Lyric

W.A. Mozart String Quartet in C major, K 465 “Dissonance”
George Walker String Quartet No. 1 (1946)
Johannes Brahms Viola Quintet in G major, Op. 111

with Steven Ansell, viola

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s ability to deftly interweave beautiful melodies in a fabric of contrapuntal rigor produced works that to this day are widely loved.  The “Dissonance” quartet, whose introduction marks one of Mozart’s most experimental moments, is an exceptional example of mixing intellectual and popular musical elements.   Johannes Brahms used many of Mozart’s works as a model for his own compositions.  Boston Symphony Orchestra principal violist Steven Ansell joins Arneis to present his towering String Quintet in G major, Op. 111.  Originally conceived as a fifth symphony, the G major quintet was meant to be Brahms’s valedictory work in 1890 when he planned to retire from composing. George Walker broke many barriers in his career: he was the first Black pianist to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra and was also the first Black composer to receive the Pulitzer Prize.  He wrote the String Quartet No. 1 shortly after his graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music.  At the heart of the work is one of his most performed pieces, the Lyric, written in memory of his grandmother.