WHAT IS TERTULIA
Tertulia is a new type of concert which blends the casual with the classical in a chamber music series
tailored to young audiences committed to concert-going and revelry. Here, we remove the sacred wall
of formality between player and listener and instead invite lively musical and social interplay between
them. It is our mission to bring performance opportunities to emerging, professional musicians, and
a more relaxed, festive experience to young concert-goers. With our fresh approach, we offer a social,
casual and inexpensive alternative to a traditional classical concert.
AN EVENING OF MUSIC & MINGLING
JANUARY 12 | 7:30 PM
ANTIQUE GARAGE, SOHO
41 MERCER STREET BETWEEN BROOME & GRAND | NYC
TERTULIANYC.ORG
HOW IT WORKS
Tertulia preserves the atmosphere New Yorkers already love: food, drink, and conversation in
boutique-style venues like a wine bar, cafe, restaurant, or gallery. Our events run two to three hours,
with live performance on and off throughout. The program is traditional chamber music repertoire
with a unique presentation. We embrace a vibrant, casual setting while preserving some concert
etiquette basics.
A FEW ETIQUETTE BASICS
> Music will always start twenty to thirty minutes
into an event, so it is important the audience
arrives on time.
> The musicians work hard to prepare this
music. Please respect this by keeping whispers
and moving around to a minimum when they
are playing. Your attention is appreciated.
> Please keep in mind that the visual aspect
of performance is important. Try to grab a seat
if you are close to the “stage” to allow those
behind you to see.
> We do not have rules about clapping at
Tertulia. If after a movement you are inspired
to clap, please do so. We encourage you to
celebrate this music.
> Mingle! Meet new people! Discuss the music!
Share your feedback! As the word tertulia
defines, these are social events with musical
and artistic overtones.
> Don’t forget to silence your cell phone.
WHY TERTULIA IS IMPORTANT
In elite culture’s reverence for the master composers, in our distance from the great performers,
it is easy to forget why these works were written; to be played and to be heard. Tertulia will
remind listeners that chamber music was once the pop music of its day, oftentimes a scandal
for supposedly inciting passionate urges in its followers! As the name suggests, this music was
intended to be played socially, for small audiences in intimate spaces.
EMCEE
Julia Villagra, Founder & Artistic Director
MUSICIANS
Stefan Jackiw, violin
Emily Daggett Smith, violin, viola
Karen Ouzounian, cello
Max Mandel, viola
ITINERARY
Cocktails
20 MINUTES
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
Duo for Violin &Viola in G Major, K. 423
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Rondo: Allegro
17 MINUTES
Dinner
30 MINUTES
Zoltán Kodály (1882 - 1967)
Duo for Violin & Cello, Op. 7
I. Allegro serioso non troppo
III. Maestoso e largamente, ma non troppo lento
18 MINUTES
Dessert
20 MINUTES
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor
“Death and the Maiden”
I. Allegro
11 MINUTES
Mingle & Meet Musicians
30 MINUTES
Thank you for coming.
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his lifetime the young composer maintained a reputation as a composer of lieder and piano music,
and it took years for his symphonic and chamber music to be published and appreciated –in many
cases, posthumously.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756 – 1791)
DUO FOR VIOLIN & VIOLA IN G MAJOR, K. 423 (1783): I. ALLEGRO
Mozart’s Duo in G major for Violin and Viola is the first of two; K. 423 and K. 424. Mozart composed
these pieces on behalf of his friend Michael Haydn (Joseph Haydn’s brother), who had been
commissioned by the Archbishop of Salzburg, Hieronymous Colloredo, to write a set of six duets
for violin and viola. After having finished only four of the required six, Haydn fell ill and left two
of the duets incomplete. In the summer of 1783, Mozart took it upon himself to write the duos and
delivered them to the Archbishop under Haydn’s name.
The work is in three movements: a sonata-form first movement, a lyric slow movement, and a
rondo-finale. The extended opening movement, by turns extroverted and melodic, features a
brilliant interchange between the two voices and at one point a graceful little canon. The slow
movement is built on an aria-like main idea; here the violin introduces the theme and has most of
the interest. The bustling finale makes sharp dynamic contrasts; Mozart nicely varies the rhythmic
pulse with extended passages in triplets. While the form and some elements of style are true to
Haydn’s, the technique and musical expression are unmistakably Mozartean.
