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Join Us For Our 2025-2026 Season! |
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Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players “This was music-making of a very high order” Fred Kirshnit, The New York Sun |
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View Our Printable Calendar and Ticket Order Form (pdf) Take a look at our guest artists for this season. |
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Join us for our next concerts...
Monday, September 8 ♦ 2 PM & 7:30 PM Tickets: $25, $17 ~ Reservations advised Drew Petersen piano Njioma Grevious violin Paul Laraia viola Mihai Marica cello Gabriel Polinsky double bass Sooyun Kim flute Roni Gal-Ed oboe Vadim Lando clarinet Charles Martin LOEFFLER “L’étang” (“The Pond”) “L’étang” is one of Two Rhapsodies inspired by a poem of the French symbolist poet Maurice Rollinat. It conjures an eerie portrait of a murky, spectral reflecting pool inhabited by darting sprites, “aged fish struck with blindness…and consumptive toads,” all under the glow of the moon’s “ghostly face, with flattened nose and weirdly vacant jaw, like death’s head lit from within.” The Two Rhapsodies were originally written in 1898 as a set of Three Rhapsodies for Voice, Clarinet, Viola, and Piano. When the clarinetist for whom they were intended was tragically killed, Loeffler rescored the set for an oboist he had befriended. The Rhapsodies were influenced by contemporary French composers, including his friend Gabriel Fauré, and by Edgar Allen Poe, one of the authors whose writings he read in particular (revealing his love of the macabre). “L’étang” was dedicated to his friend Léon Pourtau, a painter and clarinetist who was lost at sea when his ship en route to France sank in a collision. Loeffler (1861–1935) was one of America’s greatest composers, whose work was distinguished by a poetic lyricism in an Impressionist style. Born to German parents, he studied violin and music theory in his youth in Berlin and Paris. His favorite classical master was Handel. The event that most influenced his life, however, was the imprisonment of his father “for having told the truth about certain things concerning the Prussian government.” Loeffler went to great lengths to distance himself from his Prussian origins and became a Francophile, asserting French nationality and acquiring French manners and tastes. After working as an orchestral violinist in Paris, he decided to emigrate to the United States and sailed for New York in 1881, with letters of recommendation from the violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim. In 1882 he joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Second Concertmaster. Although he resigned in 1903 to devote himself to composing and teaching, he maintained his relationship with the BSO, which premiered almost all of his symphonic works. In 1910 Loeffler “settled near Medford, where he had a house and studio and led a seigneurial existence, driving and riding thoroughbred horses and enjoying an epicurean cuisine. Sargeant, who did his portrait, was one of his close friends. At the same time Loeffler never ceased to be an assiduous student of music from plainsong and church modes to the contemporary impressionist school. He was also an avid reader.… He was not a prolific composer but everything he wrote was carefully thought through and fashioned with skill and sensitivity. Loeffler was an aristocrat, a perfectionist…and something of a mystic as well…. He was a cosmopolitan musician and his work contains French, Russian, medieval, Irish, Spanish and jazz elements. Basically he was an impressionist; the poetry and painting which he knew so well contributed to his musical inspiration…. [New Grove Dictionary].” Giaochino ROSSINI “La Pesca” from Soirée Musicales No. 10 Rossini effectively stopped writing operas in 1829 at the age of 37, even though he lived another 40 years. Having composed 39 operas in 19 years, he had earned fame and fortune and was financially secure, but he suffered from urethritis and arthritis as well as bouts of depression, and was worn down by general exhaustion and changes in the artistic and political climate. In 1830 he moved to Paris and wrote vocal and instrumental pieces. These include Soirée Musicales—8 chamber arias and 4 duets that were elegant, witty, and charming in a range of moods. The songs were performed in the intimate setting of Rossini’s weekly salon evenings at his home, reflecting the musical tastes of the time. The pieces were published as a collection by Troupenas in 1835. Carl REINECKE Flute Sonata in E Major “Undine” Op. 167 The duet was inspired by Friedrich de la Motte-Fouqué’s story about a water nymph Undine, who longs for an immortal soul which can only be obtained by earthly love with a mortal man. The tale perfectly suited the German Romantics’ fascination with the supernatural—a