Program

Gounod: Petite Symphony
I. Adagio–Allegro

Gershwin: Three Preludes 
 I. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
II. Andante con moto e poco rubato
III. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso

Mozart: Piano Sonata No.1 arr. by Katherine Needleman
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro

Bizet: Carmen Fantasy
I. Entr'acte
II. L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
III. Pres des remparts de Seville
IV. Les tringles des sistes tintaient
Date: December 22, 2023.
​Time: 7:30pm
Location: First Congregational Church Webster Groves
Address: 10 W Lockwood Ave, Webster Groves, MO 63119
Admission: Free

Concert Artists

​Meridian Clarinet Quartet 
​
Yao Guang Zhai / Clarinet
Principal Clarinet of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra 
Sang Yoon Kim  / Clarinet
Principal Clarinet of the St Paul Chamber Orchestra  
 Tzuying Huang / Bass Clarinet
Bass Clarinet of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra 
Lin Ma / Clarinet
Principal Clarinet of the National Symphony Orchestra 
Meridian Clarinet Quartet is proudly sponsored by Buffet Crampon, Vandoren, and D'Addario Woodwinds.
Gershwin: Three Preludes
George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershwine in 1898. Gershwin is one of the most famous American composers of all time. His works include orchestral compositions such as American in Paris, operas such as Porgy and Bess, and jazz standards such as Embraceable You and I Got Rhythm. Sadly, Gershwin died at the age of 38 from a malignant brain tumor.
The Three Preludes were the result of a project to compose twenty-four preludes! In 1926, Gershwin performed five of these preludes at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. However, after the performance he decided to publish only three. The Three Preludes, originally for solo piano are yet another example of compositions so popular that they have been arranged for
many instrumentations!

Mozart: Piano Sonata No.1 arr. by Katherine Needleman
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg in January of 1756. Although he lived a short life of only 35 years he composed a huge library of over 800 works! He rivals Beethoven as one of the most famous and important composers of all time. Mozart was a well known prodigy during his lifetime and is still recognized as such today. However, Mozart composed his first piano sonata in 1774 when he was already 18 years old! In 1773, Mozart had taken a job as a court musician for the prince of Salzburg, but he was discouraged by the low wages and the lack of opportunity to compose operas. In order to pursue his passion for composing opera Mozart took a sabbatical from his court position and traveled to Munich for several months. During his months-long stay in Munich his opera, La Fanta Giardiniera, was premiered, and he composed his first piano sonata. On this program, Mozart’s first piano sonata has been arranged for four clarinets!

Bizet: Carmen Fantasy
Pablo de Sarasate, b.1844-d.1908, was a Spanish virtuoso violinist, composer and conductor. Inspired by themes from Bizet’s opera Carmen, he wrote the Carmen Fantasy for solo violin and orchestra in 1882. The opera is set around the year of 1830. It tells the tale of a soldier, Don José, who abandons his duties and his girlfriend to pursue Carmen, a tempestuous factory girl. Sarasate’s fantasy is an incredibly demanding work for solo violin, but for this program, the technical feats and demands of the piece will be performed with great skill by four clarinets!