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Join Us For Our 2026-2027 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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Summer Concerts: 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, October 26 ♦ 2 PM & 7:30 PM Tickets: $25, $17 ~ Reservations advised Hyunah Yu soprano Chelsea Wang piano Danbi Um violin Clara Neubauer violin Dov Scheindlin viola Christine Lamprea cello Sooyun Kim flute Roni Gal-Ed oboe Vadim Lando clarinet Karl Kramer horn Gina Cuffari bassoon BRAHMS Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op. 24 The regal Baroque theme was borrowed from the elegant aria in Handel’s Harpsichord Suite No. 1 HWV 434, written in 1733, and expanded by 25 diverse variations and a triumphant fugue. Brahms had told the violinist Joseph Joachim, his close friend, that it was important for the variation form to “be kept stricter, purer.” The old masters, Brahms observed, were rigorous in their use of ground bass and other variation techniques, whereas he and his contemporaries tended to “rummage around the theme. We keep anxiously to the melody, but we do not treat it freely, do not actually create anything new from it, but only load it down. Thus, the melody is barely recognizable.” In the words of musicologist Harry Haskell, the Variations culminate “in a long fugue of Bachian intricacy and splendor. The work constitutes an impressive catalogue of variation techniques and musical styles, from simple dances to finger-twisting etudes and wistful romances. But even more noteworthy, in light of the importance Brahms attached to the harmonic foundation of the theme, is the dazzling array of bass patterns he creates—crisply marching basses, smoothly descending chromatic lines, strummed chords, billowing arpeggios and scales, drumbeat-style repeating figures and even drones (in the tinkly ‘music box’ Variation 22). Small wonder that when Brahms played the Handel Variations for Richard Wagner in 1864, the prophet of the ‘Artwork of the Future’ remarked admiringly, ‘One sees what may still be done in the old forms when someone comes along who knows how to use them.’” HAYDN Scottish Songs Haydn arranged over 400 Scottish, Welsh, and Irish folk songs between 1791 and 1805. During the late 1700s and early 1800s, publishers commissioned Europe’s prominent composers to add piano and violin accompaniments to traditional folk tunes for a burgeoning market—the wealthy amateur musicians who played them at home. Haydn made arrangements of 100 Scottish songs during his first visit to London. He did this as a favor to help save the publisher William Napier, who had filed for bankruptcy, from debtor’s prison. This first collection, dedicated to the Duchess of York and published in 1792, sold quickly and Napier paid Haydn 60 guineas from the revenue. Haydn arranged an additional 150 songs for a doubled fee of 120 guineas during his second London visit; these were published in 1795 (most were Scottish, several were Welsh and Irish, as well as some English airs). Later, between 1799 and 1805, Haydn arranged 200 Scottish, Welsh, and Irish melodies for the folk song collector, George Thomson of Edinburgh. (His pupil Sigismund von Neukomm occasionally helped an aging Haydn with the work between 1803 and 1805.) Haydn’s sensitivity to the character of the tunes is remarkable, considering that all he had to work with was only the melody line of each song. The publisher would later attach the titles and texts. Fritz KREISLER Farewell to Cucullain The poignant melody pierces with lyrical depth, lush harmonies, and expressive phrasing, characteristic of Kreisler’s salon miniatures. In 1851, a woman named Jane Ross notated the tune after hearing a blind street fiddler play it in the town of Limavady in County Londonderry. She sent the tune to George Petrie, the antiquarian and collector of Irish folk music. Petrie published the melody as an anonymous work in his 1855 book, The Ancient Music of Ireland, crediting Jane Ross and the county as its source. The title refers to Cú Chulainn, a legendary warrior hero from Irish mythology. Kreisler (1875–1962) is regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time. He was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing, and his style is reminiscent of the gemütlich lifestyle of prewar Vienna. Numerous colleagues have heaped praise on him; a sampling of 3 follows: Nathan Milstein “The influence of Fritz