Oct. 3, 2016 -- The 2016 Fall Chamber Series will begin at 2 p.m., this Sunday, Oct. 9, with its first of four concerts in the series. The performance, coordinated by violinist Gunnery Sgt. Janet Bailey, will take place in John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the Marine Barracks Annex in southeast Washington, D.C., and stream live online at www.marineband.marines.mil. Bailey offered the following on the program:
The pieces I chose to put on this program will, I hope, be familiar to some listeners and will also give some insight about the vastly different sounds coming out of Europe in the mid-19th to mid-20th century. The first piece on the program, Turner Layton’s “After You’ve Gone,” is very much on the light side—a fun piece in the Gypsy-jazz genre featuring Gunnery Sgt. Tam Tran on the violin.
From this light-hearted opener, we move into a different genre altogether with the String Quartet No. 3 of Soulima Stravinsky, son of the famous composer Igor Stravinsky. This music is so interesting to me in that, while it certainly has its own character and is very well-crafted, the influence of the father is clear. Much the same way a family trait can come through the generations in a smile or expression, Soulima’s quartet contains recognizable elements of Igor’s style.
Henri Tomasi’s Fanfares Liturgiques is an impressive piece that rounds out the first half of the program with the sounds of a brass choir. At times powerful and strong, while other moments throughout are soft and questioning, this piece shows off what Tomasi had achieved at the pinnacle of his composing career.
The second half of the program is dedicated to a piece beloved by chamber music enthusiasts, Trio in C for Piano and Strings, Opus 87, by Johannes Brahms. This piece will be familiar to some, and those who do not know it already will admire it very much! The piece represents the composition skills of Brahms, one of the best-known composers of the Austro-Hungarian tradition, at his peak.
My hope is that this program gives listeners a broad musical experience that is both cohesive and satisfying.
The Fall Chamber Series concert is free and no tickets are required. The Marine Barracks Annex is accessible by Metro via the Navy Yard or Eastern Market stations. Free parking is also available under the overpass on 7th Street, across from the Annex.
Complete program and notes
Directions and parking
Live stream