The Hague String Trio

Concert Programmes

2023/2024

Programmes for string trio

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(Hidden) Classics

Haydn and Beethoven need little introduction; in addition to these classical masters are two works from The Hague String Trio’s latest CD Celebrating Women! 

Enjoy the wonderful, Romantic trio by Dame Ethel Smyth, composed during her studies in Leipzig in the 1880s and five delightful miniatures from the Dutch composer Wegener.

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Joseph Haydn  Divertimento Hob. XI:109 in C major 

Dame Ethel Smyth  String Trio in D major, op. 6  (c.1884)  

                 *****

Emmy Frensel Wegener  Suite (1925)  

 Ludwig v Beethoven  String Trio op. 9 no. 3 in C minor

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Northern Lights 

Discover the beautiful, mysterious sound world of largely unknown music from countries of the North, with their magical natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights: music by the well-known Sibelius and his Finnish counterparts, Marttinen and Melartin, as well as one of the three Romantic string trios by the German/ Swedish composer Hermann Berens and the enigmatic and meditative Reflections by the Icelandic composer, Anna Thorvaldsdottir whose “seemingly boundless textural imagination” (NY Times) and “striking” (Guardian) sound world has made her “one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music” (NPR).

 

 

Tauno Marttinen  Aube op. 216

Jean Sibelius  Suite in A for string trio, JS 186 

Erkki Melartin  String Trio op. 133 

    *****

                  Anna Thorvaldsdottir  Reflections (2016) 

Hermann Berens  String Trio op. 85 no. 2 in C minor 

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Visions of Goldberg

Collaboration with the visual/ digital artist Lisette Huizenga. 

The Hague String Trio performs Bach’s Goldberg Variations in the arrangement for string trio by Dimitri Sitkovetsky. In addition, Lisette Huizenga creates a new world inspired by and dedicated to the music of Bach, with a homage to M.C. Escher, a great admirer of Bach who also served as an inspiration for his work.

Can also be booked as concert with only the music of Bach.

 

Johann Sebastian Bach  Goldberg Variations 

 (arranged by Dimitri Sitkovetsky for string trio)

 

                      

Czech Romance

The concert opens with atmospheric solo piano pieces by Novák, a highly talented student of Dvořák. Dvořák was teacher, mentor and father-in-law to Josef Suk, his junior by more than 30 years. Suk composed his first piano quartet, his opus 1, under Dvořák’s guidance.

Dvořák’s second and last piano quartet was written in just over a month and has become one of the most loved works in the chamber music repertoire. 

 

   Vítezslav Novák  Pieces for piano solo (t.b.a.) 

Josef Suk  Piano Quartet in A minor, op. 1 

   *****

Antonín Dvořák  Piano Quartet no. 2 in E flat major, op. 87 

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Mozart & Fauré

The year 2024 will be 100 years since the death of Gabriel Fauré. This is commemorated with his stunning first piano quartet, composed during some of the most turbulent years of his life. In the first half of the programme you can hear the short gem Aubade by the Romanian composer Georges Enescu, student of Fauré, and Mozart’s charming second piano quartet.

Mozart was commissioned by Anton Hoffmeister to write three piano quartets. After submitting the first, the commission was cancelled citing that it was too difficult. Mozart, however, was so intrigued by the genre, he decided, thankfully, to compose this second masterpiece for his own pleasure!

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Georges Enescu  Aubade 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  Piano Quartet no. 2 in E flat major, KV 493

            *****

Gabriel Fauré  Piano Quartet no. 1 in C minor, op. 15

Edward Elgar wrote his charming Andante and Allegro at a young age and yet the manuscript has only recently been published. Beethoven’s string trio opus 9 no. 3 is the last of the five string trios he composed as a young man, recently arrived in Vienna to study with Haydn. Another youthful composition, Benjamin Britten wrote his colourful and brilliant Phantasy Quartet as a student of nineteen at the Royal College of Music. The concert is brought to a close with the famous oboe quartet of Mozart, one of the highlights and most frequently performed works of the chamber music repertoire for oboe.

