Adelphi Department of Music distinguished faculty members and friends will present “Music for a Sunday Afternoon” at Adelphi’s Performing Arts Center on Sunday, March 3. The recital features performances of Mozart’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K.478, and Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A Major, Op.81. Faculty members to perform include Karen Faust Baer (piano), Anne-Marie Bedney (viola), Andy Bhasin (violin), Philip Carter (violin), and Deborah Sepe (cello).
The two works on this program were considered, at the times of their composition and into the current day, to be among the finest in their forms. Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G Minor, composed in 1785, was considered too difficult to be performed by amateur musicians. In the hands of skilled musicians, the work takes on a sublime beauty, and this work, along with Mozart’s second piano quartet, became immensely popular and paved the way for other major composers to write in this form.
A century later, in 1888, Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A Major, Op.81 was premiered. This work is recognized as a masterpiece. Dvorak, well-known for incorporating folk music into his compositions, created original melodies in an authentic folk music style for this quintet. At the premiere of the work, critic Josef Bohuslav Foerster said, “The piece encapsulates what we have come to expect from Dvorak: a wonderful sound and numerous intriguing and original instrumental effects.”
The musicians on the stage for this performance have earned degrees from the finest institutions, including The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, Mannes College of Music, and Stony Brook University. Their collective experiences include performances on the stages of Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, various Broadway theaters, and Radio City Music Hall, as well as with artists such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, and Julie Andrews.
“Music for a Sunday Afternoon” will begin at 4 p.m. on the Westermann Stage in Adelphi’s PAC Concert Hall.
Tickets are $20, with discounts available to seniors, students, alumni, and staff. Information is available at the Lucia and Steven N. Fischer Box Office at 516-877-4000 or boxoffice@adelphi.edu. Regular office hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 1 to 6 p.m., and the box office is also open two hours before most scheduled performances. Ticket sales and additional information are available online.