world of nymphs and demigods. The music conveys the concepts of water, love, and transformation through its melodic and harmonic language. The Sonata was dedicated to Wilhelm Barge, principal flutist of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra from 1867 to 1895. Reinecke (1824–1910) was among the most influential and versatile musicians of the 19th century. He was born near Hamburg in the town of Altona, then under the jurisdiction of Denmark (until 1864). Taught by his father Rudolf, a widely respected teacher and music theorist, he started composing at age 7, and at 11 he made his first public appearance as a pianist. He was also a top-notch orchestral violinist; and at age 18 he toured Sweden and Denmark as a pianist, being especially successful in Copenhagen. In 1846 he was appointed court pianist to the King of Denmark in Copenhagen, where he accompanied the violin virtuoso Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst and gave solo recitals. As a teacher of composition and piano he had few equals; and as the director of the Leipzig Conservatory, he transformed it into one of the most renowned in Europe. Among his many students were Grieg, Bruch, Janáček, Weingartner, Albeníz, Delius, Arthur Sullivan, and George Chadwick. As conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra he achieved a high level of virtuosity from his players. And not least, “As a composer Reinecke was best known for his numerous piano compositions, representing virtually every musical form of the time and stylistically nearer to Schumann than to Mendelssohn.... His chamber music is distinguished [New Grove Dictionary].” In 1871 the Musical Times expressed its preference of composers on a Mr Cohen’s Concerts of Modern Music at the Hanover Square Rooms in London: “Brahms and Reinecke are creative artists of whom we have a right to be proud, although the clear and musicianlike writing of the latter is in our judgement infinitely superior to the somewhat forced and exaggerated style of the former.” In addition, he was a gifted painter and poet. Reinecke’s oeuvre comprised 288 opus numbers; and some of his 42 cadenzas for 19 piano concertos by Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and Weber continue to be played (Bruno Walter chose Reinecke’s cadenza for his 1937 recording of Mozart’s D minor concerto K. 466). Reinecke is also the earliest-born musician ever to have made a recording of any kind. Between 1904 and 1907 he made some 27 piano rolls for Hupfeld (on their Triphonola label) and Welte-Mignon, 12 of which were of his own music. Two of these were piano pieces by Schumann, and 3 were duets with his wife. He subsequently made a further 14 rolls for Aeolian. SCHUBERT Piano Quintet in A Major “Trout” Op. 114 The “Trout”—arguably the most famous piece of chamber music—was written at age 22 in less than a week for Sylvester Paumgartner, a rich Austrian patron and amateur cellist, who had asked Schubert for a quintet that would include a movement based on a favorite song, Die Forelle “The Trout.” |
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Monday, September 15 ♦ 2 PM & 7:30 PM Tickets: $25, $17 ~ Reservations advised Maxim Lando piano Danbi Um violin Laura Liu viola Torron Pfeffer viola Christine Lee cello Zachary Merkovsky double bass Roni Gal-Ed oboe Karl Kramer horn Vera Romero horn MOZART Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor K. 457 Music historian Hermann Abert reasoned that Mozart created “a psychological portrait of a sombreness and passion found in no other sonata from his pen.” Apart from its emotional power and innovations such as his use of unexpected harmonies, the Sonata stands out for its influence on later composers. It is said to foreshadow Beethoven’s style. For instance, Mozart’s bold use of the key of C minor was rarely heard in chamber music in his day, but the key would define Beethoven’s repertoire. The stark dynamic contrasts were unusual as well, but were characteristic in Beethoven’s compositions. A theme in the slow movement resembles a theme in the Adagio cantabile of Beethoven’s “Pathétique” Sonata. There are others as well. Mozart wrote the Sonata during an active year composing and performing in Vienna. He entered it into his own catalog on 14 October 1784. Dedicated to Therese von Trattner, his gifted piano pupil and the wife of his landlord, the publisher and bookseller Johann von Trattner, the Sonata was published by Artaria. Alexander Uber was a German cello virtuoso, composer, and Kapellmeister. Ignace PLEYEL Nocturne No. 1 in C Major B. 215 Pleyel was not only famous in his day as a piano builder and music publisher, he was equally acclaimed and hugely popular as a composer. Mozart praised the Austrian-born French composer’s merits in a letter to his father: “If you are not yet acquainted with Pleyel’s new quartets, it’s worth the effort. They are very well written and very