Romantic Masterpieces

Sct.Catharinæ Church, Ribe,  Friday 22nd August 2025 at 4 pm

SINGLE TICKETS All-inclusive Festival Ticket KR. 700,-

Johannes Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111

George Enescu: Impromptu Concertante for Violin and Piano

Ernest Chausson: Piano Quartet in A Major, Op. 30

Romantic Masterpieces – Brahms, Enescu and Chausson

Warmth, passion, and shimmering textures await in this glorious programme.

Johannes Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111
Brahms composed his String Quintet No. 2 during the summer of 1890 in the idyllic setting of Bad Ischl, Austria. Originally intended to be his final composition — Brahms even hinted at retirement afterwards — the work radiates a youthful vitality that belies any notion of farewell. The quintet’s sunny G major tonality, rich textures (thanks to the addition of a second viola), and expansive melodies evoke an almost symphonic grandeur within a chamber setting. The opening movement brims with exuberance, while the inner movements reveal Brahms’s gift for introspection, rhythmic play, and intricate harmonic layering. Although he would continue composing after this, Op. 111 stands as a testament to Brahms’s mature mastery of form, color, and deeply human expression.

George Enescu: Impromptu Concertante in G flat Major for Violin and Piano
Enescu’s education under Massenet and Fauré in Paris, combined with his Romanian heritage and early exposure to Viennese traditions, informed his compositional style. The Impromptu Concertant exemplifies this synthesis, blending French elegance, German structural rigor, and Romanian melodic sensibilities. Although not as widely known as his larger works, this piece offers insight into Enescu’s early development and the diverse influences that shaped his musical language.

Ernest Chausson: Piano Quartet in A Major, Op. 30
Composed between 1897 and 1899, Chausson’s Piano Quartet in A Major emerged during the final, most mature phase of his career — a period tragically cut short by his untimely death in 1899. Deeply influenced by both César Franck’s cyclic structures and the sensual harmonies of French Impressionism, Chausson crafted in this quartet a work of rich emotional breadth and radiant color. The music weaves together luminous textures, lyrical passion, and an underlying melancholy, typical of Chausson’s introspective style. Though less frequently performed than the quartets of his contemporaries, Op. 30 stands as a masterful synthesis of French lyricism and architectural complexity, marking Chausson as one of the most poignant voices of fin-de-siècle French music.

Romantic Masterpieces
Johannes Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111
I. Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
II. Adagio
III. Un poco allegretto
IV. Vivace, ma non troppo presto

George Enescu: Impromptu Concertante in G flat Major for Violin and Piano

Ernest Chausson: Piano Quartet in A Major, Op. 30
I. Animé
II. Très calme
III. Simple et sans hâte
IV. Animé

Christian Ihle Hadland – piano, Maria Wloszczowska, Pablo Hernán Benedí – violin,
Michel Camille, Hélène Clément – viola, Eddie Pogossian – cello