Celebrating 15 Years con tango!programme notes
SUNDAY AUGUST 16: Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (7:30PM)
Tango Melancólico by Serouj Kradjian (b. 1973)
Performed by Elation Pauls, Violin & Paul Williamson, Piano
Piano Quintet in C Minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
I. Allegro con fuoco II. Andante III. Fantasai (quasi variazioni) - Moderato
Performed by Mark Fewer, Violin, Karl Stobbe, Viola,
Denise Djokic, Cello, Matt Baker, Bass & Paul Williamson, Piano
~ Intermission ~
Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas/Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1922), transc. Jose Bragato
I. Otoño Porteño (Buenos Aires Autumn) II. Invierno Porteño (Buenos Aires Winter)
III. Primavera Porteña (Buenos Aires Spring) Verano Porteño (Buenos Aires Summer)
Performed by Mark Fewer, Justin Azerrad, Elation Pauls and Gabi Nowicki, Violins,
Karl Stobbe and Jennifer Thiessen, Viola, Denise Djokic and Breno Barone, Cello,
Matt Baker, Bass & Paul Williamson, Piano
Tango Melancólico by Serouj Kradjian (b. 1973)
Performed by Elation Pauls, Violin & Paul Williamson, Piano
Piano Quintet in C Minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
I. Allegro con fuoco II. Andante III. Fantasai (quasi variazioni) - Moderato
Performed by Mark Fewer, Violin, Karl Stobbe, Viola,
Denise Djokic, Cello, Matt Baker, Bass & Paul Williamson, Piano
~ Intermission ~
Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas/Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1922), transc. Jose Bragato
I. Otoño Porteño (Buenos Aires Autumn) II. Invierno Porteño (Buenos Aires Winter)
III. Primavera Porteña (Buenos Aires Spring) Verano Porteño (Buenos Aires Summer)
Performed by Mark Fewer, Justin Azerrad, Elation Pauls and Gabi Nowicki, Violins,
Karl Stobbe and Jennifer Thiessen, Viola, Denise Djokic and Breno Barone, Cello,
Matt Baker, Bass & Paul Williamson, Piano
First of all - why choose the tango as Rosamunde's 15th anniversary theme?
There are a few personal connections that make this year an especially meaningful one to choose tango as our theme. One is our distinguished guest artist, Matt Baker, who provides a direct link to the master tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Baker has worked extensively in a tango ensemble with bandoneonist Daniel Binelli, who, in turn, performed alongside Piazzolla in his Nuevo Tango Sextet.
Another connection comes from the very nature of tango itself. As our guest composer and pianist Luis Ramirez describes it:
“The tango has to come from a place of struggle and embracing death. This expands on the origins of the dance, and the tumultuous nature of life in Argentina at the time. It has always been a kind of escape, a sense of survival amidst the chaos. The dance itself is an incredibly powerful experience—an ephemeral and incredibly intimate moment with a complete stranger, and that binding trust is tango. The performer must feel as if it might as well be the last thing you’ll ever do in your life. If time after the piece is over doesn’t even exist at all, why not play with every bit of your soul?”
This is the kind of music-making we encourage at Rosamunde: playing with every bit of your soul, within an environment that creates trust even among strangers. Despite all the work that goes into bringing Rosamunde to life, these ten days become a kind of escape—a time set apart from our day-to-day realities.
We hope you’ll enjoy escaping with us this year, alongside our students and guest artists, and experience the many performances still to come.
PROGRAMME NOTES:
Serouj Kradjian (b. 1973)
Tango Melancólico for Violin and Piano (2011)
Known worldwide as a popular tango interpreter, Serouj Kradjian writes, " I believe life is a dance we have been born into. In Tango Melancólico for Violin and Piano, a man and a woman search for each other, they search for the embrace and one leads the other in dialogue and disagreement. It is a beautiful fight, intensely passionate, and one that acts as nourishment for all the senses.”
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Piano Quintet in C Minor
Written between 1903 and 1905, Vaughan Williams’s Piano Quintet in C minor comes from an important period of discovery in the composer’s early career. He had studied with Max Bruch in Berlin and was soon to work with Maurice Ravel, whose influence would help him develop the distinctive musical voice for which he later became known. The unusual combination of piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass gives the quintet a rich, dark sonority, often creating an almost orchestral sense of scale. Yet beneath its dramatic intensity is a strong lyrical impulse, with long melodic lines and moments of striking intimacyVaughan Williams ultimately withdrew the work, considering it part of his early development. Hearing it today, however, offers a fascinating glimpse of a composer in the process of finding his voice—already drawn to atmosphere, colour, expansive melody, and the deep emotional possibilities of chamber music.