Kreisler will be a lasting one” ~ Pablo Casals “I salute to him the last crowned head of the Joachim-Sarasate-Ysaÿe dynasty” ~ Jascha Heifetz “At the beginning of my career I tried to imitate Kreisler.” Born in Vienna, Kreisler began to learn the violin at age 4 with his father, a doctor and enthusiastic amateur violinist. At age 7 he was the youngest ever to enter the Vienna Conservatory, where he studied violin for 3 years. He won a gold medal at age 10, an unprecedented distinction. He then studied composition and violin at the Paris Conservatoire. After a successful concert tour in the United States in 1888–1889, he returned to Vienna to study medicine. Then he studied art in Paris and Rome and served as an officer in the Austrian army. In 1899 he resumed concertizing and became one of the most successful virtuosos of his time. In 1910 Kreisler premiered Edward Elgar’s Violin Concerto (dedicated to him) with the London Symphony Orchestra and Elgar conducting; it was a triumph. After 1915 he lived mainly in the United States but continued to tour widely in Europe. In 1941 he was struck by a truck in New York City and nearly died from the injuries; although he recovered, his playing and hearing were never the same. He died in New York in 1962. Carl Maria von WEBER Schottische Lieder George Thomson, the folk song collector who engaged Haydn and Beethoven for his folk song projects, asked Weber to arrange Scottish national melodies, which he scored for voice and chamber quartet. The accompaniments are written sensitively, with a colorful expressive palette in an early German Romantic manner. Composed toward the end of his life, the songs were intended for the Scottish market, set to English and Scots lyrics. But these arrangements were also widely published with lyrics in German translation. Sir Hamilton HARTY Piano Quintet in F Major Op. 12 Andrew Clements of the Guardian proclaimedthe 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 with its folksy quirks and nonchalance, and the winding, pentatonic melody in the Lento. Born in County Down, Harty (1879–1941) was a remarkable, fascinating, mercurial, witty, and mostly self-taught musician. He moved to London in 1900 and soon gained a reputation as a promising composer and “the prince of accompanists.” In addition, he established himself as a conductor, and was noted as an interpreter of the music of Berlioz. During World War I he frequently appeared in Manchester with the Hallé Orchestra, becoming its permanent conductor in 1920, and making it probably the best orchestra in England. He introduced many new works and composers to his audiences, including the music of Bax, Sibelius, Berlioz, Walton, and Strauss. His tenure, however, ended in resignation and acrimony in 1933. Harty was also conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra from 1932 to 1935. He was knighted in 1925, and died in Brighton in 1941. We are grateful to Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for providing a copy of the autograph manuscript for our performances. |
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Monday, November 2 ♦ 2 PM & 7:30 PM Tickets: $25, $17 ~ Reservations advised Keyi Wang piano Hao Zhou violin Marie Leopoldine BLAHETKA Nocturne No. 1 Op. 46 Blahetka’s Nocturne is a departure from the traditional, calm nocturnes of Chopin and John Field in its use of grand concerto-like gestures—bold virtuosity, complex passage work, and pervasive polonaise rhythms. The technical demands equal those of ballades and etudes. It was possibly written as an homage to Chopin, her friend. Leopoldine created quite a stir in Vienna when she performed Beethoven’s 2nd Piano Concerto in 1819 at the age of 10. Born in 1809 into is musical family, her father Joseph Leopold was a close friend of Beethoven, who guided the piano prodigy’s musical education and kept an eye on her career. Joseph was a math teacher, amateur musician, and music journalist. Her mother played the glass harmonica and gave Leopoldine her first music lessons. She then studied with Friedrich Kalkbrenner and Ignaz Moscheles, and with Joseph Czerny, whom Beethoven recommended. Beethoven had recently engaged Joseph Czerny (no relation to Carl) to teach his nephew Karl. Joseph’s biographical sketch reveals that Beethoven advised Leopoldine to play only Mozart for an entire year, which she did by playing all of Mozart’s keyboard music. Beethoven also helped her develop improvisation