Tag Archives: Sunday Concerts

WarnerNuzova Brings Beethoven to the Phillips

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WarnerNuzova performing in the Music Room (Photo by Benjamin Resine)

(Photo by Benjamin Resine)

Cellist Wendy Warner and pianist Irina Nuzova of the duo WarnerNuzova performed the complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas and Variations over two consecutive Sundays in April.  The concerts were a rare chance to experience impeccably refined artists giving respect to the breadth of Beethoven’s development as a composer from 1796 through 1815.  The juxtaposition of these works for one medium in such an intimate setting made me feel like I could understand Beethoven better as a human, not just a powerful music icon.  The struggle of his intellectual growth both musically and politically along with his steps toward more personal expression and then reflection was palpable.

Click below to listen to an excerpt of the Allegro from Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 1 in F Major, Op. 5, No. 1” (1796)

Click below to listen to the Allegro: Allegro fugato from “Sonata No. 5 in D Major, Op. 102, No. 2” (1815)

Casey Fox Smith, Music Program Intern

Glenn Gould’s American Debut

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Original concert program

Once upon a Sunday afternoon in January 1955, Glenn Gould, one of the most admired and talented pianists of the twentieth century, gave his debut recital in the United States here at The Phillips Collection.  I could argue with myself, and sadly, I often do, whether or not Gould is my favorite pianist.  His unique, off-the-cuff yet thoughtful interpretations gave life to every note he played.  Even at this young age his individuality is evident, beginning the concert with Renaissance composer Orlando Gibbons and ending it with the Romantic Expressionist, Alban Berg.

The Phillips Camerata – the museum’s first-ever namesake resident ensemble – will make their debut this fall performing Gould’s String Quartet, Op. 1 to celebrate the mark that the artist had on The Phillips Collection.

Casey Fox Smith, Music Program Intern