pleasant. Perhaps one day Pleyel will be able to fill the place of our dear Haydn.” Dana Nagina, a Russian musicologist, sheds light on Pleyel’s influence on Mozart and conversely: “At least twice in his life he could instill a sense of rivalry in his eminent contemporaries—Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart…. When composing his works, Mozart made himself familiar with Pleyel’s Quartets Oр. 1 written according to the model of Haydn’s works…. Pleyel was instrumental in the very existence of certain works by Mozart and Haydn. However, both of them also influenced his style. This is especially true of Pleyel’s interpretation of the sonata form. In the first quartets he relied on Haydn’s model with the variant transformation of the main theme, then, however, he resorts to Mozart’s model with its thematic plurality…and thematic and structural parallels with the Italian opera arias. Pleyel’s symphonies concertante are the extreme of similarity to Mozart’s form [Contemporary Musicology Journal].” Pleyel (1757–1831) was the 8th of 16 children born to an impoverished schoolteacher. He was admitted to the class of the composer Johann Vanhal while very young, and in about 1772 he became Haydn’s pupil and lodger in Eisenstadt. As stated in the New Grove Dictionary, “his annual pension [was] being paid by Count Ladislaus Erdődy, whose family at Pressburg was related to Haydn’s patrons, the Esterházys. The count showed his pleasure at the progress of his protégé by offering Haydn a carriage and two horses, for which Prince Esterházy agreed to provide a coachman and fodder.” Initially a rival of Haydn’s, Pleyel made his peace with the older composer and for several years they enjoyed a close and fruitful relationship as teacher and prized pupil. In his heyday, Pleyel was all the rage in Europe, and there was even a Pleyel Society in Nantucket. Antonín DVOŘÁK Piano Quartet No. 2 in Eb Major Op. 87 The Piano Quartet was composed at the request of his publisher Simrock. In a letter to his friend Alois Göbl, Dvořák wrote, “The melodies just surged upon me.” In spite of his busy schedule, Dvořák somehow found time in July and August to compose two major works—the Symphony in G Major and this Piano Quartet—a work marked by melodic invention, structural mastery, harmonic richness, and irresistible high spirits. It was premiered at a concert funded by the Prague Artistic Circle on 23 November 1890. William Hertz explained why the year 1889 was one of the most fulfilling of Dvořák’s life. “After years of struggle, his music, with its infusion of Czech folk elements, was being played all over Europe, and performing groups vied for the premiere performances of his new works. Dvořák himself was conducting before enthusiastic audiences in England and Germany…. Still to come were his three years in the United States as director of a new conservatory in New York City and where he would compose his Symphony ‘From the New World.’ Thanks to the interest of his new friend Tchaikovsky, Dvořák was invited to conduct the following spring in Moscow and St. Petersburg…. Another friend, Brahms, kept up his efforts to persuade Dvořák to move to Vienna, the music capital of Europe and, Brahms argued, a more appropriate location for a composer of Dvořák’s international stature than the cultural hinterland of Bohemia. And finally, notwithstanding his nationalist loyalty to Czech culture, Dvořák was awarded the Austrian Order of the Iron Cross and a personal audience with Emperor Franz Joseph.” Although Dvořák was inspired by Bedřich Smetana’s nationalistic approach to incorporating Czech folk music, Brahms’s compositional style, and Wagner’s earlier romanticism, he was also influenced by Mozart whose works he admired, particularly his melodic language and mastery of form. To Dvořák, “Mozart is sweet sunshine.” |
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Jupiter 2025 - 2026 Season Tickets: $25, $17 ~ Reservations advised Please visit our Media Page to hear Audio Recordings from the Jens Nygaard and Jupiter Symphony Archive Concert Venue:
Office Address:
Like our Facebook page to see photos, videos, Jupiter in the News ConcertoNet
Strad Magazine ConcertoNet
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As promised, here are the videos of John Field’s Divertissement No. 1 and Sir Hamilton Harty’s Piano Quintet. Fortuitously, our Jupiter musicians had the good sense to record the rehearsal in an impromptu decision, literally minutes before pressing the record button. Pianist Mackenzie Melemed (replacing Roman Rabinovich at the last minute) learned the music in 2 days! Bravo to him. Both works are Irish rarities that were scheduled for the March 16 performances which had to be canceled because of the coronavirus epidemic. Even though the entire program could not be recorded because of technical issues, we are pleased to be able to share with you the 2 musical gems. Enjoy.
