Vienna, VA
Viola CelebrationSun, November 16 2025, 3:00 pm
Wolf Trap
2 hours, including intermission
The unique timbre of the viola—rich, dark, and soulful—has made it the instrument of choice for composers seeking to add even more luscious beauty to chamber ensembles. CMS proudly offers a one-of-a-kind program that includes a pair of violas in every work, from Vaughan Williams’s haunting Phantasy Quintet, to violist-composer Brett Dean’s gripping lament, to Mozart’s joyful and uplifting C-major Quintet, one of six he composed that truly put the viola quintet on the chamber music map.
Program
Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770–1827)Fugue in D major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, Op. 137
(1817)Ralph Vaughan Williams
(1872–1958)Phantasy Quintet for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello
(1912)York Bowen
(1884–1961)Two Duos in G major for Two Violas
(1920)Brett Dean
(b. 1961)Epitaphs for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello
(2010)Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756–1791)Quintet in C major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, K. 515
(1787)Quick Note
This quintet is one of Mozart's only two quintets for this instrumentation, composed in 1787 during a particularly fruitful period in his career, which also saw the composition of several other masterpieces, including his opera Don Giovanni and the Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor.
Listen for the interplay between the two violins, particularly in the opening Allegro movement, where they engage in lively dialogue, passing motifs back and forth. Pay attention to the expressive depth of the second movement, especially in the poignant melodies played by the violas.