L. A. Musical Salon

New Works Commissioned

NEW WORKS COMMISSIONED

Chamber Music:

Click here to listen to Sea Quartet

Sea Quartet for piano, oboe, clarinet and bassoon Music by Jenni Brandon     Till my soul is full of longing    For the secret of the sea, And the heart of the great ocean    Sends a thrilling pulse through me. - From:  The Secret of the Sea   by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow     Sea Quartet for piano, oboe, clarinet and bassoon was inspired by the beautiful ocean beside which we live, as well as the many trips I have taken to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California.  This magical place brings to us the beauty of the sea -- from the creatures that call the sea their home, to the delicate coral reefs and fragile ecosystems that depend on the balance of the sea for their survival.   This work uses each of the instruments to tell the story of the sea in various sections, from the playful waves to a “watery waltz”; from the “gentle pulse of the wave” to the clarinet’s “moonlight” solo.   The relative calmness of the sea finally begins to break as the waves move faster and faster, creating a “wild, frothy frenzy” at the end of the piece.  At this point, the instruments joyfully crash over one another, and we are left with the feeling of the power and excitement of the sea.   Sea Quartet was commissioned by the L.A. Musical Salon as part of my composer residency with the Vientos Trio this season, and written specifically for world premiere at the L.A. Musical Salon on March 7, 2009 in a performance by the Vientos Trio with Rose Chen, piano.   -- Jenni Brandon    Composer

The Brahms Triumphlied – In its most ambitious project yet, the L.A. Musical Salon has commissioned a chamber music transcription of the rare Brahms Triumphlied from talented composer, concert pianist and chamber musician Marek Zebrowski.

The Triumphlied is a majestic work scored for double chorus, baritone solo and large orchestra with the ad libitum organ part.  Completed in 1871, it was published in 1872 and premiered on June 5, 1872, in Karlsruhe, Germany. With its militaristic mien – dotted rhythms and wind fanfares dominating the three-movement work – Triumphlied celebrates the German victory at the battle of Sedan in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.

Brahms, who was not a particularly religious person, selected text for the chorus from the 19th Chapter of the Book of Revelation, celebrating the fall of Babylon.  The work is dedicated to Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany.

Brahms’ fondness for Baroque music is clearly evident in this piece, with numerous motivic resemblances to Handel’s Messiah and Te Deum.

It was a challenge for Mr. Zebrowski to even locate a copy of the score of the Triumphlied within the United States, and when one was finally obtained after several months, it turned out to be an original 19th century score that could not be released to him because of its rarity – although he was permitted to take a copy of it to work from.

Mr. Zebrowski has decided to score the piece for the same instrumentation as Franz Schubert’s beloved Piano Quintet in A Major (The Trout):  piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass.  This new work would be a welcome addition to the repertoire for this fairly unusual chamber music instrumentation.

This is a multi-year project.  The L.A. Musical Salon is proud to present a sneak preview of the first movement of this new chamber music piece as a work-in-progress at its February 6, 2010 concert.