PROGRAM DETAILS:

Professor Staub will address the differences between the Classical Period, the Romantic Period, and more contemporary 20th and 21st Century movements in “Art Music”

 

The Romantic Period is arguably the most popular repertoire for contemporary audiences, why is that?

What elements of music theory and practice are ‘hallmarks ‘ of the Romantic Period?

 

The session will consist of lecture/ discussion and audio/ visual examples of various works and composers to answer those questions and more.

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Presentation by Professor Jared Staub

Professor of Instrumental Music Education and Director of Bands

Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Plymouth State University

 

Tuesday October 28 at 6PM at the Wolfeboro Public Library.

Free to attend - open to all!

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The About Music program will also prepare attendees to appreciate the November repertoire by the Phaeton Piano Trio (Weimar, Germany):

 

Joseph Haydn: Piano Trio in G major, Hob. XV:25 “Gypsy”

Haydn’s so-called “Gypsy Trio” is among his most beloved chamber works, written during his second London period around 1795. The nickname derives from the exuberant finale, in which Haydn draws on Hungarian folk idioms with dazzling rhythmic vitality. The opening Andante is graceful and song-like, immediately showing Haydn’s gift for lyrical invention within a chamber texture. A poised and noble Poco adagio follows, offering a moment of inward reflection. The finale bursts forth with syncopated rhythms, stomping dance gestures, and virtuosic violin writing, all evoking the flavor of Hungarian gypsy music. This trio reflects Haydn’s mastery in balancing elegance and humor with dazzling brilliance, making it one of the gems of the piano trio repertoire.

 

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Trio No. 1 in G minor “Élégiaque”

 Rachmaninoff composed his first piano trio in 1892 at the age of nineteen, dedicating it to his teacher Tchaikovsky. Subtitled “Élégiaque,” the work breathes a mood of brooding lyricism and deep melancholy. Cast in a single expansive movement, it reveals the young composer’s remarkable ability to weave long, arching melodies. The piano writing is lush and orchestral, while the strings engage in heartfelt dialogues and soaring lines. Despite its brevity compared with later works, the trio already foreshadows Rachmaninoff’s characteristic harmonic richness and emotional intensity. It remains a poignant testimony to youthful passion and a touching homage to the Russian Romantic tradition.

 

Modest Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition  (arr. for piano trio by Grigory Gruzman)

Moussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, originally written for solo piano in 1874, is one of the most vivid examples of music inspired by visual art. The work was composed as a tribute to the painter Viktor Hartmann, whose drawings and watercolors inspired Moussorgsky’s sequence of musical “pictures,” linked by the famous “Promenade.” In this ingenious transcription for piano trio by Grigory Gruzman, the score gains new colors and textures through the interplay of strings and piano. The violin and cello take on vocal roles, often adding lyricism or intensity to Moussorgsky’s stark original writing. The piano, meanwhile, retains its central role in conveying grandeur, atmosphere, and drive. This version preserves the raw power of the original work while opening fresh perspectives, allowing chamber musicians to explore one of the most iconic works of the Romantic imagination in a new light.