Despite All Obstacles of Nature: Composers with Hearing Loss
First Reformed Church, 8 N. Church St, Schenectady, NY
Beethoven, Smetana and Faure all suffered profound hearing loss yet continued to produce musical masterpieces from within their silence. The program features Beethoven's Third Cello Sonata, Smetana's "From my Homeland", and Faure's Piano Trio, op. 120, as well as the world premiere of Etude for violin and piano of Richard Einhorn. All of these works were create after the descent of their deafness. The program will also include readings from letters of each composer describing their despair and ultimate triumph musically over their deafness. Featured performers are Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, violin; Petia Kassarova, violoncello; Starr Norman, piano. The reader will be Pastor Bill Levering. Richard Einhorn will present the pre-concert talk.