7200 North Rogers Ave
Chicago IL 60645
Touring Program Menu
Black Violet – Act I
Walter Piston – Divertimento (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, string quartet, bass)
Johannes Brahms – Horn Trio (horn, violin, piano)
Hector Villa Lobos – Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6 (flute, bassoon)
Jonathan Keren – Hungary is Far Away (2008) – (clarinet, horn, violin, viola, cello)
Greg Simon – Kites at Seal Rock (2008) – (string quartet, piano)
Alain Goraguer (arr. C. Marks) – Les Fusees from Le Planete Sauvage (full ensemble)
Black Violet is the landmark collaboration between Fifth House Ensemble and graphic novelist
Ezra Claytan Daniels. Slides are projected throughout the concert, telling the tale of Violet, a
black cat during the last great plague of London. This gripping story is inspired by, and timed
specifically to the music. Projections are controlled entirely by our traveling production crew. The
show is semi-staged, and while all pieces are performed in full, movements are exchanged for a
dialogue between the pieces to create an engaging theatrical experience. Act I is a fantastic
stand-alone concert, but be forewarned that your audience will want to see the other two
shows! Samples are available at www.youtube.com/fifthhouseensemble.
Ensemble: Wind Quintet, String Quartet, Bass, Piano, Projectionist
Our 3 B’s
Bela Bartok – Contrasts (Clarinet, Violin, Piano)
Johannes Brahms – Clarinet Trio (Clarinet, Cello, Piano)
Intermission
Mason Bates – Red River (Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, Electronics)
For some reason, B’s have been especially important in the history of classical music. Though the
traditional 3 B’s are Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, we particularly enjoying tying together these
B’s. What we highlight in this program is that each featured composer writes in their own
particular vernacular, providing a musical polaroid of their era and culture. Bartok’s Contrasts
captures folk tunes and dances from Eastern Europe. Brahms’ Clarinet Trio captures the essence
of high romance with lyrical melodies and textures. To close, Mason Bates’ Red River traces the
flow of the Colorado River from the top of the mountains to the deepest valley. The electronics
(controlled by the ensemble) add texture and depth to the music through both natural and
industrial sounds. The resulting program is sure to delight audiences of all types.
Ensemble: Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano
phone: 224.715.6455
email: info@fifth-house.com
website: www.fifth-house.com
Shape Shifters
Bohuslav Martinu – Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano
George Gershwin – Three Preludes (solo piano)
Astor Piazzolla – Le Grand Tango (cello and piano)
Intermission
Aaron Copland – Duo for Flute and Piano
George Crumb – Voice of the Whale for 3 Masked Players (flute, cello, piano)
Flute, cello, and piano are three of the most popular instruments in chamber music. This program
opens with a lesser-known trio full of light and bubbly melodies to set the stage for the music to
come. Each player has a feature work to share both their instrument and character with the
audience, allowing for increased intimacy and trust. The program builds to Crumb’s Voice of the
Whale, a semi-staged work where performers are masked. In Voice of the Whale, the players
rarely use their instruments in the expected ways. Extended techniques abound including singing
into the flute, making the cello sound like a flock of seagulls, and harmonics inside the piano.
Voice of the Whale was the first piece our instrumentalists performed together, years before the
forming of Fifth House Ensemble, and remains one of their most popular performance pieces.
Ensemble: Flute, Cello, Piano
Hidden Treasures
Franz Joseph Haydn - London Trio No. 1 (violin, viola, bassoon)
Jean Francaix - Divertimento for Reed Trio (oboe, clarinet, bassoon)
Morton Gould - Benny's Gig (clarinet and bass)
Intermission
Sergei Prokofiev - Quintet Op. 39 (oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, bass)
This program centers around Prokofiev’s masterful (but rarely performed) Quintet Op. 39. It’s
unusual instrumentation makes it an unlikely pick for most ensembles, but the colors and
characters inherent in the work delight audiences of all types. To complement the Prokofiev, we
present a non-traditional instrumentation of the classic Haydn Trio and Francaix’s boisterous
Divertimento. As another special treat, we are also pleased to share Morton Gould’s tribute to
Benny Goodman, Benny’s Gig. It vacillates between jazzy rhythms and contemporary sounds,
successfully toeing the line between light-hearted fun and soulful melody.
Ensemble: Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Violin, Viola, Bass
phone: 224.715.6455
email: info@fifth-house.com
website: www.fifth-house.com
Putting It Together: Music And Collage Art
Joan Tower – Petroushskates (1980) (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano)
Jacob TV – Lipstick (1998) (flute, electronics)
Mason Bates – Red River (2007) (clarinet, violin, cello, piano, electronics)
Intermission
Arnold Schoenberg – Chamber Symphony Op. 9 arr. Webern (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano)
Schoenberg is known for spiky, atonal music, but this early work is filled with romantic melody and
gesture. To our ears, the chamber symphony is layered like collage art. To prepare audiences for
this incredible work, Fifth House presents a variety of music connected to visual image. Tower’s
Petroushskates is a tribute both to Stravinsky’s Petrouchka and pair’s figure skating. The ensemble
plays swirling, busy music—at times pulling apart, but always coming back together in one
cohesive sound. Avant-pop Dutch composer created Lipstick, a romp through pop culture with
sampled electronics controlled by the ensemble. Red River is an amazing quartet depicting the
journey of the Colorado River from the top of the mountains through to the deepest valley. Each
of these works connects to visual imagery and art, which we will present through projections we
also control. Before the Schoenberg, we demonstrate the musical collage styling by building one
passage, instrument by instrument, while simultaneously building an original work of collage art
using images of the musicians.
Ensemble: Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano
The Other Piano Quintet
Franz Schubert – Piano Quintet “The Trout” (violin, viola, cello, bass, piano)
Intermission
Ryan Harper – Augur (2009) (violin, viola, cello, bass)
Ellis Ludwig-Leone – Knocked (2009) (violin, viola, cello, bass)
Kevin Puts – Piano Quintet “The Red Snapper” (2005) (violin, viola, cello, bass, piano)
Double bass is under-represented in chamber music, but adds a huge orchestral sound to the
ensemble. In this program, Schubert’s iconic Trout quintet is presented as the inspiration for all
future uses of bass in a chamber setting. On the second half, three contemporary works are
shared that highlight the sound of what we call the real string quartet. Works by Harper and
Ludwig-Leone resulted from our residency at Yale, and are both fanciful and meaningful. To
conclude the program, we present Kevin Puts’ answer to the Trout, the Red Snapper quintet. It’s
haunting melodies are complemented by a wild scherzo filled with movement and depth. Listen
to Fifth House’s live radio broadcast of the Red Snapper at www.rushhour.org.
Ensemble: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Piano
phone: 224.715.6455
email: info@fifth-house.com
website: www.fifth-house.com