Eclipse Chamber Orchestra Presents
Matthew Ross, flute
Wei-Han Wu, piano
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
The Lyceum—Alexandria, Virginia
Carl Frühling (1868–1937) – Fantasie for Flute and Piano, Op. 55 (1929)
Carl Frühling was an Austrian pianist and composer whose lyrical, Romantic voice was nearly lost to history. Born in Lviv (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), he studied piano and composition at the prestigious Vienna Conservatory, where he quickly distinguished himself as both a performer and a composer. Frühling was active in Vienna’s vibrant musical scene at the turn of the 20th century, collaborating with luminaries such as cellist Julius Klengel and clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld.
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Frühling composed primarily chamber music, including works for clarinet, cello, and piano, and his music is marked by rich harmonic language, sweeping melodies, and idiomatic writing for each instrument. Despite his early promise and a growing reputation, his career was derailed by personal hardship and the political upheavals of the early 20th century. The rise of Nazism, along with Frühling’s Jewish heritage, contributed to the marginalization of his music. He died in poverty and obscurity in Vienna in 1937, and his works remained largely unpublished and unperformed for decades.
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The Fantasie for Flute and Piano, Op. 55, exemplifies Frühling’s late-Romantic sensibilities. Although originally composed for flute and orchestra, only the version for flute and piano survives. Cast in a single, continuous movement, the piece unfolds with a rhapsodic, improvisatory feel. It opens with a tender, singing line in the flute before expanding into a richly textured and expressive dialogue between the two instruments. Shifting seamlessly between lyrical warmth and virtuosic brilliance, the Fantasie explores a wide range of colors and moods, offering both instruments moments of emotional intensity and technical display.
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Thanks to recent interest in rediscovered Romantic composers, Frühling’s music is enjoying a resurgence in the concert repertoire. The Fantasie stands as a poignant example of his expressive voice—one nearly lost to history, but well worth rediscovering.
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Ernst von Dohnányi (1877–1960) – Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 21 (1911)
Transcribed for flute and piano
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A towering figure in early 20th-century Hungarian music, Ernst von Dohnányi was a virtuoso pianist, composer, and influential teacher whose career bridged the Romantic and modern eras. A student of Hans von Koessler—Brahms’s friend and champion of his works—Dohnányi absorbed the German Romantic tradition deeply, but developed a voice of his own that combined lush harmonies, formal clarity, and a distinct lyrical warmth.
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Composed in 1911, the Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 21, stands as one of Dohnányi’s most accomplished chamber works. It reflects the influence of Brahms in its sweeping gestures and rich textures, while revealing Dohnányi’s own sense of drama and emotional depth. Written in three continuous movements, the sonata opens with a broad and impassioned Allegro, followed by a song-like second movement full of intimate lyricism. The final movement, a spirited rondo, showcases rhythmic vitality and virtuosic brilliance.
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Though originally written for violin, this transcription for flute and piano allows the flute to bring a new color and vocal quality to Dohnányi’s lyrical lines. The result preserves the integrity and expressiveness of the original while offering a fresh perspective on this richly Romantic work.
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MieczysÅ‚aw Weinberg (1919–1996) – Twelve Miniatures, Op. 29 (1945)
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MieczysÅ‚aw Weinberg was a prolific and deeply expressive composer whose life and music were shaped by war, exile, and resilience. Born in Warsaw to a Jewish family of musicians, he fled Poland in 1939 after the Nazi invasion and eventually settled in the Soviet Union, where he spent the rest of his life. Though long overshadowed by his close friend and advocate Dmitri Shostakovich, Weinberg’s music is now gaining long-overdue recognition for its emotional honesty, craftsmanship, and unique voice.
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Composed in 1945, Twelve Miniatures, Op. 29, offers a rare glimpse into Weinberg’s lyrical and sentimental side. The work consists of twelve short movements—each a self-contained vignette of character, mood, or dance. Some are tender and contemplative, others playful or rustic, often drawing on folk-like rhythms and melodies. Together, they form a kind of musical sketchbook, filled with charm and poignancy.
Though modest in scale, the Miniatures reveal Weinberg’s gift for melody, color, and nuance and his ability to evoke a wide emotional range with the subtlest means. These brief movements, while individually unassuming, collectively offer a compelling portrait of a composer whose work continues to resonate with clarity and depth.
Nadia Boulanger (1887–1979) – Three Pieces for Cello and Piano (1914)
Transcribed for flute and piano
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Nadia Boulanger was a towering force in 20th-century music, equally revered as a teacher, conductor, and composer. Though she is best known for her extraordinary teaching career—which shaped generations of composers including Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, Philip Glass, Astor Piazzolla, and Quincy Jones—Boulanger was also a gifted composer in her own right. A student of Fauré and a contemporary of Debussy and Ravel, she developed a voice marked by emotional restraint, refined lyricism, and complete command of harmony and form.
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Composed in 1914, the Three Pieces for Cello and Piano are among her few works to remain in the repertoire. Each is a miniature study in mood and color: the first gentle and introspective, the second, lyrical and melancholy, and the third full of rhythmic vitality. While modest in scale, these pieces reveal Boulanger’s sensitivity to instrumental texture and her ability to evoke feeling with economy and grace.
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This transcription for flute and piano offers a rare and personal glimpse into the creative voice of a woman whose influence on music extended far beyond her own compositions—but whose works still speak with elegance and quiet power.
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Guillaume Connesson (b. 1970) – Second Sonata for Flute and Piano (2023)
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Guillaume Connesson is one of the most celebrated contemporary French composers, known for his vivid orchestration, rhythmic intrigue, and the seamless blending of tradition with modernity. Born in Paris in 1970, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he developed a distinctive style that draws from a wide range of influences, including French impressionism, neo-classicism, American minimalism, and film scores. His resulting works are richly colorful, energetic, and emotionally impactful.
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The Second Sonata for Flute and Piano exemplifies these qualities through a four-movement structure that explores a variety of moods and technical challenges. The first movement acts as a mysterious and evocative introduction, setting a contemplative mood. The second movement functions as a scherzo, bursting with playful rhythms and lightness. The third movement slows to a lyrical, introspective pace, providing a moment of emotional complexity. The final movement is a virtuosic tour de force that revisits and transforms themes from the earlier movements, culminating in a brilliant synthesis of the sonata’s musical motifs.
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Connesson’s imaginative dialogue between flute and piano showcases his gift for color and texture, making this sonata both a rewarding challenge for performers and an engaging journey for listeners. Its blend of tradition and innovation captures the vibrant spirit of contemporary French music today.