Michael Stephen Brown | Paul Neubauer

Beethoven’s complex ninth sonata reverberates to the present day. Originally written for his friend, George Bridgetower, the two fell out and the piece was rededicated to another notable violinist of the time, Rudolphe Kreutzer. Against this backdrop, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove conjured a narrative for the biracial Bridgetower in her poetry collection Sonata Mulattica: A Life in Five Movements and a Short Play. The sonata itself became a key plot point in Tolstoy’s dark novella of the same name, which in turn inspired Janáček’s String Quartet No. 1. Pianist Michael Stephen Brown and violinist Philip Setzer perform Beethoven’s sonata; and the eminent violist Paul Neubauer will be featured on Janáček’s tone poem, as well as on Schumann’s exuberant Piano Quintet in E-flat major. The program will be underscored with readings from Dove and Tolstoy’s works by actor Linda Setzer.

Program:
Beethoven / The Kreutzer Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47 (1803), preceded by the Rita Dove poem “The Bridgetower Sonata” (2009)
Janáček / String Quartet No. 1, “The Kreutzer Sonata” (1923), with readings from Leo Tolstoy’s “The Kreutzer Sonata” (1889)
Schumann / Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44 (1842)

Artists:
Michael Stephen Brown, piano
Philip Setzer, violin
Paul Neubauer, viola
Linda Setzer, narrator
MMF Young Artists Strings

Michael Stephen Brown

Philip Setzer

Paul Neubauer

Linda Setzer