The famous String Quartet No. 14, written in 1824, is an intense work with the theme of death at
its heart. The title “Death and the Maiden” stems from the reuse in the andante of Schubert’s song
by the same name. The text is by the German Romantic Matthias Claudius and the lyrics recount
an old European myth, where a sovereign (in this case, Death) demands a pre-nuptial night with a
bride-to-be. If she declines, Death will take her betrothed on their wedding day. The Maiden sings:
“Leave me, terrible specter, I am so young, go away and let me be.” To which Death replies: “Give me
your hand, beautiful and sweet creature, I am your friend, and have not come to punish you. Have
courage! You will sleep sweetly in my arms.” Only Death’s section is used in the quartet. While “Death
and the Maiden” is a string quartet in every respect, it could also be seen as a romantic tone poem.
The terrifying opening to the first movement gives the impression of a macabre fanfare, heralding
Death’s arrival and his now inevitable proposition. Crafted in a typically romantic version of sonata
form this movement still manages to evoke the terror of Death’s presence, even with strict formal
guidelines. Throughout the work, Schubert’s writing creates a dramatic scene, evoking death in all
his guises, both harsh and gentle.
NOTE: For the purposes of Tertulia, we perform selected movements of complete works. For a deeper
understanding of the music, and so as not to miss important thematic and developmental material,
we urge you to listen to these works in their entirety.
ZOLTÁN KODÁLY (1882 – 1967)
DUO FOR VIOLIN & CELLO, OP. 7 (1914): MOVEMENTS 1 & 3
The Hungarian Zoltán Kodály was a man of many parts. In addition to his composing, he was an
educator, serving as professor and then assistant director at the Budapest Academy of Music. He
was a music critic for newspapers and journals in Hungary and the author of numerous scholarly
writings on central European folk music. And he was an internationally recognized music educator;
his “Kodály method” for developing musical literacy in schoolchildren has been adapted to many
countries, including the United States.
Kodály composed the Duo for Violin and Cello in 1914 at the height of his interest in Hungarian
folk music, and the work reflects that interest. Folk elements and idioms abound – for example,
the use of five-tone scales and early modal church scales, abrupt changes in mood, extravagant
ornamentation, and long rhapsodic passages as if the instruments were telling a story or reciting
a poem. You might imagine yourself in the square of a Hungarian village on a summer evening
listening to the local fiddler and cellist extemporize – except that the music demands virtuoso
technical skills far beyond the average village musician.
The first movement is in conventional sonata form – that is, with the presentation of two themes,
their development, and their restatement. The first theme is declaimed at the outset by the cello,
with the violin punctuating with double-stop chords. Then the violin takes up the theme. The
second theme is ushered in by a bouncing pizzicato figure in the cello, against which the violin
offers a more tranquil melody. When the themes return later in the movement, the instrumental
roles are reversed, with the violin shrieking the first theme in its highest register and the cello
launching the second theme. The third movement opens with a long and highly rhapsodic solo for
the violin. The music then breaks into a series of highly accented dances, played at a presto pace.
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797 – 1828)
STRING QUARTET NO. 14 IN D MINOR, “DEATH AND THE MAIDEN” (1824): I. ALLEGRO
One of the great tragedies in the history of music is that Franz Schubert lived to be only 31 years
old. However, despite his very short life, he was a prolific composer. Now considered one of the
most significant composers of the Romantic period, Schubert’s music is widely performed. During
STEFAN JACKIW, VIOLIN
Violinist Stefan Jackiw is recognized as one of his generation’s most
significant artists, captivating audiences with playing that combines poetry
and purity with an impeccable technique. Hailed for “talent that’s off the
scale” (Washington Post) Stefan has appeared as soloist with the major
orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, London, New York, Philadelphia,
and San Francisco, among many other ensembles. His debut recording of
the Brahms Violin Sonatas was recently released on Sony Classical to great
critical acclaim. Stefan holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, as
well as an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory. In 2002, he was awarded the Avery
Fisher Career Grant.
EMILY DAGGETT SMITH, VIOLIN / VIOLA
Violinist Emily Daggett Smith is rapidly emerging as one of the most
compelling artists of her generation. In 2009, Emily won first place in the
Juilliard concerto competition and made her New York concerto debut in Alice
Tully Hall, playing the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra,
under the direction of Emmanuel Villaume. As an active chamber musician,
Emily has performed with such artists as Andrés Diaz, Claude Frank, Joseph
Kalichstein, Ida Levin, Daniel Phillips, and Eugenia Zukerman, in venues
including Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Weill and Zankel Halls, Seattle’s
Benaroya Hall, Jordan Hall in Boston, and Symphony Space in New York.
