North Carolina Symphony’s Manning Chamber Music Series Returns, 10/24

A Triangle music tradition, the Manning Chamber Music Series launches its 2011/12 season next week with masterworks by Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. The series-opening performance takes place at Kenan Auditorium on the campus of William Peace University on Monday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m.

Manning Chamber Music Series concerts are free and open to the public.

North Carolina Symphony violins David Kilbride and Jeremy Preston and cello Elizabeth Beilman join with viola Xi Yang for the charming violin-and-cello version of the Duet No. 3 in B-flat Major-a popular chamber piece attributed to Beethoven, though its authorship is uncertain-followed by Tchaikovsky's spirited and playful Album for the Young, Op. 39. There's no doubting the creative force behind the program's headliner: Beethoven's bold and technically demanding String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1.

A turning point for the legendary composer-if not for chamber music in general-the Quartet No. 7 in F Major is the first of the three "Middle Quartets" written for Russian count Andreas Razumovsky. It was Beethoven's first extended effort in the quartet form, and its notable musical challenges and emotional depth helped the composer establish his reputation in serious music. To some original listeners, music was never the same again.

"Op. 59 is the precise chamber music analogue of the revolutionary Symphony No. 3 ["Eroica"] within the category of orchestral music," writes the popular chamber music blog earsense. "Music is suddenly happening on a whole different scale of intensity, virtuosity and profundity."

A special partnership between the North Carolina Symphony and William Peace University, the Manning Chamber Music Series brings Symphony musicians together with guest artists and Peace faculty for performances of first-rank small ensemble music, both classic and new. The concerts are presented free throughout the year, offering central North Carolina residents a rare and vital opportunity to hear some of music's great masterpieces.

The series continues with free concerts on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, and Monday, March 19, 2012. Kenan Auditorium is located on the William Peace University campus at 15 E. Peace St. in Raleigh.

North Carolina Symphony musicians perform in small ensembles across the state year round. For a complete schedule of small ensemble performances in your area, visit the North Carolina Symphony Web site at www.ncsymphony.org.

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