Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival Presents The Goldberg Variations

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (CCCMF), Cape Cod’s premiere presenter of summer chamber music presents the The Goldberg Variations on Monday, August 13, 7:30 pm at Church of the Holy Spirit, 204 Monument Road, Orleans.

The Borromeo String Quartet makes its annual CCCMF return in an inventive concert highlighted by J.S. Bach’s enthralling “Goldberg” Variations arranged for string quartet by Borromeo’s violinist Nicholas Kitchen. Originally penned for piano, The “Goldberg” Variations, an extremely challenging yet alluring piece. This arrangement allows us a unique chance to hear the ever-popular variations with colorful new instrumentation. Paired with Franck’s only string quartet, concert-goers will hear Franck’s fascination with Beethoven’s late works.. As one of Franck’s own late works composed in the last year of his life, this quartet showcases Beethovenian qualities of thematic development and intense contrast.

Making its second appearance of the Festival season, the visionary performances of the prize-winning Borromeo String Quartet have established them as one of the most important string quartets of our time. Now celebrating their 27th year as an ensemble, the Borromeo have performed a vast repertoire worldwide and collaborated with many of today’s great composers and performers. Audiences and critics alike have championed the Borromeo’s ability to bring fire back to often-heard repertoire, while making even the most challenging new music approachable. The Borromeo continues to be a pioneer in its use of technology, recognized with the trailblazing distinction as the first string quartet to utilize laptop computers on the concert stage, a revealing and transformative experience that they now teach to students around the world. The quartet features Nicholas Kitchen, violin, Kristopher Tong, violin, Luther Warren, viola and Yeesun Kim, cello. The artists currently maintain residency at New England Conservatory of Music, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Taos School of Music summer program.

Program: The Goldberg Variations
Borromeo String Quartet: Nicholas Kitchen, violin; Kristopher Tong, violin; Luther Warren, viola; Yeesun Kim, cello

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685 – 1750)
“Goldberg” Variations, BWV 988 (arranged for string quartet by Nicholas Kitchen)
Aria
Variations 1, 2, 3 (canon at the unison)
Variations 4, 5, 6 (canon at the second)
Variations 7, 8, 9 (canon at the third)
Variations 10, 11, 12 (canon at the fourth)
Variations 13, 14, 15 (canon at the fifth)
Variations 16 (“Overture”), 17, 18 (canon at the sixth)
Variations 19, 20, 21 (canon at the seventh)
Variations 22, 23, 24 (canon at the octave)
Variations 25 (“Adagio”), 26, 27 (canon at the ninth)
Variations 28, 29, 30 (“Quodlibet”)
Aria

CÉSAR FRANCK (1822 – 1890)
String Quartet in D Major (1889)
Poco lento; Allegro
Scherzo: Vivace
Larghetto
Allegro molto

For more information about Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival’s 2018 season, performers, mission and venues, visit capecodchambermusic.org, or follow Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival on Facebook and Twitter.