As I have previously written, the San Francisco Munich Trio takes its name from the respective nationalities of its two founders, San Francisco cellist Rebecca Rust and her husband Friedrich Edelmann, formerly Principal Bassoon for the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. While this is a somewhat unconventional coupling of low-voice instruments, it has provided some fascinating opportunities to explore new corners of the repertoire, most of which I have enjoyed at recitals given in the Noontime Concerts™ series at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral. Recently I received word from Munich that Rust and Edelmann would be returning to San Francisco at the beginning of this month this month to prepare another diverse program of chamber music with San Francisco pianist Dmitriy Cogan.
For the most part the program will consist of sonatas in which each of them will perform with piano accompaniment. However, Rust and Edelman will give three duo performances, a C major bassoon sonata by Johann Friedrich Fasch with Rust providing the basso continuo, the Vivace movement from Willem de Fesch’s Opus 8 sonata for cello and bassoon, and Arthur Frackenpohl’s “American Ragtime.” As has been previously observed, both the Fasch and Frackenpohl selections are part of the library of video recordings Rust and Edelman have accumulated on YouTube.
The remainder of the program will feature music for cello and piano. This will include two works by Ludwig van Beethoven, the second of his two Opus 5 cello sonatas, written in the key of G minor, and the WoO 45 set of twelve variations in G major based on “See the conqu’ring hero comes” from George Friderich Handel’s HWV 63 oratorio Judas Maccabaeus. There will also be two selections by Heitor Villa-Lobos, the Gavotte-Scherzo movement that concludes his Pequena suite and “O Canto da Nossa Terra” (the song of our country) a version of the second (Ária) movement from the second of the Bachianas Brasileiras suites later arranged by Gil Evans for Miles Davis as one of the tracks for Sketches of Spain but actually released on Directions. Rust will also play a scherzo movement by Frank Bridge and a cello version of Edward Elgar’s Opus 12 “Salut d’Amour” (love’s greeting), originally composed for violin and piano.
This program will be presented as a brunch concert at Salle Pianos on Sunday, September 21. The performance will begin at 1 p.m. with the Fasch and Beethoven sonatas. This will be followed by a “brunch break” at which food and mimosas will be served. The remainder of the program will follow, concluding with the Villa-Lobos selections as the “dessert.”
Salle Pianos is located at 1632 C Market Street, just behind Zuni Café. Tickets will be $30 per person. Reservations are recommended because of limited seating. They may be arranged by calling Edelmann at 510-849-7703 or Tibor Szabo at Salle Pianos at 415-240-2181.