ELGAR | HOLST | SCHUMANN | WOLF | HERBERT

The serenade is neither a suite nor a symphony, but has a long and proud history: just look at Mozart’s ‘Haffner’ Serenade or Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

In the late 19th century, the serenade was the vehicle for some exquisite, expressive writing by some of the biggest names of the era. Elgar, Holst and Hugo Wolf all wrote serenades that remain among their best-loved works, filling these relatively brief pieces with beautiful, tuneful music that highlights the expressive and emotive way that string musicians were performing at the time.

Another composer who knew his way around a tune was American Victor Herbert, whose serenade shows you why no less a judge than Dvorák thought he had promise beyond the Tin Pan Alley songs he became famous for.

This program also features an arrangement of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op. 73. Originally for clarinet and piano, this enlarged arrangement highlights the superb playing of our co-artistic director and clarinet soloist Nicole van Bruggen’s against a lush, enchanting torrent of strings. Schumann’s title suggests uninhibited imagination, and that is precisely what you will hear.

“As always, ARCO offered an intelligent and warm performance, demonstrating the importance of historically informed musicianship and showcasing the impact of period instruments with gut strings.”
ArtsHub, July 2020