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Upcoming Events
Vivace Chamber Orchestra: Mozart, Mendelssohn, Britten, Bruch
The Vivace players return! This chamber music collective of New York-based musicians share the common aim of performing the greatest works in the chamber repertoire at the highest level. The […]
“Endings” – Piano Trios by Shostakovich and Schubert
How to end and exit a musical composition—with a bang or a whimper? Will there be the thunderous affirmation of a Beethoven symphony or a whispered adieu à la Mahler’s […]
Mostly Amadeus—Meet the Mozarts!
That the supernatural perfection of Mozart’s music was created by an imperfect child-like person has led many to believe he was a “quill in divine hands.” And the two of […]
“On the Wings of Song”—Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Mendelssohn Piano Trio
Robert Schumann’s setting of Heinrich Heine’s song cycle, Dichterlibe—A Poet’s Love—is, in a word, spellbinding. The rendering of the age-old theme of love and betrayal is personal and intimate, with […]
Annual Luncheon Musicale Benefit
Celebrate the Salon in the Gilded Age elegance at a private Berkshires club. The scintillating atmosphere of the 19th century institution that helped promote artists, painters and musicians as the […]
What is chamber music?
Chamber music sounds like a lively conversation between a small group of friends – not with words, but with musical notes. The spotlight moves from player to player. Each stands out as an individual with a musical opinion, but their statements weave together into a sublime and lively sound.
In some ways, chamber music is a precursor of jazz; it features the same spontaneity, the give and take of urgent dialogue (as in passing a ball at a sports event), arguments and resolutions, humor and camaraderie.
A concert usually consists of three to eight players, combining different string instruments and often includes a piano, vocalists or winds.
Close Encounters With Music chamber programs are framed in intriguing themes with illuminating introductions to each concert, designed to extend the pleasure of the music itself.
