Much Ado About Nothing

Concerts Enchantés' first concert at the Centre Wakefield La Pêche in the 2026/2027 concert season will be an (elegant) barn burner.  The program is built around two spectacular pieces of English chamber music by Herbert Howells and Ralph Vaughan Williams.  Best known for his luscious choral music, Herbert Howells wrote his piano quartet in 1916.  The piece is infused with English folk song, and is a tribute to the landscape of the Gloucestershire hills - the piece is dedicated "To the Hill at Chosen".  Vaughan Williams' piano quintet is also deeply tied to the English folk tradition.  While it has moments of tenderness, the piece is sinewy and rich, primarily because of the addition of double bass to the traditional piano quartet texture.  Between these two large works, you'll hear each of the string players perform a movement from Korngold's Much Ado About Nothing suite, which was written as incidental music for Shakespeare's play. During WWII, Korngold moved from Austria to Hollywood, and became the most important film composer of his generation.  This is truly the sound of Hollywood in chamber music form!

Music:

Herbert Howells:
Piano Quartet in A minor, op. 21

Erich Korngold: Suite from Much Ado About Nothing

Ralph Vaughan Williams:
Piano Quintet in C minor