Thursday, December 17, 2020 @ 7:30pm – 9:30pm (EST)
Online event
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$10+ donation, RSVP required

Pavel Nersessian, piano
Alexander Bedenko, clarinet

Sergei Rachmaninoff – Selection from Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – "III. Mélodie" from Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Valse Sentimentale, Op. 51, No. 6
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Nocturne Op. 19 No. 4
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – "I. Méditation" from Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – "V. May: Starlit Nights" from The Seasons, Op. 37a

Tune in with Aspect Chamber Music Series for a program featuring two musical stars of the world's stages, clarinetist Alexander Bedenko and pianist Pavel Nersessian.

Although music speaks for itself, there is always a story behind the music, which Stephen Johnson, a composer and acclaimed BBC Radio presenter, will share with us.

Did you know? The premiere of the 23-year-old Sergei Rachmaninoff’s First Symphony in 1897 was a catastrophe, and the critics were savage. For three years, Rachmaninoff couldn’t write a single note.

Then, a hypnotherapist named Nikolai Dahl came to his rescue. Dahl’s treatment released a flood of music from Rachmaninoff, including the famous Second Piano Concerto and the Cello Sonata.

The life of Rachmaninoff’s idol Pyotr Tchaikovsky was also full of emotional turmoil. Some of this he poured out in his symphonies and tone poems, but in his solo piano music, we see another side of his genius: poetic miniatures, each one distilling a memory or a mood with tender lyricism or playful humor. These lovely short pieces tell us a lot about how an often-tormented man found peace of mind and the means to keep going.

The livestream will take place at 7:30pm Eastern / 4:30pm Pacific.

RSVP for details/livestream link.

$10+ minimum payment to musicians, $3 reservation fee.