Welcome to our May Newsletter!
Sarasa’s 2021-22 Season Finishes with
Scènes pastorales ~ Pastoral scenes
We are excited to bring our 2021-22 season to a close with a beautiful program viewing pastoral scenes from several eras, extending from the late 17th to the late 19th centuries.
Don’t miss the chance to experience music from Biber to Hummel to Schubert to Satie live in person! Get your tickets here! Special Mother’s Day promotion this weekend only, $10 off tickets! The concert will also stream for free on our website starting May 25th at 7.30pm.
Scènes pastorales ~ Pastoral scenes
May 14, 2022 Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, Cambridge at 7:30pm
May 15, 2022 Follen Community Church, Lexington at 3:30pm
Christina Day Martinson, violin; Jenny Stirling, viola; Timothy Merton, cello; John Feeney, bass; Maggie Cole, fortepiano
Program (performed on period instruments):
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber Pastorella in A major für Violine and Basso continuo
Erik Satie Gnossienne No. 1 & Gymnopédie No. 1
Jan Nepomuk Hummel String Trio No. 2 in G major, Op. WoO 4, S.46
Schubert Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 ‘Trout’
Interview with bassist John Feeney
Sarasa had a chance to catch up with the charismatic double-bass player John Feeney, who will be performing with us on our final concert of the season. Read Sarasa Co-Artistic Director Jennifer Morsches' mini-interview with him below!
Q. Schubert’s ’Trout' Quintet is a staple work in every bass player's chamber music repertoire. How many times do you think you have performed it?
A. I’d have to say at least 50.
Q. What is the secret to keeping the work fresh for you as a player?
A.There is no secret— it is a masterpiece that will ever deepen and unfold for me.
Q. What kind of bass would have been typical in Vienna in 1819, the year in which Schubert wrote his Quintet?
A. A 5 string Viennese Violone using a thirds tuning would be likely- but 3 and 4 string basses were also commonly in play, mostly tuned in fourths. Bassists commonly used different tunings to suit themselves and the music. I’ll be playing in fourths between the top 3 strings and a 6th between the bottom 2 strings.
Q. Is there an especially memorable performance or experience with the ‘Trout” Quintet that you’d like to share with us?
A. I played it many times on a tour once and had to change all four stings during each intermission because the other half of the program featured a virtuoso work that I tuned a fourth higher for!
Q. We understand you are quite the gourmet cook! Do you have any recipes you’d like to share with us that you enjoy preparing in the month of May?
A. Well I love to cook and forage- so how does wild mushroom and herb stuffed trout wrapped in prosciutto and grilled sound?
That sounds delicious, John! (Hopefully it’s not the trout featured in Schubert’s famous song, though!) Thanks, and looking forward to hearing you perform with Sarasa.
Other pastoral scenes
No doubt live music brings the countryside to life!
Johannes Rühling, Tabulaturbuch auff Orgeln und Instrüment Leipzig, 1583
And animals appreciate it too!
Sarasa’s 2022-23 Season to be announced MAY 18th!
NATIVE REALM STREAMING FREE for just 1 more week!
If you haven’t yet watched our most recent March program, Native Realm, it is still streaming on our website!
