Great Barrington — The Vivace Chamber Orchestra will return to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 7, to perform a program of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Britten, and Bruch.
The Vivace Chamber Orchestra is a New York-based chamber ensemble made up of top-tier soloists and musicians affiliated with groups like the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Sejong Soloists, and The Knights. Typically performing with about 14 players, the group offers intimate, high-caliber concerts that highlight clarity, precision, and ensemble detail. Their programs range from classical and Romantic works to 20th-century repertoire, and they often appear at venues outside New York.
The orchestra’s program for December 4 is as follows:
- Mozart — Adagio and Fugue in C minor
- Mendelssohn — Octet in E-flat major
- Britten — Simple Symphony
- Bruch — “Kol Nidrei”
Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546, is a compact, two-part work for string orchestra or string quartet, composed in 1788. The Adagio opens with stark, dramatic chords and slow, weighty lines that set a somber tone. It leads directly into the Fugue, an intense and tightly constructed movement built on a single, forceful subject. The writing is severe and contrapuntal, showing Mozart’s interest in the older Baroque style and his command of strict musical architecture. Though not among his most familiar pieces, it is valued by performers for its precision, clarity, and concentrated emotional impact.
Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat major, written in 1825 when the composer was just 16, is a landmark work of early chamber music. Scored for four violins, two violas, and two cellos, the piece is notable for its rich, symphonic texture and its unusual scale for a chamber ensemble. The first movement is energetic and expansive, followed by a lighter scherzo inspired by Goethe’s “Faust.” A brisk third movement leads to a contrapuntal finale that showcases Mendelssohn’s technical skill. The Octet remains a staple of the chamber repertoire and is frequently performed by top string players worldwide.
Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony,” written in 1933–34, is a four-movement work for string orchestra built from musical ideas the composer developed as a child. Notwithstanding its playful title, the piece is tightly constructed and showcases Britten’s early command of form and texture. The opening “Boisterous Bourrée” is brisk and rhythmic, followed by the more lyrical “Playful Pizzicato.” The third movement, “Sentimental Sarabande,” provides a slower, more expressive contrast. The “Frolicsome Finale” closes the symphony with energetic drive. Frequently performed by youth and professional ensembles, the work is known as one of Britten’s most accessible early compositions.
Max Bruch’s “Kol Nidrei,” Op. 47, is a 10-minute work for cello and orchestra built on two Jewish themes, including the melody associated with the Yom Kippur prayer of the same name. Written in 1880, the piece unfolds in a series of variations that shift between solemn, chant-like passages and warmer, more lyrical episodes. The cello carries vocal-style lines, supported by a restrained orchestral backdrop. Although Bruch was not Jewish, “Kol Nidrei” has become one of his most frequently performed compositions and remains a staple of the cello repertoire for its direct melodic appeal and emotional clarity.
Hear the Vivace Chamber Orchestra perform a program of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Britten, and Bruch at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 7, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street. Tickets are available from the Mahaiwe box office.
