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An Evening of French Chamber Pieces

Martin Kennedy, Sim Cannety-Clarke, Lauren Desberg
Clockwise from top: Lara St. John, Marc-André Hamelin, the Ulysses Quartet

Sunday, June 6, 2021
7:00 PM

On WCRB In Concert with the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, violinist Lara St. John, pianist Marc-André Hamelin, and the Ulysses Quartet pay tribute to France through works by Debussy, Ravel, and Chausson, all performed in CRB's Fraser Performance Studio on Bastille Day in 2020.

Lara St. John, violin
Marc-André Hamelin, piano
Ulysses String Quartet

DEBUSSY Sonata for violin and piano, L. 140
RAVEL String Quartet in F major
CHAUSSON Concert in D for violin, piano and string quartet, Op. 21

This concert is no longer available on-demand.

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Since 1905, each New York City summer has been full of music, thanks in no small part to the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, a free outdoor classical concert series, open to everyone, in Central Park. But this year, as the ongoing COVID-19 crisis is changing the way we engage with music, the Naumburg series is shifting its focus: instead of hosting live music for the public outdoors, why not make that same live music available for the public online

On Tuesday, July 14, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts presented a concert tribute to France, livestreamed from WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio. Pianist Marc-André Hamelin, violinist Lara St. John, and the Ulysses Quartet performed stunning music by French composers Debussy, Ravel, and Chausson, in celebration of France's national holiday, la Fête Nationale -- better known in the U.S. as Bastille Day.

This holiday, marking the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789, is usually celebrated with fireworks and military parades. It looks a little different this year, thanks to COVID-19, but musical fireworks are a pretty good substitute for the crowds and the noise. And with musicians of this caliber, and chamber music this cool, musical fireworks bring the holiday to life.

Learn more about the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts.

Learn more about Marc-André Hamelin, Lara St. John, and the Ulysses Quartet.