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1922)
Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas/Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires reimagines the traditional idea of the four seasons through the sounds, rhythms, and energy of his native Buenos Aires. Written between 1965 and 1970, the four pieces were originally composed separately and only later brought together as a cycle. Rather than the pastoral world of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Piazzolla’s seasons unfold in the streets of the city—in the heat, noise, passion, and melancholy of Buenos Aires. Tango rhythms are combined with elements of jazz and classical music, while sudden shifts of mood and virtuosic writing give the music its distinctive vitality. There are also playful musical connections to Vivaldi’s famous cycle, with Piazzolla occasionally quoting or echoing his predecessor across the work. The result is both a tribute and a transformation: an old musical form seen through a distinctly modern, urban, and deeply Argentine lens. At its heart, Piazzolla’s tango is about human connection—intimate, passionate, and fleeting. These four seasons capture that spirit in music that can be as tender as it is explosive, and as joyful as it is bittersweet.
There are a few personal connections that make this year an especially meaningful one to choose tango as our theme. One is our distinguished guest artist, Matt Baker, who provides a direct link to the master tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Baker has worked extensively in a tango ensemble with bandoneonist Daniel Binelli, who, in turn, performed alongside Piazzolla in his Nuevo Tango Sextet.
Another connection comes from the very nature of tango itself. As our guest composer and pianist Luis Ramirez describes it:
“The tango has to come from a place of struggle and embracing death. This expands on the origins of the dance, and the tumultuous nature of life in Argentina at the time. It has always been a kind of escape, a sense of survival amidst the chaos. The dance itself is an incredibly powerful experience—an ephemeral and incredibly intimate moment with a complete stranger, and that binding trust is tango. The performer must feel as if it might as well be the last thing you’ll ever do in your life. If time after the piece is over doesn’t even exist at all, why not play with every bit of your soul?”
This is the kind of music-making we encourage at Rosamunde: playing with every bit of your soul, within an environment that creates trust even among strangers. Despite all the work that goes into bringing Rosamunde to life, these ten days become a kind of escape—a time set apart from our day-to-day realities.
We hope you’ll enjoy escaping with us this year, alongside our students and guest artists, and experience the many performances still to come.
PROGRAMME NOTES:
Serouj Kradjian (b. 1973)
Tango Melancólico for Violin and Piano (2011)
Known worldwide as a popular tango interpreter, Serouj Kradjian writes, " I believe life is a dance we have been born into. In Tango Melancólico for Violin and Piano, a man and a woman search for each other, they search for the embrace and one leads the other in dialogue and disagreement. It is a beautiful fight, intensely passionate, and one that acts as nourishment for all the senses.”
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Piano Quintet in C Minor
Written between 1903 and 1905, Vaughan Williams’s Piano Quintet in C minor comes from an important period of discovery in the composer’s early career. He had studied with Max Bruch in Berlin and was soon to work with Maurice Ravel, whose influence would help him develop the distinctive musical voice for which he later became known. The unusual combination of piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass gives the quintet a rich, dark sonority, often creating an almost orchestral sense of scale. Yet beneath its dramatic intensity is a strong lyrical impulse, with long melodic lines and moments of striking intimacyVaughan Williams ultimately withdrew the work, considering it part of his early development. Hearing it today, however, offers a fascinating glimpse of a composer in the process of finding his voice—already drawn to atmosphere, colour, expansive melody, and the deep emotional possibilities of chamber music.
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1922)
Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas/Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires reimagines the traditional idea of the four seasons through the sounds, rhythms, and energy of his native Buenos Aires. Written between 1965 and 1970, the four pieces were originally composed separately and only later brought together as a cycle. Rather than the pastoral world of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Piazzolla’s seasons unfold in the streets of the city—in the heat, noise, passion, and melancholy of Buenos Aires. Tango rhythms are combined with elements of jazz and classical music, while sudden shifts of mood and virtuosic writing give the music its distinctive vitality. There are also playful musical connections to Vivaldi’s famous cycle, with Piazzolla occasionally quoting or echoing his predecessor across the work. The result is both a tribute and a transformation: an old musical form seen through a distinctly modern, urban, and deeply Argentine lens. At its heart, Piazzolla’s tango is about human connection—intimate, passionate, and fleeting. These four seasons capture that spirit in music that can be as tender as it is explosive, and as joyful as it is bittersweet.