 

Edward Elgar  Andante and Allegro 

Ludwig v Beethoven String Trio in C minor, op. 9 no. 3  

                        *****

Benjamin Britten  Phantasy Quartet op. 2 

W. A. Mozart  Oboe quartet in F major, KV 370 

Concert Programmes

2022/2023

Programmes for string trio

 

 

(Hidden) Classics

Haydn and Beethoven need little introduction; in addition to these classical masters are two works from The Hague String Trio’s latest CD Celebrating Women! 

Enjoy the glorious Fugue in G minor, written in the late Thirties by the African-American composer, Irene Britton Smith,and the wonderful, Romantic trio by Dame Ethel Smyth; composed during her studies in Leipzig in the 1880s.

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Joseph Haydn  Divertimento Hob. XI:109 in C major 

Dame Ethel Smyth  String Trio in D major, op. 6  (c.1884)  

                 *****

Irene Britton Smith  Fugue in G minor (1938) 

 Ludwig v Beethoven  String Trio op. 9 no. 1 in G major 

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Hungarian Rhapsody

Feel the Hungarian warmth in Leo Weiner’s romantic string trio and the temperament in Kodály’s Intermezzo and Dohnányi’s Serenade, one of the highlights of the string trio repertoire. Haydn lived for many years in the palace and in the service of the Esterházy family in Hungary during which he produced a substantial number of compositions.

 

 

Joseph Haydn  Divertimento Hob. XI:109 in C major 

Leó Weiner  String Trio in G minor, op. 6  (1908)  

    *****

Zoltán Kodály Intermezzo  (1905)

Ernō van Dohnányi Serenade in C major, op. 10  (1902) 

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Celebrating Women!

Join the trio on a journey of discovery of extraordinary music by female composers! Ethel Smyth was a progressive. She moved in the highest cultural circles in Germany and was a determined social activist, notably as a leading figure in women’s suffrage. Her string trio takes us back to the world and sounds of Brahms. In addition, five delightful miniatures from the Dutch composer Wegener will be heard, an early romantic style trio by the 20th century Australian Hyde, a glorious Fugue by the African-American composer, Irene Britton Smith, and short, punchy pieces of minimal music by the American contemporary composer Reynolds.

 

 

Irene Britton Smith  Fugue in G minor (1938) 

Emmy Frensel Wegener  Suite (1925)  

Miriam Hyde  String Trio (1932)   

                     *****

Belinda Reynolds  Husband & TV on the Curb  (2016) 

Dame Ethel Smyth  String Trio in D major, op. 6  (1887)  

Czech Romance

Dvořák originally composed his Terzetto for the unusual combination of two violins and viola in order to be able to play it with friends. This arrangement is for the more common string trio combination of violin, viola and cello. His second and last piano quartet was written in just over a month and has become one of the most loved works in the chamber music repertoire. 

Dvořák was teacher, mentor and father-in-law to Josef Suk, his junior by more than 30 years. Suk composed his first piano quartet, his opus 1, under Dvořák’s guidance. Novák was also a highly talented student of Dvořák.

 

 

Antonín Dvořák  Terzetto in C, op. 74, B. 148     

Josef Suk  Piano Quartet in A minor, op. 1 

   *****

Vítezslav Novák  Piece for piano solo (t.b.a.) 

Antonín Dvořák  Piano Quartet no. 2 in E flat major, op. 87 

Edward Elgar wrote his charming Andante and Allegro at a young age and yet the manuscript has only recently been published. Beethoven’s joyous string trio opus 9 nr 1 is the third of the five string trios he composed as a young man, recently arrived in Vienna to study with Haydn. Another youthful composition, Benjamin Britten wrote his colourful and brilliant Phantasy Quartet as a student of nineteen at the Royal College of Music. 

The concert is brought to a close with the famous oboe quartet of Mozart, considered to be one of his greatest compositions.

 

 

Edward Elgar  Andante and Allegro 

Ludwig v Beethoven String Trio op. 9 no. 1 in G major      

                        *****

Benjamin Britten  Phantasy Quartet op. 2 

W. A. Mozart  Oboe quartet in F major, KV 370