Emily has performed at various festivals including the Seattle Chamber Music Society, Banff
International Masterclasses, Kneisel Hall, The Orpheus Institute at the Juilliard School, and the New
TERTULIANYC.ORG
York String Orchestra Seminar, and this summer will appear at Ravinia. Emily has performed as
Concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra under the direction of James DePreist, Nicholas McGegan,
Jeffrey Milarsky, Leonard Slatkin, and Michael Tilson Thomas. In 2009 Emily received her Bachelor
of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where she is now pursuing graduate studies. Her
teachers have included Ronald Copes, Nick Eanet, Joel Smirnoff, Laurie Smukler, Masuko Ushioda,
and Donald Weilerstein. Emily lives in New York City.
FUTURE TERTULIAS
FOR CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES,
PLEASE EMAIL [email protected] TO BE ADDED
TO OUR MAILING LIST.
KAREN OUZOUNIAN, CELLO
Cellist Karen Ouzounian has performed as recitalist, soloist, and chamber
musician throughout North America and Europe. She has toured the United
States and Canada with Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson, and appeared as
a soloist with Sinfonia Toronto, the Canadian Sinfonietta and the Cathedral
Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Karen has performed
with such ensembles as Trio Cavatina,The Knights, the East Coast Chamber
Orchestra (ECCO), A Far Cry and the String Orchestra of New York City (SONYC).
She has collaborated with renowned artists including Kim Kashkashian, Gilbert Kalish, Roger
Tapping, Charles Neidich, Vera Beths, and members of the Guarneri, Juilliard and St. Lawrence
String Quartets. Festivals include Marlboro, Ravinia, the Open Chamber Music Seminar at Prussia
Cove (UK), Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany), Caramoor, Canandaigua Lake Chamber
Music Festival, Perlman Chamber Music Workshop, and Taos. An advocate of contemporary music,
Karen has collaborated with the Argento Chamber Ensemble, Continuum, and AXIOM. Born in
Toronto in 1985, Karen holds Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from The Juilliard
School, where she was a student of Timothy Eddy.
MAX MANDEL, VIOLA
Canadian violist Max Mandel is one of the most acclaimed and active
chamber musicians of his generation. Comfortable in many styles and
genres, Max’s current group affiliations include the FLUX Quartet, The
Knights, The Kirby String Quartet, The Silk Road Ensemble, The Metropolitan
Museum Artists in Concert, The Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, The
Smithsonian Chamber Players, The Caramoor Virtuosi, Blarvuster, ClassNotes
and I Furiosi Baroque Ensemble.
Early formative experiences include founding the Metro String Quartet, forging his dedication to
chamber music through collaboration with his colleagues and teachers, such as Lorand Fenyves at
the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the Banff Center for the Arts. Private studies at the
University of Toronto and the Juilliard School were with Steven Dann and Samuel Rhodes.
Max has been Guest Principal of The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Camerata Nordica, Camerata
Bern and The Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. He is also a frequent guest of Tafelmusik Baroque
Orchestra. Max is a fan of all kinds of music from Mozart to Feldman to Ghostface and considers
himself very fortunate to have collaborated with great artists in many genres from Vera Beths to Don
Byron to Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Max plays on a 1973 Giovanni Battista Morassi generously loaned
to him by Lesley Robertson of the St. Lawrence Quartet. He resides in Brooklyn, NY.
THANK YOU
FRIENDS OF TERTULIA
Thanks to all of you for donating to our very successful Kickstarter campaign!
Adrian Wisernig
Alejandra Villagra
Anit Chakraborty
Annie Pennies
Ben Morcos
Carlos Wesley
Chafic Kazoun
Claire Galli
Cooper Troxell
Dan Litchfield &
Laura Schubert
Daniela Ortiz
Daren Anderson
David Villagra
Devin Nakao
Dominique Guay
Douglas Cox, violin maker
Elizabeth Denys
Hap & Ruth Fairbanks
Helen Jones Parry
Jason Vopni
Jessica Weglein Kraus
Josh Wilson
Julian Yap
Julie Geng
Keith Woodis
Ken Tai
Kyle Albert Hughes
Laura Harris
Laura McIntyre
Margaret Lee
Marilyn Moller
Mike & Mia Paskowitz
Nancy Grover
Nate Bachhuber
Patrick Mauro
Rakan El-Khalil
Robert Day
Robert Schmon
Robert Spielman
S7 Labs
Sandy Sobey
Sarah Song
Serkan Ozel
Stalin Alfredo Cruz
Stephanie Trodello
Susan Buchanan
Taro Kuriyama
Tina & Danilo Scepanovic
Tom Aiezza
Tom & Dorrit Castle
Vahe Poladian
Victor & Eugenia Villagra
Yaritza Rodriguez
This month’s program notes written by Matthew Lynch, Will Hertz; edited by Julia Villagra
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