TUESDAY AUGUST 18: Fiesta con Baryton (7:30pm, no intermission)
How Sighs Resound
Consort music of three parts by John Jenkins (1592-1678) arranged and expanded by David Gorton (b. 1978)
V. Fantasia (VdGS No. 12) III. Fantasia (VdGS No. 11)
Baryton Trio Hob XI No. 91 in D Major by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
I. Moderato II. Menuet - Allegretto III. Finale - Presto
Dragonslayer’s Lament by John Pickup (b. 1974)
Baryton Trio in G Major Korcak 27 by Luigi Tomasini (1741-1808)
I.Maestoso II. Adagio III. Allegretto ma non troppo
Performed by Elation Pauls, Violin, Yuri Hooker, Cello & Matt Baker, Baryton
Immigration Suite by Luis Ramirez (b. 1992)
I. Choque - Unsettling II. Malicia - Mischievous III. Asilo - Moribund
IV. Espera - Patiently V. Infierno - Fiery VI. Sola - Lonely VII. Insidia - Devious
Performed by Mark Fewer and Elation Pauls, Violins,
Denise Djokic, Cello, Matt Baker, Bass & Luis Ramirez, Piano
How Sighs Resound
Consort music of three parts by John Jenkins (1592-1678) arranged and expanded by David Gorton (b. 1978)
V. Fantasia (VdGS No. 12) III. Fantasia (VdGS No. 11)
Baryton Trio Hob XI No. 91 in D Major by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
I. Moderato II. Menuet - Allegretto III. Finale - Presto
Dragonslayer’s Lament by John Pickup (b. 1974)
Baryton Trio in G Major Korcak 27 by Luigi Tomasini (1741-1808)
I.Maestoso II. Adagio III. Allegretto ma non troppo
Performed by Elation Pauls, Violin, Yuri Hooker, Cello & Matt Baker, Baryton
Immigration Suite by Luis Ramirez (b. 1992)
I. Choque - Unsettling II. Malicia - Mischievous III. Asilo - Moribund
IV. Espera - Patiently V. Infierno - Fiery VI. Sola - Lonely VII. Insidia - Devious
Performed by Mark Fewer and Elation Pauls, Violins,
Denise Djokic, Cello, Matt Baker, Bass & Luis Ramirez, Piano
PROGRAMME NOTES:
David Gorton (b. 1978)
How Sighs Resound* Canadian Premiere
This set of seven pieces newly arranged for violin, cello and baryton is based on works by English composer and viol virtuoso John Jenkins (1592-1678). Jenkins was famous for his work at the courts of Charles I and Charles II while Gorton is currently a professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. We have chosen to share two especially beautiful movements from this set.
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Baryton Trio Hob XI No. 91 in D Major
Haydn’s Baryton Trios were composed during his years at the Esterházy court, largely between 1765 and 1775. They were written for Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, an enthusiastic amateur baryton player. The Trio in D Major, Hob. XI:91 reflects Haydn’s characteristic elegance, wit, and sense of musical conversation. Each instrument contributes to the dialogue, with graceful melodies and playful exchanges revealing Haydn’s remarkable ability to create variety within an intimate chamber setting.
John Pickup (b. 1974)
Dragonslayer’s Lament
Also from London, England, composer and arranger John Pickup chose to write this piece for the unusual combination for baryton, violin and cello in connection with the gaming video that explores the surreal, psychological aftermath and philosophical weight of hunting mythical beasts.
Luigi Tomasini (1741-1808)
Baryton Trio in G Major Korcak 27
Luigi Tomasini was an Italian violinist and composer who spent most of his career at the Esterházy court, where he worked alongside Joseph Haydn. Like Haydn, Tomasini composed extensively for the baryton, an instrument particularly favored by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. The Baryton Trio in G Major, Korčák 27 showcases Tomasini’s elegant and lyrical style. The opening Maestoso establishes a stately character, followed by the expressive intimacy of the Adagio. The final Allegretto ma non troppo brings the work to a graceful and lively conclusion. Together, the three movements highlight the baryton’s distinctive sonority and the refined, conversational character of late-18th-century chamber music.
