Voices United
October 17, 2026, 7:30 pm at the Belle Mehus Auditorium
Voices United features concertmaster Maureen Murchie and UND professors Nariaki Sugiura and Simona Barbu in Beethoven's Triple Concerto for violin, piano and cello, and the BMSO will shine in Brahms' Symphony No. 1.
Program
Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C Major, Op. 56 "Triple Concerto"...Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Rondo alla polcacca
Maureen Murchie, violin, Simona Barbu, cello, Nariaki Sugiura, piano
INTERMISSION
Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68..................Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
I. Un poco sostenuto - Allegro - Meno allegro
II. Andante Sostenuto
III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
IV. Adagio - piú andante - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio - Piú allegro
Program Notes
Ludwig van Beethoven - Triple Concerto in C major, Op. 56
Beethoven’s Triple Concerto is unusual in the standard concerto repertoire: rather than featuring a single soloist, it places three instruments—the violin, cello, and piano—at the center of the music. Composed around 1803–04, the work comes from a period when Beethoven was developing the bold, expansive style that would define his middle period. The combination of soloists gives the concerto an almost chamber-music character, with the three instruments frequently conversing, imitating one another, and passing musical ideas back and forth. The orchestra provides both support and contrast, creating a rich dialogue between the solo trio and the larger ensemble.
The three movements reveal Beethoven’s gift for balancing virtuosity with warmth and humor. The expansive first movement is energetic and lyrical, while the gentle Largo offers a moment of remarkable intimacy, with the soloists singing together over a restrained orchestral accompaniment. The finale bursts to life with the rhythmic energy of a polonaise, a dance traditionally associated with elegance and ceremony. Rather than three soloists competing for attention, Beethoven creates a musical partnership in which each voice has a distinct personality. The result is a work that is both grandly symphonic and delightfully conversational.
Johannes Brahms — Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Brahms’s First Symphony carries the weight of expectation as well as the sound of a composer finding his own voice. He worked on the piece for many years before its premiere in 1876, reportedly feeling the enormous shadow cast by Beethoven’s symphonies. Brahms admired Beethoven deeply, and listeners have often heard echoes of his predecessor in the symphony’s dramatic rhythms, powerful development, and monumental final movement. Yet Brahms was no imitator: his intricate counterpoint, rich harmonies, and subtle orchestral colors reveal a distinctive musical personality. The result is a symphony that feels both rooted in tradition and unmistakably modern for its time.
The journey from the dark intensity of the opening movement to the triumphant conclusion is central to the work’s character. The second and third movements provide lyrical and pastoral contrasts, but tension never disappears completely. In the finale, a quiet, mysterious opening gradually gives way to one of Brahms’s most famous themes—a broad, radiant melody that has often been compared to the spirit of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Brahms transforms the symphony’s earlier struggle into hard-won triumph, making the work not simply a homage to Beethoven, but a declaration that he was ready to carry the symphonic tradition forward in his own voice.