Schuylkill County Real Estate: Nov. 22 Gabriel Chamber Ensemble Concert, PSU

The Gabriel Chamber Ensemble (GCE), Schuylkill County’s widely acclaimed resident piano quartet, will present the second concert of its 19th season series on Sat., Nov. 22, at 7:00 p.m., at Penn State Schuylkill’s Morgan Auditorium in Schuylkill Haven.

The ensemble will perform works by Franz Schubert (1797–1828), Bedrich Smetana (1824–1884), and Bohuslav Martinu (1890–1959) Concert selections include Schubert’s String Trio in B Flat, which he wrote at the age of 20. The young Austrian composer’s piece is by no means a student work, however; Schubert had already written more than 300 songs, five symphonies, four masses, and seven string quartets, among many others.

Music critics hail the String Trio in B Flat for Schubert’s “uncanny ability to make the absolute most of the slightest shifts, using only the slightest resources.” Although chamber music played a small part in his works, Smetana’s three chamber music compositions played an important role in his musical output. The Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15, evokes a poignant and tragic time in the Czech composer’s life—the death of his eldest daughter, Frtizie, at the age of five prompted him to vent his grief in the intimacy of chamber music. Smetana composed the piece in memory of Fritzie is two months.

The ensemble will perform Piano Quartet No. 1 by Martinu, acclaimed as one of the outstanding Czech composers of the twentieth century. He composed the work in 1942, shortly after his arrival in the United States. The piece is recognized for its intricate interrelationships among musical ideas in the movements. Penny Rhodes, Kempton, ensemble board president, says the Nov. 22 concert “will be a real treat for our audiences,” adding, “I hope entire families take this opportunity to share world-class music with one another.

"We are proud that the Gabriel Chamber Ensemble is so highly recognized for its talent and we are so fortunate that we can provide a local venue for music lovers.”

The concert is sponsored in part by a generous gift from the Bryn Mawr Trust Company, Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County, which has, since 1889, helped individuals, families, and businesses create, manage, preserve, and transfer wealth. Concert tickets are $15, adults; $12, seniors. Students and children will be admitted free. Tickets will be available at the door.

The Gabriel Chamber Ensemble is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to presenting quality performances of chamber music to audiences in Schuylkill County and beyond. Although its basic formation is a piano quartet, the ensemble frequently hosts professional guest artists to offer a wide selection of chamber music masterpieces. Ensemble members are Simon Maurer, New Ringgold, violin; Agnes Maurer, New Ringgold, viola; Gerall Hieser, Bernardsville, N.J., cello; and Anita Gordon, Whippany, N.J., piano.

The ensemble’s 2008–2009 season is supported by grants from the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Snayberger Foundation, and the Schuylkill Area Community Foundation, and series subscribers and patrons. For more information, write: Gabriel Chamber Ensemble, P.O. Box 36, Orwigsburg, PA 17961; telephone (570) 943-2558; e-mail gce@gabrielensemble.org; or visit www.gabrielensemble.org on the Web.