Luis Ramirez (b. 1992)
Immigration Suite
The Immigration Suite is a collection of tangos that examine different facets of life as an immigrant. The overarching narrative follows a somewhat analogous journey to that of seasonal changes and personal growth. Choque reflects the culture clash not only between different traditions but also between old and new. Malicia is built with playful rhythms and it depicts the initial anxieties and apprehension that arise from meeting new people and not knowing their intentions. Espera is about the survival demand for patience and endurance that one ought to have when dealing with the uncertainties of the immigration process. Infierno is the peak of frustration and rage throughout this journey and denotes the hellish nature of helplessness and coping with the circumstances. Asilo is about being able to find refuge even in the most harrowing and bleakest circumstances. Sola is the embrace of loneliness - hitting rock bottom and dealing with depression and despair. Finally, Insidia is the last stage of this journey, but also the beginning of a new chapter. It is about how small everyday actions can have compounding effects in both positive and negative ways. Ultimately, this suite is about resilience and letting go of the past, and tango offers a unique medium to showcase the sense of finding solace in the face of despair.
David Gorton (b. 1978)
How Sighs Resound* Canadian Premiere
This set of seven pieces newly arranged for violin, cello and baryton is based on works by English composer and viol virtuoso John Jenkins (1592-1678). Jenkins was famous for his work at the courts of Charles I and Charles II while Gorton is currently a professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. We have chosen to share two especially beautiful movements from this set.
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Baryton Trio Hob XI No. 91 in D Major
Haydn’s Baryton Trios were composed during his years at the Esterházy court, largely between 1765 and 1775. They were written for Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, an enthusiastic amateur baryton player. The Trio in D Major, Hob. XI:91 reflects Haydn’s characteristic elegance, wit, and sense of musical conversation. Each instrument contributes to the dialogue, with graceful melodies and playful exchanges revealing Haydn’s remarkable ability to create variety within an intimate chamber setting.
John Pickup (b. 1974)
Dragonslayer’s Lament
Also from London, England, composer and arranger John Pickup chose to write this piece for the unusual combination for baryton, violin and cello in connection with the gaming video that explores the surreal, psychological aftermath and philosophical weight of hunting mythical beasts.
Luigi Tomasini (1741-1808)
Baryton Trio in G Major Korcak 27
Luigi Tomasini was an Italian violinist and composer who spent most of his career at the Esterházy court, where he worked alongside Joseph Haydn. Like Haydn, Tomasini composed extensively for the baryton, an instrument particularly favored by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. The Baryton Trio in G Major, Korčák 27 showcases Tomasini’s elegant and lyrical style. The opening Maestoso establishes a stately character, followed by the expressive intimacy of the Adagio. The final Allegretto ma non troppo brings the work to a graceful and lively conclusion. Together, the three movements highlight the baryton’s distinctive sonority and the refined, conversational character of late-18th-century chamber music.
Luis Ramirez (b. 1992)
Immigration Suite
The Immigration Suite is a collection of tangos that examine different facets of life as an immigrant. The overarching narrative follows a somewhat analogous journey to that of seasonal changes and personal growth. Choque reflects the culture clash not only between different traditions but also between old and new. Malicia is built with playful rhythms and it depicts the initial anxieties and apprehension that arise from meeting new people and not knowing their intentions. Espera is about the survival demand for patience and endurance that one ought to have when dealing with the uncertainties of the immigration process. Infierno is the peak of frustration and rage throughout this journey and denotes the hellish nature of helplessness and coping with the circumstances. Asilo is about being able to find refuge even in the most harrowing and bleakest circumstances. Sola is the embrace of loneliness - hitting rock bottom and dealing with depression and despair. Finally, Insidia is the last stage of this journey, but also the beginning of a new chapter. It is about how small everyday actions can have compounding effects in both positive and negative ways. Ultimately, this suite is about resilience and letting go of the past, and tango offers a unique medium to showcase the sense of finding solace in the face of despair.
