rhythms. The trio section introduces interesting rhythmic interplay with passages in both three-against-four and two-against-three groupings.

• IV. Finale: Allegro: The finale is a lively rondo that opens with a burst of energy from the strings, accompanied by syncopated piano rhythms.