On November 4 at the Lionel Wendt theatre, the Symphony Orchestra will present a programme of chamber music in honour of Dr. Earle De Fonseka, conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka for over 40 years, from its inception in 1961 until his death in 2000. His legacy survives not only in the form of orchestral music, but also in the genre of chamber music—a love that he inculcated in many of the older generation of musicians, who in turn have striven to pass it on to the SOSL’s young players. Current conductor of the orchestra, Dushy Perera herself acknowledges the pivotal role Dr. Earle played in shaping her as a musician.

This programme highlights the piano, and its role in the chamber music of the Romantic era, with Felix Mendelssohn’s piano trio No. 1 in D minor, Gustav Mahler’s piano quartet in A minor, and Robert Schumann’s piano quintet in E-flat Major.

Mendelssohn’s Trio in D minor was proclaimed ‘the master trio of the age’ by none other than Robert Schumann, who said “…it is an exceedingly fine composition that, years hence, will still delight our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

Gustav Mahler’s piano quartet in A minor was published in 1973, almost a hundred years after its premiere in 1876. Mahler wrote this quartet (which is actually a surviving movement rather than the extended work) when he was just 16.

Few romances in the history of the arts have yielded as much inspired work as that between Robert Schumann and his wife Clara, nee Wieck, the piano quintet in E-flat among them.

The piano quintet will be performed by Shanthi Dias (piano), Nilupul Silva (violin), Tiyanie Sahabandu (violin), Mangala Abeysekera (viola), and Tamara Holsinger (cello).

Tickets are available at the Lionel Wendt.

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