Tomorrow June 14th, and this Thursday, June 16th at 7:30pm the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society (WCMS) returns to the concert stage with their annual mini-chamber music festival that they are calling “Mozart and More.” Both concerts take place at the Muriel Richardson Auditorium at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and will feature chamber music of Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, and Khachaturian.
For WCMS pianist David Moroz, this year’s “Mozart and More Festival” is an opportunity to explore the vastness of the chamber music literature. One of the big pieces on Tuesday night’s concert is the Schubert Grand Duo for violin and piano in A Major D574. This performance will feature Moroz on piano and his wife, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Concert Master Gwen Hoebig on violin. As Moroz explains, “I was not quite familiar with this work. This is a duo that is very well known among violinists particularly. And Gwen, about a month ago asked me if I would play it with her, and I said of course… It’s a fabulous piece!"
The concert on Tuesday the 14th will also feature the music of Russian-Armenian composer Aram Khatchaturian. The WCMS will be joined by University of Manitoba saxophone teacher and performer Alan Herington. Herington has arranged Khatchaturian’s clarinet trio, replacing the clarinet part with alto saxophone. This is a marvelous trio that will take on a whole new character when played by saxophone.
On Thursday June 16th, the WCMS will be performing Mozart Piano trio in B flat K 502. For Moroz the piece has a very special significance. “I think this is my favorite piano trio by Mozart. The second movement is particularly beautiful. I found one writer who characterized the middle movement as a warm discussion between three old and dear friends…and I though what a lovely characterization, and also so accurate.”
Also on Thursday night the WCMS will be performing Schumann’s masterpiece, his piano quartet op47. “I would play the Schumann piano quartet anytime if anybody asked me…I would drop everything and do it,” says Morroz.
The “Mozart and More” concerts on Tuesday, June 14th and Thursday June 16th at the Muriel Richardson Auditorium at the WAG both take place at 7:30pm and are going to be two concerts that are really, really special! For tickets you can go to the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society’s website, or you can get tickets at the door.