Arts Listings

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra will perform a challenging program, featuring violinist Colin Jacobson, cellist Tanya Tomkins and fortepianist Eric Zivian, with the orchestra conducted by musical director Nicholas McGegan, at First Congregational Church this weekend. 

The program features Beethoven’s unusual “Triple Concerto,” the Concerto for Violin, Violoncello and Fortepiano in C major (Op. 56), followed by Haydn’s Symphony no. 88 in G major and Mozart’s Symphony no. 35 in D major (KV 385), the “Haffner.” 

McGegan, in his program notes, stressed his enthusiasm for the Triple Concerto, commenting that “the fortepiano is much softer than the modern piano, which offers us the chance to hear Beethoven’s exquisite and challenging cello passages” and “Beethoven pushes the edge of what instruments of the time could do.” 

Tanya Tomkins and Eric Zivian talked about the work. “It pushes all the instruments in many ways,” said Tomkins, “and it’s a totally virtuosic cello piece. Beethoven composed it knowing Anton Kraft, a great virtuoso would play the part. The pianist and violinists were amateurs—though those aren’t easy parts, either. It’s really unusual for a concerto to feature a trio like this. Mendelsohn wrote for piano and violin, but you almost never hear piano trio with orchestra.” 

Tomkins will play a period violoncello, with gut strings and no endpin (or “spike,” which was introduced around 1830; previously, the cello was held between the player’s calves).  

“It’s a major thing, gut strings and the lack of an endpin,” she said. “A friend at the Conservatory said, ‘You have a death wish or something?’ The violin will have gut strings, too, and no shoulder-rest. And it’s great with the fortepiano. I can only think of one recording with period instruments, with Anner Bylsma, my teacher, on cello. With the fortepiano’s softer sound, we can all think of other musical matters than loudness. ‘Let the piano come up more!’ You never hear that said with modern piano!” 

Tomkins spoke more of the pleasures of working with the period instruments: “Eric and I have played Beethoven sonatas together. Beethoven writes many notes for piano. With fortepiano, we can do a lot of colors and not be concerned with the volume. You can really get the feeling of what a crazy, funny piece it is, too. It’s stodgier on modern instruments, easier to get into the thickness of the sound. The wit comes across a lot better on the earlier ones; it’s inherent in the sound ... there are circus things, gypsy things ...” 

It’s been noted that Beethoven has more of a reputation for melancholy and high-mindedness than for wit or humor. Eric Zivian noted, “Anything of Beethoven’s from this time—about 1805—is looking back, at least a little bit, more like Haydn, who was not always so happy with Beethoven. It’s got a classical structure, a grand first movement, but the last movement’s a Rondo alla Polacca, with an ethnic, Eastern European flavor. Beethoven had a very special, a unique brand of humor.” 

Haydn’s symphony, from 1787, was composed for violinist Johann Peter Tost to capitalize on the “extraordinary” popularity of Haydn’s six “Paris” symphonies (ironically, a city Haydn never visited).  

Mozart’s “Haffner” Symphony, 1782-23, is reminiscent of “the many earlier serenades Mozart had composed for use in Salzburg ... [It] was originally intended to simply be another serenade to celebrate the elevation of Sigmund Haffner, a boyhood chum of Mozart’s, to the nobility.” 

The Haydn and Mozart symphonies “are symphonies with great contrasts that the orchestra really enjoys and plays with great skill,” said McGegan. “The composers’ ‘late greats’ [Mozart’s “Jupiter” and Haydn’s “London” symphonies] often overshadow these works.” 

PHILHARMONIA BAROQUE 

8 p.m. Saturday; 7:30 p.m. Sunday at  

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. $30 and up. (415) 392-4400 or www.philharmonia.org.