Mozart, Ruehr, Brahms

The String Quintet No. 6. in E-flat, scored for a string quartet with added viola, is Mozart’s last major chamber work. The opening theme issued by the violas, akin to a horn call, becomes the thematic basis for the rest of the movement. The Andante, a theme and variations movement, offers calm moments of repose, while the energetic finale delights listeners with its deft and inventive counterpoint.

This season’s BCMS commission comes from celebrated Boston-based composer Elena Ruehr. Bächlein Helle, or “clear little brook,” draws inspiration from Schubert’s beloved Trout Quintet and is scored for the same set of instruments. Ruehr’s work is built from the tonic chord notes of A and F major, two main key areas in Schubert’s Trout. 

Brahms’s Piano Trio in B major, written in 1854 and heavily revised thirty-five years later, weaves together the voice of a talented youth with that of a seasoned master. The trio’s opening melody is quintessential Brahms with its autumnal, slightly melancholy cast — a description also applicable to the work’s serene Adagio. The passionate Allegro finale ends this major-key work, unusually, in B minor.

The live concert will be videotaped for on-demand viewing after 3/10.

Featured musicians: David Bowlin and Yura Lee, violins; Kim Kashkashian and Marcus Thompson, violas; Raman Ramakrishnan, cello; Thomas Van Dyck, double bass; Max Levinson, piano