THURSDAY AUGUST 20: Dvorak's Bass Quintet (7:30PM)
Country Food for Violin and Tape (2024) by Cris Derksen (1981-2026)
Performed by Elation Pauls, Violin
Suite for 2 Violins by Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
I. Allegro II. Andante III. Vivo IV. Tempo di menuetto
V. Allegro VI. Andante. Fughetta VII. Allegro
Performed by Gwen Hoebig & Karl Stobbe, Violins
La Cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez (1897-1948) arr. Maria Kaneko Millar
Performed by Karl Stobbe
~ Intermission ~
String Quintet in G Major, Op. 77 B. 49 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
I. Allegro con fuoco II. Scherzo - Allegro vivace III. Poco andante IV. Finale - Allegro assai
Performed by Karl Stobbe and Gwen Hoebig, Violins,
Alexander Moroz, Viola, Minna Rose Chung, Cello & Matt Baker, Bass
Country Food for Violin and Tape (2024) by Cris Derksen (1981-2026)
Performed by Elation Pauls, Violin
Suite for 2 Violins by Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
I. Allegro II. Andante III. Vivo IV. Tempo di menuetto
V. Allegro VI. Andante. Fughetta VII. Allegro
Performed by Gwen Hoebig & Karl Stobbe, Violins
La Cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez (1897-1948) arr. Maria Kaneko Millar
Performed by Karl Stobbe
~ Intermission ~
String Quintet in G Major, Op. 77 B. 49 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
I. Allegro con fuoco II. Scherzo - Allegro vivace III. Poco andante IV. Finale - Allegro assai
Performed by Karl Stobbe and Gwen Hoebig, Violins,
Alexander Moroz, Viola, Minna Rose Chung, Cello & Matt Baker, Bass
PROGRAMME NOTES:
Cris Derksen (1981-2026)
Country Food for Violin and Tape (2024)
Commissioned by Elation Pauls, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts for the SUSTENANCE album.
When thinking about sustenance I went to the core of the word and thought about Indigenous Food Sovereignty. We all hear about how expensive food is in the North but I don’t know if us “Southerners” think about how our rules and regulations around hunting have harmed Inuit and Indigenous folks in the North and keep them from basic food security. This piece includes excerpts from a speech delivered by Rachel Blais at The Walrus Talks Global Hunger Crises in Ottawa in October 2022. Blais lives and works in Iqaluit and is Executive Director of the Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre. If you are wondering how you can be a part of the solution please donate to Qajuqturvik at www.qajuqturvik.ca.
~ Cris Derksen
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Suite for 2 Violins (1943)
Grażyna Bacewicz’s Suite for Two Violins was composed in 1943, during the German occupation of Poland. A brilliant violinist as well as a composer, Bacewicz wrote music that often combines the clarity and rhythmic vitality of neoclassicism with the distinctive energy of her own voice.
The Suite is a compact, seven-movement work that moves rapidly between contrasting characters: energetic Allegro and Vivo movements alternate with more lyrical passages, a graceful Tempo di menuetto, and a brief fugal movement (Andante: Fughetta). The writing is virtuosic but conversational, with the two violins constantly exchanging melodies, rhythms, and musical ideas rather than one instrument simply accompanying the other.
The circumstances of the work’s creation make its lively character especially striking. Bacewicz continued to compose and perform during the war, participating in clandestine musical life in occupied Warsaw. The Suite for Two Violins was premiered in 1943 at one of these secret concerts by violinists Irena Dubiska and Eugenia Umińska. The work is a vivid example of Bacewicz’s remarkable ability to combine elegance, rhythmic drive, and virtuosity in a remarkably concentrated form.
Gerardo Matos Rodríguez (1897-1948) arr. Maria Kaneko Millar
La Cumparsita
Few pieces are as synonymous with the tango as La Cumparsita. Composed by Uruguayan musician Gerardo Matos Rodríguez while he was still a young architecture student, the piece began as a short march for a student carnival procession in Montevideo. It was later transformed into a tango and received its first celebrated public performance at Café La Giralda in Montevideo in 1917. The title La Cumparsita, meaning roughly “the little parade,” reflects the work’s origins, but its enduring appeal comes from its unmistakable tango character: rhythmic vitality, dramatic gestures, and a melody that balances elegance with a touch of melancholy. In Maria Kaneko Millar’s arrangement, this familiar music takes on a fresh instrumental character, allowing the players to explore the contrasts, rhythmic inflections, and expressive freedom at the heart of the tango tradition. Over the years, the piece has inspired countless interpretations and arrangements and has become one of the most recognizable tangos in the world. La Cumparsita is often played as the last dance of the evening, a fitting last tango for Rosamunde's final 2026 faculty concert!
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
String Quintet in G Major, Op. 77 B. 49
Full of warmth, vitality, and irresistible Czech spirit, Dvořák’s String Quintet in G Major is a joyful celebration of melody, dance, and the rich colors of the string family. Composed in 1875, the work was written during a particularly exciting period in Dvořák’s life: he had just received his first state scholarship, giving him new freedom to devote himself to music. He entered the quintet in a competition with the motto “To My Nation” and was awarded first prize.