skills. He continued to follow her career until his death in 1827. Joseph was a torchbearer at his funeral. In 1821, at the age of 12, Blahetka and her mother went on her first tour of Europe. In Frankfurt, a critic hailed her as “an extraordinary piano player” with a solid technique and “an excellent pearly touch.” Schumann, in a review, judged her playing as “truly feminine, delicate, thoughtful and well-crafted.” He was also very impressed by her compositions. In 1828, the year she turned 19, Blahetka appeared at a Viennese charity concert with Paganini. That same year, after Chopin’s concert in Vienna, he disclosed, “Blahetka’s daughter…is the first pianist of Vienna. She must like me (nota bene, she is not 20 yet; living at home; a clever and even pretty girl); she gave me her own compositions with an autograph inscription, for a keepsake, when I left.” Blahetka continued to concertize in Europe and in London, as well as compose and teach for 40 years. Her concertizing, however, ended in 1832 when her father became ill. She never married and died in 1885 in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Carl CZERNY Nonet in Eb Major Fanfare raved, “An explosion of concert fireworks! What a discovery!” Czerny (1791–1857)—the prolific Austrian composer, pianist, and teacher of Bohemian origin—studied with Beethoven for 3 years from the age of 10, and became his assistant and lifelong friend. Beethoven’s influence was immeasurable. Czerny was chosen to give the first Vienna performance of the “Emperor” Concerto in 1812. He also gave weekly concerts at his home, devoted exclusively to Beethoven’s piano music. Beethoven himself attended many of these concerts. Czerny later taught Liszt and Beethoven’s nephew Karl. As one of Beethoven’s most notable pupils, Czerny had to compete with his master’s shadow. He was anointed by the public as Beethoven’s disciple, and was expected to continue Beethoven’s legacy and musical genius. Instead, Czerny was arguably the greatest pianist who never performed, and the most successful composer to have been consigned to oblivion—his compositions of over 800 opus numbers and mounds of unpublished manuscripts remain largely untapped. He recalled, “I composed every free minute I had, especially in the evening.” He often worked on three to four pieces simultaneously—“it explains easily how my opus numbers soon rose to 100, 200, 300, etc., without counting my equally numerous arrangements, which always remained unnumbered.” He is today remembered mostly for the technical etudes that are still inflicted on piano students 170 years after his death. BEETHOVEN Violin Sonata No. 9 “Kreutzer” Op. 47 The Sonata was originally composed for the prodigy George Bridgetower, known as the “African Prince” in London. His father was West Indian or Barbadian and his mother, German. In 1803 Bridgetower met Beethoven in Vienna. Impressed with the virtuoso, Beethoven wrote the Sonata with Bridgetower’s artistry in mind. Both the composition and arrangements for the premiere on 24 May 1803 were done in great haste: Beethoven supposedly completed the piece at 4:30 AM, before the sun rose the morning of the premiere, but the copyist failed to complete the solo violin part in time for the most unusual early concert time of 8 AM. This meant that Bridgetower had to sightread most of the piece, and was forced to read the second movement of the score by looking over Beethoven’s shoulder at the piano! Nonetheless the premiere was a success, but their friendship soon ruptured when Beethoven was offended by an unflattering remark that Bridgetower made about a woman Beethoven respected. Hence the dedication was made to the French violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer shortly before its publication in 1805. Kreutzer abhorred Beethoven’s music, declared the Sonata “outrageously unintelligible,” and never performed it. Bridgetower, although embittered by the rededication, kept Beethoven’s gift of a tuning fork, now preserved in the British Library. |
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Jupiter 2026 - 2027 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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office address: |
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MeiYing Manager All
performances, except where otherwise noted, are held at: Copyright © 1999-2026 Jupiter Symphony. All rights reserved.
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