Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will present 10 of its principal musicians in an intimate afternoon concert of chamber music Sunday in the Sheraton Read House.
“Typically, we have 35 musicians playing for a chamber orchestra, but this concert features only principal musicians playing pieces for small ensembles,” said Eric Anderson, CSO principal bassoon and a bassoon instructor at Lee University.
Anderson said combinations of duo, trio, quartet and quintet from within the 10 instrumentalists will perform. Additionally, they will be joined by Dr. Phillip Thomas, head of instrumental music at Lee, who will play the harpsichord basso continuo on a Telemann quartet.
The intimate size of the ensembles will allow audiences to hear the strength of the musicians’ individual talents as they blend for their performances. The audience will see CSO favorites, such as flutist Janet Hale, as well as meet newcomer Tyler Shepherd, a bass player who moved here from Texas in the fall.
Anderson said that Shepherd and cellist Eric Reed will pair for Rossini’s Duet for Cello & Bass. The trio of associate concertmaster Lisa Dempsey, principal second violinist Sheri Peck and Robert Elder, principal viola, will play Dvorak’s Terzetto in C Major for Two Violins and Viola.
Hale, Burks, Anderson and Thomas will present Telemann’s Quartet in D minor for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon and Basso Continuo.
“During Telemann’s life, he was compared favorably to Bach and Handel,” said Anderson. “This quartet was composed in 1733. It is from a set of music Telemann composed for tafelmusik, which means table music. It’s music that would be played while people were dining,” explained Anderson.
Rounding out the program will be Paul Hindemith’s Kleine Kammermusik for Wind Quintet, Opus 24, Part 2.
Here's a look at a few of the dinos coming to the @ClintonCenter. Details on new exhibit here: http://t.co/tNEq8pNBH1 pic.twitter.com/z9b1tk1N0N
— Gavin Lesnick (@glesnick) April 15, 2015“This is one of his early works, written in 1922, when he would have been 27 years old,” said Anderson. “Hindemith was one of the composers to flee Nazi Germany. He moved to the U.S., where he eventually became an American citizen and taught at Yale.”
CSO spokeswoman Katie Wilson said wine and sweets will be served at the afternoon concert for a nominal charge ($2-$8) that is in addition to the price of admission.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
If You Go
* What: “CSO Treasures: Gems from the Principals.”
* When: 3 p.m. Sunday.
* Where: Silver Ballroom of the Sheraton Read House, 827 Broad St.
* Admission: $15.
* Phone: 267-8583.
Featured Musicians
* Bass: Tyler Shepherd
* Bassoon: Eric Anderson
* Cello: Eric Reed
* Clarinet: Robert West
* Flute: Janet Hale
* Horn: Gordon James
* Oboe: Robert Burks
* Viola: Robert Elder
* Violins: Lisa Dempsey, Sheri Peck
* Special guest: Dr. Phillip Thomas, harpsichord