“Gently Saying Farewell” – Escape to Exile II

Johannes Brahms composed his clarinet pieces during the final years of his life, inspired by his encounter with Richard Mühlfeld. In the composer’s own words, these works feel like a “gently saying farewell to the world”. At the heart of this programme is the deeply moving Trio in A Minor, which Brahms wrote in 1891 at the spa town of Bad Ischl during the last moments of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. By their choice of music, Andreas Ottensamer, Sol Gabetta and Dejan Lazić explore the powerful theme of exile and the unforeseen challenges it brings. Exile is reflected in the solo works of Béla Bartók and Mieczysław Weinberg, two composers from Eastern Europe whose lives were marked by the tumultuous upheavals of the 20th century. The element of surprise is brought by Nino Rota’s Clarinet Trio, a piece that reveals a different side of the Italian composer, best known for his film scores, especially those for Federico Fellini, but here exploring the intimate world of chamber music.