“We need brave music,” wrote Shostakovich. “I mean brave because it is truthful.” The Jewish composer Pavel Haas completed his third string quartet even as Czechoslovakia was being annexed. Beethoven continued to push the boundaries of expression in the face of increasing deafness, and Shostakovich reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit through his powerful declaration of defiance, sorrow, and silence. 

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, Quintet: “Guo Shang: Hymn to the Fallen” for flute, clarinet, violin, cello & piano
Dmitri Shostakovich, Piano Trio No. 2 in e minor, Op. 67