Sun, September 13, 2026
Mahler & Enescu
Concert title
Mahler & Enescu
Date
Sun 13.09.2026
Start of the concert
17:00
Contributors
Soloists
Francesco Sica - violin
Roman Conrad - violin
Jürg Dähler - viola
Anikó Illényi - cello
Irina Botan - piano
Roman Conrad - violin
Jürg Dähler - viola
Anikó Illényi - cello
Irina Botan - piano
program
The new chamber music series on Liebestrasse, in the city's most beautiful Art Nouveau hall.
Of the chamber music pieces Gustav Mahler composed during his studies in Vienna, only one survives: the first movement of a piano quartet in A minor. Whether the other movements ever existed, and whether they are the scores that were once lost in the mail, as Mahler later recounted, remains unclear, as does the exact year of composition. The movement may have been composed around 1877, when Mahler was seventeen, a highly gifted (and not easy) student; both are audible in the movement. The influence of Schubert and Brahms is also audible in the music. Yet, so to speak, no truly "Mahler" influence is present. What would be the pinnacle of art for many others was, for Mahler, merely the starting point of the path that led him to his own unique sound.
The same was true for George Enescu. Enescu was only fifteen when he wrote his Piano Quintet in D major during his studies in Paris. Neither Paris nor Enescu's Romanian origins are primarily audible in it; rather, the influence of Brahms (and some Schumann) is very much present. This is no surprise, as Enescu had previously studied in Vienna with the same teacher whose chamber music perhaps served as the more direct model for the works of Enescu and Mahler: Robert Fuchs. The first movement showcases the consummate artistry of the young Enescu: the themes are lyrically earnest, and in the development and coda, they are skillfully immersed in minor tones. The Andante is wonderful, woven from a single, short, simple motivic idea. Finally, the Finale might be perceived as "Romanian," but this too is within the tradition: from Haydn to Brahms, the Finale was the place for national colors and folk influences. And of course, in the middle of the movement, Enescu skillfully lightens the earthy sounds into airy fugal textures. The five musicians unearth a true chamber music treasure here.
Program:
Gustav Mahler - Quartet Movement for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello in A minor;
George Enescu - Piano Quintet in D major.
Performers:
Francesco Sica - Violin;
Roman Conrad - Violin
; Jürg Dähler - Viola;
Anikó Illényi - Cello;
Irina Botan - Piano
Of the chamber music pieces Gustav Mahler composed during his studies in Vienna, only one survives: the first movement of a piano quartet in A minor. Whether the other movements ever existed, and whether they are the scores that were once lost in the mail, as Mahler later recounted, remains unclear, as does the exact year of composition. The movement may have been composed around 1877, when Mahler was seventeen, a highly gifted (and not easy) student; both are audible in the movement. The influence of Schubert and Brahms is also audible in the music. Yet, so to speak, no truly "Mahler" influence is present. What would be the pinnacle of art for many others was, for Mahler, merely the starting point of the path that led him to his own unique sound.
The same was true for George Enescu. Enescu was only fifteen when he wrote his Piano Quintet in D major during his studies in Paris. Neither Paris nor Enescu's Romanian origins are primarily audible in it; rather, the influence of Brahms (and some Schumann) is very much present. This is no surprise, as Enescu had previously studied in Vienna with the same teacher whose chamber music perhaps served as the more direct model for the works of Enescu and Mahler: Robert Fuchs. The first movement showcases the consummate artistry of the young Enescu: the themes are lyrically earnest, and in the development and coda, they are skillfully immersed in minor tones. The Andante is wonderful, woven from a single, short, simple motivic idea. Finally, the Finale might be perceived as "Romanian," but this too is within the tradition: from Haydn to Brahms, the Finale was the place for national colors and folk influences. And of course, in the middle of the movement, Enescu skillfully lightens the earthy sounds into airy fugal textures. The five musicians unearth a true chamber music treasure here.
Program:
Gustav Mahler - Quartet Movement for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello in A minor;
George Enescu - Piano Quintet in D major.
Performers:
Francesco Sica - Violin;
Roman Conrad - Violin
; Jürg Dähler - Viola;
Anikó Illényi - Cello;
Irina Botan - Piano
address
Ticket outlets for concert tickets
Ticket office (Mon–Fri, 9:30–13:30):
Stadthaus Winterthur, Stadthausstrasse 4a, CH-8400 Winterthur, Tel. +41 52 620 20 20, konzertkarten@musikkollegium.ch
Other ticket outlets
- Winterthur Tourism, Main Train Station, CH-8400 Winterthur
- Ticket Corner, all Swiss ticket outlets
Stadthaus Winterthur, Stadthausstrasse 4a, CH-8400 Winterthur, Tel. +41 52 620 20 20, konzertkarten@musikkollegium.ch
Other ticket outlets
- Winterthur Tourism, Main Train Station, CH-8400 Winterthur
- Ticket Corner, all Swiss ticket outlets
URL of the organizer
Picture
Newsletter
For event organizers
Do you want to attract more visitors to your concerts?
Find out more about the possibilities this portal offers.
Concert search subscription
With a concert search subscription, you will receive an email for your selected cantons/federal states as soon as a new concert is listed there. You can unsubscribe from the service at any time.
