[Open rehearsal] Fulton St. Chamber Players: Beethoven & Dvorak

Beethoven – String Trio in E minor, Op. 9 No. 3
Dvořák – String Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 97

The Fulton St. Players will hold an open rehearsal in the main reading room, where audience members can witness the final tuning-up of the works for performance, with some running commentary. They will rehearse Beethoven’s String Trio in E minor with guest artist Kenneth Freed, a member of the Minnesota Orchestra, playing violin. He is joined by Rachel Swerdlow, viola, and Walter Gray, cello, founding members of the Players. The second work is the Dvořák's String Quintet in E-flat major. Jeannie Yablonsky, violin, and Blayne Barnes, violin, will join the other three players, with Freed switching to viola. Yablonsky, like Swerdlow and Gray, is a longtime member of the SSO; Barnes performs regularly with the SSO and the Seattle Opera orchestra.

The Beethoven trio, written in 1797 when Beethoven was first emerging as a composer, is in C minor, the key of his famous 5th Symphony. In keeping with that key, this work displays energy, dramatic contrasts, novelty, and passion. It was a crucial work in leading to Beethoven’s masterful string quartets. Dvořák viola quintet was composed in the summer of 1893, when the composer was living in Spillville, Iowa. It was written right after his beloved “American” quartet. In these works, as in the New World Symphony, Dvořák blends his Czech sensibility with strong American folk influences.

The Fulton Street Chamber Players, named for the Seattle street where two of the players live, was formed this year and held its debut concert at Folio this past winter. The group will become a regular part of Folio’s music programming next season. All players are veterans of orchestras, festivals, and chamber performances.

About Fulton Street Chamber Players

The Fulton Street Chamber Players are an ensemble drawn from the best and most dedicated chamber musicians in the Seattle area, supplemented with fantastic colleagues from across the country. Founded in 2015 by Rachel Swerdlow and Walter Gray, Fulton Street performances have been enjoyed throughout the Northwest, in both eclectic venues and house concerts. The ensemble’s love of chamber music and their enjoyment of performing in intimate settings brings audiences to the historic roots of chamber music.