A Legacy of Fearless Song: Beethoven, Shostakovich, Haas, Part & Shen

Resilience of the human spirit is the central theme for the Chameleon Arts Ensemble’s November program. Pavel Haas completed his third String Quartet in 1938 as Czechoslovakia was being annexed, three years before he was interned at the Terezín camp and later murdered at Auschwitz. His singular musical language carried forward the Czech traditions instilled in him by his teacher Janáček, with influences of Jewish and Moravian folksong, chant, and jazz. While at Terezín, he wrote: “Our will to create art has always been as strong as our will to survive.” We present this rare and important work alongside Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 5 in D major, Op. 102, No. 2; Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel for clarinet and piano; Guo Shang: Hymn to the Fallen by Shen Yiwen; and Shostakovich’s powerful declaration of defiance, sorrow, and silence, the Piano Trio No. 2 in e minor, Op. 67.

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PROGRAM
Ludwig van Beethoven, Cello Sonata No. 5 in D Major, Op. 102, No. 2
Pavel Haas, String Quartet No. 3 (1937-38)
Arvo Pärt, Spiegel im Spiegel for clarinet & piano
Shen Yiwen, Guo Shang “Hymn to the Fallen” for flute, clarinet, violin, cello & piano
Dmitri Shostakovich, Piano Trio No. 2 in e minor, Op. 67

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ARTISTS
Deborah Boldin, flute; Robyn Bollinger, violin; Vivian Chang-Freiheit, piano; Gary Gorczyca, clarinet; Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello; Sarah Rommel, cello; Mika Sasaki, piano; Scott Woolweaver, viola; Stephanie Zyzak, violin