Music In-Person: Brahms' Chamber Music

The Intimate Brahms: Up Close and Beautiful
Four In-Person Sessions
Thur., Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 2025, 7-9 pm MT
FCM Performance, Wed., Apr. 9, 7:30 pm

We love his sprawling symphonies and concertos, but the personal side of Brahms gives us a loving embrace with his chamber music. Beyond the rich catalog of piano music is a wealth of glorious melodies for multiple combinations: sonatas for two instruments, trios, quartets, quintets—even sextets. In this lively survey of Brahms' intimate music, taught by popular instructor Marc Shulgold, discover the passion in Brahms' violin and cello sonatas, the richness in his string quartets, the greatness of the heavenly quintets for string quartet plus clarinet, piano or viola. The Opus 11 String Quintet, for example, is a work you will hear live at the April 9 Friends of Chamber Music concert (included with enrollment). As a special treat, enjoy an in-class visit with Colorado Symphony principal violist Basil Vendryes, who joins the Italian ensemble Quartetto di Cremona at that concert. Naturally, there's more to Brahms than his music. Explore the context of his chamber works, delve into his very eventful life and reveal how this music emerged among his larger, more public compositions, and how his friendship with musicians influenced the creation of masterpieces such as the late works with clarinet. Come away with a renewed appreciation of the man, the creativity and the music.

Marc Shulgold has long been a regular at the Enrichment Program, teaching courses on various subjects in classical music, inviting guests such as Marin Alsop, Pinchas Zukerman, Jeffrey Kahane and others. He served as music and dance writer at the Rocky Mountain News for 22 years, before that working at the Los Angeles Times.