Hearing Schumann

This weekend at the Marlboro Music Festival Concerts, there will be chamber music performed by Reger, Ravel and Brahms (Sat. eve), and Mozart, Britten and Schumann (Sun. aft.). I have all heard these pieces rehearsed except the Britten. Each is wonderful in its own way, but I suppose the Schumann Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47 would stand at the top of the list. It is beyond wonderful. It is being performed by a stellar group of musicians, led by the co-Director of the Festival, Mitsuko Uchida, at the piano.

Mitsuko Uchida. One of the most revered artists of our time, Mitsuko Uchida is known as a peerless interpreter of the works of Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Beethoven, as well for being a devotee of the piano music of Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and György Kurtág. She has enjoyed close relationships over many years with the world’s most renowned orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and – in the US – the Chicago Symphony and The Cleveland Orchestra, with whom she recently celebrated her 100th performance at Severance Hall. Conductors with whom she has worked closely have included Bernard Haitink, Sir Simon Rattle, Riccardo Muti, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Vladimir Jurowski, Andris Nelsons, Gustavo Dudamel, and Mariss Jansons.

Stephanie Zyzak, violin. Praised for her sensitive musicianship and heartfelt playing, violinist Stephanie Zyzak is gaining a reputation as one of the finest musicians of her generation. Stephanie made her first solo appearance at the age of seven with the Starling Chamber Orchestra in the Aspen Music School and became the youngest recipient ever to be awarded the Aspen Music School New Horizon Fellowship. The following year, she performed in Germany as an invited guest of the Internationale Kunst – Akademie Liechtenstein (IKAL). She has had the opportunity to perform as a soloist and tour with ensembles in Germany, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Spain, Italy, and France. In 2004, she made her debut with the Louisville Orchestra, and has performed with orchestras such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic, and Southeast Missouri Symphony. Other notable performances include an appearance on Praire Home Companion with Garrison Keillor and an invitation to perform as an honored guest at the Lotus Festival for His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

Oliver Herbert, cello. Cellist Oliver Herbert is quickly building a reputation as an artist with a distinct voice and individual style, admired by audiences for his communicative and connective performances. The recipient of a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Oliver has been praised by San Francisco Classical Voice for his “expansive tone, virtuosity, and musical instincts.” Recent appearances include debuts with world renowned ensembles including the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic, and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Oliver is equally at home playing well-known works as well as exploring uncharted musical territories. The 2021-22 season marks the beginning of several ambitious projects, including performances of the complete Bach Cello Suites at Capital Region Classical and the complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas at Guarneri Hall in Chicago. Oliver will also be premiering a commissioned work by Chelsea Komschlies for multitrack cello and electronics, as well as exploring the music of Venezuelan composer and cellist Paul Desenne. Concerto highlights for the 2021-22 season include performances with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, New World Symphony, and Rhode Island Philharmonic—performing works by Barber, Ibert, Saint-Saens, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky.

Beth Gutterman Chu, viola. A native of Belmont, MA, Beth Guterman Chu is principal violist of the St. Louis Symphony. Chu was a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and as a chamber musician performed with distinguished artists and ensembles including Itzhak Perlman, Menahem Pressler, Gil Shaham, David Finckel and Wu Han, Joseph Kalichstein, Edger Meyer, members of the Guarneri Quartet, and the Orion Quartet. Chu regularly teaches and performs at the Aspen Music Festival and School and Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra USA. She has also participated in many summer festivals including the Marlboro Music Festival, Music@Menlo, Bravo Vail Valley Music Festival, and the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival. She has recorded chamber music on the Deutsche Grammophon, Tzadik, and Naxos labels, and has toured across America, Europe, and Asia. She is a member of the conductorless East Coast Chamber Orchestra. Chu received her Artist Diploma at the New England Conservatory, and her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School.

The quartet performing Schumann. It happens that we are experiencing a power outage here and so the quartet is performing with emergency lighting. It is darker on the stage than this photo shows.