Matthias Balzat (cello), Wilma Smith (violin), Laurence Matheson (piano)

The programme opens with one of Beethoven’s earliest chamber works, written when he first moved to Vienna hoping to make an impression on the city’s musical elite.

The trio by Smetana was written for a very different reason. Following the death of his infant daughter in 1855, Smetana immediately began writing this piano trio, dedicating it “in memory of our eldest child Bedřiška, whose rare musical talent gave us such delight”. There is no mistaking the serious mood of this work. All three movements are in G minor, and even the major sections do little to change the sombre mood.

In contrast, Dvorak’s “Dumky” Trio has a constant mix of emotions in its six movements. “Dumka” means “a fleeting thought” and the music constantly fluctuates between brooding melancholy and sharply contrasting interludes of lively dance-like exuberance.

Their wide-ranging programme opens with Haydn’s famous “Emperor Quartet” followed in total contrast by Shostakovich’s 5th Quartet. Frequently dark and dramatic, this work was written in 1952 but Shostakovich wisely held it back from publication until the darkest oppressive days of the Soviet regime had passed.

Members of the New Zealand String Quartet enjoy collaborating with other performers, one of whom is popular pianist Diedre Irons. Together they will perform a piano quintet by Amy Beach, a composer and pianist born in 1867 and considered to be one of the finest American composers of her time. Composed in 1907 this very attractive quintet is in late Romantic style.

Michael Houstoun (piano), Bella Hristova (Violin)

A warm friendship and magnificent musical collaboration formed after Bella’s appearance and First Prize in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition. Michael’s tireless support and encouragement of young players in the competition brings us all a rich musical bounty.  

You can purchase single tickets:

• at the door by cash, EFTPOS or credit card, unless we sell out.
• at any time before the concert from New World, Waikanae (cash only).
• until noon on Saturday from Moby Dickens, Paraparaumu Beach (cash only).
• until Friday evening by direct credit to account 02 0591 0018930 00 – put your name, phone number and the concert in the reference fields. Your tickets will be waiting at the concert door. (If you pay after Friday, we may not know about it until Monday and will not know to prepare your tickets.)
• until Saturday afternoon by credit card – phone our Treasurer Paul Dunmore at 022 345 5316. Your tickets will be waiting at the concert door.

We encourage you to make use of one of the advance purchase options rather than queuing to pay at the door. We control the number of tickets issued to our agents, so we know that we can honour all pre-sold tickets. However, we may not be able to admit everyone who wants to buy tickets at the door. We do not reserve seats for concert-goers who have not paid. 

Andrew Beer (violin), Chen Cao (cello),
Sarah Watkins (piano), Robert Ashworth (viola)

Their programme brings us two of the greatest and most popular works in the piano quartet repertoire – Mozart’s K478 and Dvořák’s Opus 87.

Another piano quartet that is less familiar is the Phantasie Quartet by English composer Frank Bridge. Bridge is best known through his most famous pupil, Benjamin Britten, who recognized his teacher’s genius and frequently programmed his works.

The Phantasie Quartet, completed in June 1910, reveals Bridge’s early style when he had not yet ventured away from late nineteenth-century harmonic language. It is charming music, filled with many memorable melodies.

Also on the programme will be a new commission by New Zealand composer Janet Jennings. A graduate of the Universities of Waikato and Auckland, her works are regularly performed in NZ and overseas. She is particularly known for her vocal works and insists that new music should be accessible and enjoyable for both performers and listeners.

This is a very special occasion. The opportunity to hear all six of Bach’s legendary Brandenburg Concertos in one concert is very rare. Donald Armstrong’s Amici Ensemble have brought us some remarkable concerts over the years, but this surpasses them all.

Twenty musicians, mostly NZSO players plus other top New Zealand artists, will gather to bring us this amazing music.

The concertos are in the front rank of the masterpieces of Western music and are Bach’s best-known and most often performed works. Bach brings together the widest possible combination of instruments, with different soloists for each concerto, combining them in daring partnerships with a wide range of moods and structures, frequently demanding virtuoso performances from the soloists.

Concerto No 1 has several solo instruments with the two horns taking much of the limelight.  The second concerto features an extremely high trumpet part as well as solos for flute, oboe and violin.  No 3 has three each of violins, violas, and cellos.

Soloists in the fourth concerto include two flutes and a violin.  Flute, violin and harpsichord star in the fifth concerto.  No 6, the only one with no violins, focuses on the lower strings and harpsichord.

 The Concertos will not necessarily be played in this order.

“I have taken the liberty of rendering my most humble duty to Your Royal Highness with the present Concertos, which I have adapted to several instruments; begging Your Highness most humbly not to judge their imperfection” – from Bach’s letter to the Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt

Please note: This concert will be longer than normal and is unlikely to finish before 4.30pm.

It is with great pleasure that we once again welcome Michael Houstoun to our stage. 

As usual he has selected a stunning programme for our delight, opening according to his custom with the music of J S Bach. The seven Toccatas for Keyboard (BWV 910–916) are not well-known so it is special to have the opportunity to hear one of them.

It is followed by Brahms’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, one of the summits of Brahms’s entire keyboard output. Handel’s famous theme is transformed as we are swept through an amazing journey of twenty-five wildly contrasted variations culminating in an exhilarating fugue.

The second part of the programme opens with Chopin’s exquisitely delicate Berceuse and the graceful Impromptu in F#, preparing us for the tantalising selection of Rachmaninoff Preludes and Etudes-tableaux that follow.

Rachmaninoff is possibly the greatest piano composer of the 20th Century and these richly evocative works, written quite early in the composer’s life, are colourful tone-paintings filled with emotional poetry, romantic beauty, tragedy, darkness and light.