Schubert had a habit of ummm…”borrowing” from himself, and in this case was recycling a score from a short-lived play called ‘Rosamunde.” It has been such an honor for us to learn this piece and study together as a quartet, and we are honored to play it for you.” – Joan Herget
Established in 2015 by musical giants and Heifetz faculty members Shmuel Ashkenasi and Ralph Kirshbaum, the Heifetz Chamber Music Seminar has become one of the Institute’s signature “programs within a program.” In 2021, 16 advanced performers gathered together for a summerlong immersion in chamber masterworks under the guidance of Mr. Ashkenasi and Heifetz Artistic Director Nicholas Kitchen.
This showcase concert for Seminar students features violinists Minji Lee and Maya Angeli Buchanan, violist Gene Hotta and cellist Joan Herget, performing as the Pegasus Quartet, offering a complete concert performance of Schubert’s gripping String Quartet No. 13 in A minor, D. 804, subtitled “Rosamunde.” They are performing at First Presbyterian Church in the Heifetz Institute’s home of downtown Staunton, VA.
Two overtures, a ream of incidental music, a piano piece, and an incandescent string quartet… and that’s before we get to all the transcriptions and arrangements! What connects all of the music subtitled “Rosamunde” in Franz Schubert’s vast output is the profound tunefulness of his motives and melodies.