John FIELD Divertissement No. 1 H. 13 We thank the University of Illinois (Champaign) for a copy of the Divertissement music. Mackenzie Melemed piano
Sir Hamilton HARTY Piano Quintet in F Major Op. 12 Andrew Clements of the Guardian proclaimed the beautiful Quintet “a real discovery: a big, bold statement full of striking melodic ideas and intriguing harmonic shifts, which adds Brahms and Dvořák into Harty’s stylistic mix, together with Tchaikovsky in some passages.” There’s folk music charm as well, reminiscent of Percy Grainger—notably in the Scherzo (Vivace) with its folksy quirks and nonchalance, and the winding, pentatonic melody in the Lento. Our gratitude to the Queen’s University Library in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for a copy of the autograph manuscript of the music. Much thanks, too, to Connor Brown for speedily creating a printed score and parts from Harty’s manuscript. Mackenzie Melemed piano I Allegro 0:00 | |||||||
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Jupiter featured on Our Net News American program opener on March 18, with grateful thanks to Michael Shaffer of OurNetNews.com for recording the matinee concert, and making available the Horatio Parker Suite video for our viewing pleasure. Horatio Parker Suite in A Major, Op. 35, composed in 1893 Stephen Beus piano
More video from this performance can be viewed on our media page |
Jupiter on YouTube NEW YORK CANVAS : The Art of Michael McNamara is a video portrait of the artist who has painted iconic images of New York City for more than a decade, capturing the changing urban landscape of his adopted city. Our Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players provide the music from Brahms’s Piano Quartet in G Minor, underscoring the inspiration the artist has drawn from Jens Nygaard and the musicians. Michael was also our Jupiter volunteer from 2002 to 2010. Here is a video of the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players performance of the Rondo alla Zingarese movement:
The producer-director, Martin Spinelli, also made the EMMY Award-winning “Life On Jupiter: The Story of Jens Nygaard, Musician.” For more information, visit our media
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“Some great musicians get a statue when they pass away. Some get their name imprinted on the roof of a well-known concert hall. But the late conductor Jens Nygaard has a living tribute: an entire ensemble of musicians and a concert series to go along with it... It is one of the city’s cultural jewels... In the end, if Mr. Nygaard was known for anything, it was unmitigated verve. That’s what the audience regularly returned for, and that’s what they got Monday afternoon. To have a grassroots community of musicians continue to celebrate Mr. Nygaard with indomitable performances like these week after week, even without the power of world-famous guest soloists, is proper tribute. And with more large orchestras and ensembles needing more corporate sponsorship year after year, I, for one, hope the Jupiter’s individual subscriber-base remains strong. New York’s musical life needs the spirit of Jens Nygaard, and Mei Ying should be proud she’s keeping it alive.” Read the complete article on our reviews page. |
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MeiYing Manager All
performances, except where otherwise noted, are held at: Copyright © 1999-2025 Jupiter Symphony. All rights reserved.
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