This fully European program combines the fantastic with flare. It begins with Schubert's ethereal Fantasy for Piano Four-Hands. Written during the final year of his life for one of his students, Schubert takes the audience on an emotional journey filled with timeless melodies that embrace sorrow, darkness, and the calmness of acceptance.
We then travel to France, where Camille Saint-Saëns wrote a work for a unique combination of Violin, Piano and Voice (Guest Artist Dr. Melissa Bumbach) Violons dans le soir. This charming salon piece is full of luscious "old-school" beauty and fiery pizzazz.
Honoring the 100th centenary of Claude Debussy, French Concert Pianist and 2018 RMF Faculty Matthieu Cognet will present two short solo piano works in the impressionist style, Masques & L'Isle Joyeus.
The concert concludes with Tchaikovsky's most famous and beloved sextet Souvenir de Florence. Composed with melodies collected during his trip to Florence as well as traditional Russian folk songs, Tchaikovsky captures the charm and eloquence of his trip to Italy with the Russian intensity and passion, turning them into breathtaking musical fireworks!
