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Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe

Olivier Messiaen—Nature and Theology

Assisted by Benjamin Hochman, piano; Arnaud Sussmann, violin; Julie Albers, cello; Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet; and Preeti Vasudevan, dancer

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This first lecture of a series on the evolution of modernism in music focuses on Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time”.

Accompanying materials for this lecture can be downloaded here (Adobe Acrobat required):
Lecture Program
Musical Exerpts
Indian Classical Rhythms

Claude Debussy: Languorous Ecstasy

Assisted by the Escher String Quartet

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A continuing exploration of modernism in music focuses on the musical innovations of Claude Debussy including a performance of excerpts from his String Quartet.

Accompanying materials for this master class can be downloaded here (Adobe Acrobat required):
Debussy Vocabulary and String Quartet Excerpts
Lecture Program

Leoš Janáček: A Chord is Alive

Assisted by Benjamin Hochman, piano
and Sophie Shao, cello

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This lecture on modernism in music focuses on Leoš Janáček and includes a performance of his “Fairy Tales” for cello and piano.

Accompanying materials for this lecture can be downloaded here (Adobe Acrobat required):
Lecture Program

Alexander Scriabin: Musical Mysticism

Assisted by Adrienne Kim, piano

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The idiosyncratic music of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin is the focus of this lecture on musical modernism. The presentation includes a performance of Scriabin’s Poème-nocturne for Piano.

Accompanying materials for this lecture can be downloaded here (Adobe Acrobat required):
Lecture Program
Scriabin Handout

Chamber Music Essentials with Orli Shaham

Assembling the Ingredients

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The first installment of a series devoted to understanding the basics of music. Lecturer and pianist Orli Shaham discusses the foundations of melody. The presentation includes violinists Arnaud Sussmann and Harumi Rhodes performing five violin duos by Bela Bartok.

Accompanying materials for this lecture can be downloaded here (Adobe Acrobat required):
Glossary of Tempo Markings
Basic Music Terms

Tools of the Trade

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In this second of a series devoted to understanding the basics of music, lecturer and pianist Orli Shaham discusses harmony and form. The presentation includes violinist Arnaud Sussmann and Orli Shaham performing Tzigane by Maurice Ravel.

Accompanying materials for this lecture can be downloaded here (Adobe Acrobat required):
Key Concepts of Basic Harmony

Weights & Measures

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In this installment of a series devoted to understanding the basics of music, lecturer and pianist Orli Shaham discusses sonata form. The presentation includes a performance of the first movement of Brahms’s Trio in B Major with pianist Benjamin Hochman, violinist Arnaud Sussamann, and cellist Julie Albers.

Musical Feasts for Intimate Gatherings

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In this final installment of a four-part series devoted to understanding the basics of music, lecturer and pianist Orli Shaham investigates how members of an ensemble interpret, communicate, and collaborate to create an exciting performance. `The presentation includes a performance of excerpts from Mozart’s String Quintet in D Major with the Escher String Quartet and violist Mark Holloway.

Accompanying materials for this lecture can be downloaded here (Adobe Acrobat required):
CME Program
Mozart Manuscript

Click to download a Bibliography and Discography of sources cited in the Chamber Music Essentials Lectures.