The unusual addition of a double bass gives the ensemble a wonderfully rich, almost orchestral sound, while freeing the cello to soar in a more lyrical register. The four movements move effortlessly between spirited rhythms, graceful dance melodies, heartfelt lyricism, and an exuberant finale. Particularly in the Scherzo, Dvořák’s affection for Czech dance rhythms shines through, giving the music an infectious sense of movement and celebration.
With its combination of brilliant ensemble writing, generous melodies, and unmistakable Bohemian character, this quintet is music that invites both musicians and listeners to simply enjoy the moment.
Cris Derksen (1981-2026)
Country Food for Violin and Tape (2024)
Commissioned by Elation Pauls, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts for the SUSTENANCE album.
When thinking about sustenance I went to the core of the word and thought about Indigenous Food Sovereignty. We all hear about how expensive food is in the North but I don’t know if us “Southerners” think about how our rules and regulations around hunting have harmed Inuit and Indigenous folks in the North and keep them from basic food security. This piece includes excerpts from a speech delivered by Rachel Blais at The Walrus Talks Global Hunger Crises in Ottawa in October 2022. Blais lives and works in Iqaluit and is Executive Director of the Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre. If you are wondering how you can be a part of the solution please donate to Qajuqturvik at www.qajuqturvik.ca.
~ Cris Derksen
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Suite for 2 Violins (1943)
Grażyna Bacewicz’s Suite for Two Violins was composed in 1943, during the German occupation of Poland. A brilliant violinist as well as a composer, Bacewicz wrote music that often combines the clarity and rhythmic vitality of neoclassicism with the distinctive energy of her own voice.
The Suite is a compact, seven-movement work that moves rapidly between contrasting characters: energetic Allegro and Vivo movements alternate with more lyrical passages, a graceful Tempo di menuetto, and a brief fugal movement (Andante: Fughetta). The writing is virtuosic but conversational, with the two violins constantly exchanging melodies, rhythms, and musical ideas rather than one instrument simply accompanying the other.
The circumstances of the work’s creation make its lively character especially striking. Bacewicz continued to compose and perform during the war, participating in clandestine musical life in occupied Warsaw. The Suite for Two Violins was premiered in 1943 at one of these secret concerts by violinists Irena Dubiska and Eugenia Umińska. The work is a vivid example of Bacewicz’s remarkable ability to combine elegance, rhythmic drive, and virtuosity in a remarkably concentrated form.
Gerardo Matos Rodríguez (1897-1948) arr. Maria Kaneko Millar
La Cumparsita
Few pieces are as synonymous with the tango as La Cumparsita. Composed by Uruguayan musician Gerardo Matos Rodríguez while he was still a young architecture student, the piece began as a short march for a student carnival procession in Montevideo. It was later transformed into a tango and received its first celebrated public performance at Café La Giralda in Montevideo in 1917. The title La Cumparsita, meaning roughly “the little parade,” reflects the work’s origins, but its enduring appeal comes from its unmistakable tango character: rhythmic vitality, dramatic gestures, and a melody that balances elegance with a touch of melancholy. In Maria Kaneko Millar’s arrangement, this familiar music takes on a fresh instrumental character, allowing the players to explore the contrasts, rhythmic inflections, and expressive freedom at the heart of the tango tradition. Over the years, the piece has inspired countless interpretations and arrangements and has become one of the most recognizable tangos in the world. La Cumparsita is often played as the last dance of the evening, a fitting last tango for Rosamunde's final 2026 faculty concert!
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
String Quintet in G Major, Op. 77 B. 49
Full of warmth, vitality, and irresistible Czech spirit, Dvořák’s String Quintet in G Major is a joyful celebration of melody, dance, and the rich colors of the string family. Composed in 1875, the work was written during a particularly exciting period in Dvořák’s life: he had just received his first state scholarship, giving him new freedom to devote himself to music. He entered the quintet in a competition with the motto “To My Nation” and was awarded first prize.
The unusual addition of a double bass gives the ensemble a wonderfully rich, almost orchestral sound, while freeing the cello to soar in a more lyrical register. The four movements move effortlessly between spirited rhythms, graceful dance melodies, heartfelt lyricism, and an exuberant finale. Particularly in the Scherzo, Dvořák’s affection for Czech dance rhythms shines through, giving the music an infectious sense of movement and celebration.
With its combination of brilliant ensemble writing, generous melodies, and unmistakable Bohemian character, this quintet is music that invites both musicians and listeners to simply enjoy the moment.
Thank you so much for joining us!
We look forward to Rosamunde Festival 2027: August 15, 17 & 19!
We look forward to Rosamunde Festival 2027: August 15, 17 & 19!
