St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble to Perform at Guild Hall in the Hamptons, 8/11

On August 11, 2013 at 8:00 PM, Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) makes its debut at Guild Hall in East Hampton, performing a concert of works written just a decade apart: Mozart's exquisite Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581, and Beethoven's inventive and playful Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20. These pieces epitomize classical elegance, together offering a snapshot of chamber music the late 18th century.

Mozart was in his early 30s and nearing the end of his too-short life and career when he completed his Clarinet Quintet. Written for clarinetist Anton Stadler, it is Mozart's only clarinet quintet and one of the earliest and best-known pieces written especially for this instrument. Mozart had a lifelong fascination with the clarinet's mellow sound and wide range, and showcased both with the ever-shifting moods and rich melodic lines in this piece.

"Here is a chamber-music work of the finest kind," wrote musicologist Alfred Einstein. "The clarinet predominates ... and is treated as if Mozart were the first to discover its charm, its soft, sweet breath, its clear depth, its agility. There is no dualism here between solo and accompaniment, only fraternal rivalry."

Like Mozart, Beethoven was also in his early 30s when he completed his Septet in 1800, but in his case, was still in the Early Stages of his career-his first compositional period. As a result, the heavy influence of Mozart and Haydn is heard in this Septet. The six-movement work is structured as an elegant divertimento, with colorful dialogues that beautifully highlight each of the seven instruments: clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, and bass. Beethoven's virtuosic writing gives each instrument a chance to shine.

This performance is generously underwritten by Orchestra of St. Luke's Board Chairman, Norman S. Benzaquen.

St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble consists of 22 virtuoso artists dedicated to the mastery of a diverse repertoire spanning Baroque to contemporary. The ensemble makes up the artistic core of Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL), one of America's foremost and most versatile orchestras. OSL was formed at the Caramoor International Music Festival in the summer of 1979, after evolving from St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, which was established at The Church of St. Luke in the Fields in New York's Greenwich Village in 1974.

OSL regularly collaborates with the world's greatest artists and performs approximately 70 concerts each year-including its Carnegie Hall Orchestra Series, Chamber Music Series at The Morgan Library & Museum and Brooklyn Museum, and performances at the Caramoor Music Festival, where OSL is the official Orchestra-in-Residence. OSL's discography of more than 90 recordings includes four Grammy Award-winning albums and seven releases on its own label, St. Luke's Collection. Pablo Heras-Casado is OSL's Principal Conductor.

OSL's Community & Education programs have introduced audiences across New York City to live classical music. OSL brings free chamber concerts to the five boroughs; offers free interactive music programs at its home, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music; provides chamber music coaching for adult amateurs; and reaches 10,000 public school students each year through free school concerts and in-school instruction. In July 2013, OSL and Police Athletic League (PAL) launched Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's (YOSL), an after-school orchestra and instrumental coaching program emphasizing musical excellence and social development.

For more information, visit OSLmusic.org.

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