Vivaldi - Concerto for Violin and Accordion, RV542 with String Quintet

Beethoven - Piano Quartet No 1 in E flat major, WoO 36

Piazzolla – Libertango (accordion, strings)

Piazzolla – Oblivion (accordion, piano and strings)

Interval

Brahms - String Sextet in B-flat major, Op. 18

Amandine Savary - piano
James Crabb - accordion
Corey Cerovsek - violin
Jack Liebeck - violin
Alexandra Raikhlina - violin
Simon Oswell - viola
Benjamin Roskams - viola
Thomas Carroll - cello
Benjamin Hughes - cello
Tim Gibbs - double bass

The pieces in the first part of the concert are all new entrants to Oxford May Music. Our Administrative Director is going to have his work cut out writing this year’s programme notes! Not only new, but a tremendous variety, covering Baroque to Twentieth Century and geographically from Venice to Rio. The first two pieces are arrangements; the Vivaldi from the chamber orchestra to a string ensemble, the Beethoven from a wind ensemble. The latter was done by the composer himself to increase sheet music sales; the former is modern. Piazzolla swings us into the interval. The final piece, Brahms Sextet was played in the Festival in 2018 but that seems like aeons ago - anyway, who needs an excuse to replay anything by Brahms?