West Stockbridge — You can always count on Catherine Hudgins to devise fun and interesting programs for the West Stockbridge Chamber Players. Their lineup varies with the repertoire, but the group is made up mostly of Boston Symphony Orchestra players. When they perform on Sunday, March 30, at West Stockbridge Congregational Church, the musicians will be clarinettist Catherine Hudgins, hornist Jason Snider, violinist Sheila Fiekowsky, violist Daniel Getz, cellist Christine Lee, and pianist Jung-a Bang.
Sunday’s program will feature works by Beethoven, Price, and Dohnány:
- Ludwig van Beethoven — Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11
- Florence Price — Fantasie No. 1 in G minor
- Ernst von Dohnányi — Sextet in C major, Op. 37
Beethoven wrote the Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11, often nicknamed the “Gassenhauer Trio,” in 1797, when he was about 26 years old and beginning to lose his hearing. This was a composer in transition who, while showing respect for the refined elegance of Haydn and Mozart, was beginning to drift away from the conventions of the Classical era and hint at the bolder voice he would soon develop.
Florence Price holds the distinction of being the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major U.S. orchestra. Having studied at the New England Conservatory, Price was not only a composer but also a pianist and organist. She wrote music that blends classical European traditions with African American spirituals, gospel, and folk idioms. Her music is deeply expressive and has experienced a revival of sorts in the 21st century. Her Fantasie No. 1 is written in a free, rhapsodic style and is rich in lyrical themes and evocative harmonies.
Born in 1877 in what was then Pozsony, Austria-Hungary, Ernst von Dohnányi was one of the most important Hungarian musicians of the late Romantic and early 20th century. Composed in 1935, his Sextet in C major, Op. 37, is the product of a Brahmsian Romantic tradition blended with modern idioms. Dohnányi never fully embraced atonality or other avant-garde trends, so his music is harmonically rich and full of refined contrapuntal writing. Opus 37 is scored for piano, violin, viola, cello, clarinet, and horn. It exemplifies Dohnányi’s mature style.
The Chamber Players’ founder, Catherine Hudgins, performs regularly with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston and at Tanglewood, as well as on international tours. You can hear her playing on BSO recordings, including the Grammy Award-winning performance of Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe.”
By giving benefit performances starting 15 years ago, the West Stockbridge Chamber Players have helped restore the Old Town Hall and turn it into a performance venue, museum, and community gathering place.
Hear the West Stockbridge Chamber Players perform works by Beethoven, Price, and Dohnányi on Sunday, March 30, 3:30 p.m., at West Stockbridge Congregational Church, 45 Main St, West Stockbridge. More information and tickets are available here.
