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Art of the Hymn
‘Prosody’ is the idea of bringing alive a melody within an audience member. All three composers of this program embedded hymns in their music - which were, at the time, beloved and communal tunes. Ives’ jaunty, haunting piano trio embeds “Rock of Ages” and folk songs like “Sailor’s Hornpipe”, while Bach’s monumental Chaconne - newly arranged by Darshan’s pianist Dominic Cheli - embeds Lutheran hymns from Cantatas and Passions. Lastly, Mendelssohn’s towering Opus 66 trio quotes Bach’s own “Gelobet” from Cantata BWV 129.
Duration: approx. 70 minutes
Charles Ives: Trio
J.S. Bach: Chaconne arr. D. Cheli
Felix Mendelssohn: Trio No.2 in C minor
See Yourself
This program draws on the diaries and letters of Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Clara Schumann, offering a literary journey through their words and music. Through these intimate writings, the audience is invited to view these composers in a new light—more personal, vulnerable, and profoundly human. In their reflections, we may also catch a glimpse of ourselves, seeing our own joys and struggles mirrored in theirs.
Duration: approx. 65 minutes
Robert Schumann: movements from Kinderszenen Op.15
Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio Op.8
Clara Schumann: Andante from Piano Trio
Moving Songs
This program traces how composers across eras and cultures engage with tradition to create something new. Dominic Cheli’s Homage à Pachelbel reimagines one of the most enduring patterns in Western music, while Pēteris Vasks’ Episodi e Canto perpetuo transforms chant-like simplicity into a spiritual journey of struggle and renewal. Astor Piazzolla’s Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas brings the cycle full circle, infusing tango with the grandeur of the concert stage and echoing Vivaldi’s famous seasons.
Duration: approx. 75 minutes