Brahms soiree celebrates clarinet’s beauty
Composer Johannes Brahms was drawn out of retirement by the beautiful sounds of the clarinet.
He was captivated by the playing of Richard Muuhlfeld, principal clarinettist of the Meiningen court orchestra, and inspired to write several outstanding works for the clarinet.
His two clarinet sonatas, Opus 120, were completed in July 1894 and premiered the following January.
Before their public performance, Brahms and Muuhlfeld played the two sonatas privately for the famous pianist Clara Schumann.
A Perth recital on Saturday, April 13 by two of Perth’s leading musicians, clarinettist Ashley William Smith and pianist Anna Sleptsova, recreates that original performance of great music among friends.
Ashley is Chair of Woodwinds and Contemporary Performance at the UWA Conservatorium of Music.
He is a graduate of UWA and Yale University, and a Fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music.
Anna arrived in Australia in 1995 from Ukraine, where she was a senior lecturer at Kiev State Conservatorium.
In 1997 she moved to Perth, teaching first at UWA and then from 2007 to 2021 at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, where she was head of piano studies.
This is a rare opportunity to hear Brahms at his best, performed by two of Perth’s most highly acclaimed musicians.
The concert is on Saturday, April 13 at 7.30pm, in the Callaway Music Auditorium at UWA.
Pre-concert refreshments will be served from 7pm.
Tickets cost $25 including program and refreshments. Full-time students may enter by gold coin donation.
Book through www.trybooking.com or purchase tickets at the door.