Saturday, November 22, 2025
7:30 – 9:00 PM
Boulder Adventist Church
Andrew Cooperstock - Piano
Artist-in-Residence
in collaboration with
Rinat Erlichman - Violin
Joseph Howe - Cello
Mini-Chamber 2
with Andrew Cooperstock - Piano
Program
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Piano Trio in G Major, Hob. XV:25 “Gypsy”
I. Andante
II. Poco adagio, cantabile
III. Rondo all’Ongarese: Presto
Paul Schoenfield (b. 1947)
Café Music (1986)
I. Allegro
II. Rubato – Andante Moderato
III. Presto
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” (1891)
I. Lento maestoso
II. Poco adagio
III. Andante
IV. Andante moderato
V. Allegro
VI. Lento maestoso
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Andrew Cooperstock
Piano
Pianist Andrew Cooperstock performs widely as soloist and chamber musician and has appeared throughout six continents and in most of the fifty states, including performances at New York's Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the United Nations; at the Chautauqua, Brevard, and Round Top music festivals, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, and Hong Kong’s Hell Hot! New Music Festival, and on National Public Radio, Radio France, and the British Broadcasting Corporation. With violinist William Terwilliger, as Opus Two, he has recorded a series of critically acclaimed single-composer discs of […]
Rinat Erlichman
Violin
Rinat Erlichman began her violin studies in Israel at the age of 6 with Ms. Irina Miskov. Erlichman continued her studies with Mr. Michael Gaisler at the Hassadna Conservatory in Jerusalem, and later on at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School as a student of Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin, and her Master of Music degree from Rice University as a student of Paul Kantor. She recently received her Artist Diploma from the University of Colorado Boulder studying with Harumi Rhodes and Edward Dusinberre. […]
Joseph Howe
Cello
Joseph Howe is a cellist with a wide ranging and multi-faceted career. An avid chamber musician, he regularly performs with Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival in Northern California and Front Range Chamber Players, and recently appeared on Denver Friends of Chamber Music’s Music in the Galleries series. He is a member of Sphere Ensemble, a 13-piece chamber ensemble that performs music of all genres. Joseph is also deeply interested in historically inspired performance. Joseph is also deeply interested in historically inspired performance. He performs regularly with American Bach Soloists in the Bay Area […]
PROGRAM NOTES
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Piano Trio in G Major, Hob. XV:25 “Gypsy”
Haydn’s Piano Trio in G Major is one of his most beloved chamber works—and with good reason. Composed during his second visit to London in 1795, it reflects Haydn at the height of his powers: witty, inventive, and full of expressive nuance. Often referred to as the “Gypsy Trio,” the nickname comes from the fiery final movement, which draws on Hungarian and Romani musical styles that were immensely popular in the Habsburg Empire at the time.
The first movement, Andante, is elegant and graceful, built on a simple yet charming melody that is shared between the piano and strings. The second movement, marked Poco adagio, cantabile, offers a more introspective, lyrical atmosphere—a gentle respite before the rhythmic vitality of the finale. The third movement, Rondo all’Ongarese, is the heart of the piece and the source of its nickname. Here, Haydn imitates Hungarian folk music with syncopated rhythms, sudden dynamic contrasts, and dazzling piano writing. The result is a spirited and exhilarating close that brings audiences to the edge of their seats.
Haydn helped establish the piano trio as a major chamber genre, and this late work shows just how far he had developed it. The violin and cello are no longer mere accompanists to the piano but equal partners in a lively musical dialogue. At once refined and rustic, the “Gypsy” Trio is a brilliant example of Haydn’s unique ability to combine sophistication with the joy of popular dance.
Paul Schoenfield (b. 1947)
Café Music (1986)
Paul Schoenfield’s Café Music is a high-energy, genre-bending trio that defies easy categorization. Written in 1986, the piece was inspired by the composer’s time playing piano at Murray’s Restaurant in Minneapolis, where he entertained diners with everything from jazz and ragtime to classical and klezmer. That eclectic background shines through in this work, which blends classical techniques with the infectious spirit of American popular music.
The first movement bursts out of the gate with driving rhythms and jazzy harmonies, as if Gershwin had stepped into a classical recital hall. Full of syncopation and swing, it showcases Schoenfield’s deep affection for American musical traditions. The second movement slows the pace for a more introspective and bluesy interlude, rich with expressive nuance and subtle dissonances. The final movement returns to full speed, combining boogie-woogie piano riffs with virtuosic string writing in a whirlwind of joyous, unpredictable turns.
Though the music sounds effortless and fun, it is technically demanding for all three performers—especially the pianist, whose hands rarely rest. Schoenfield has said that his music is meant to “entertain and uplift,” and Café Music achieves that with flair. It is chamber music for the concert stage, the jazz club, and everywhere in between.
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” (1891)
Dvořák’s Dumky Trio is unlike any other piano trio in the traditional repertoire. Rather than following a standard multi-movement sonata form, the piece unfolds as a series of six dumky—a Slavic musical form that alternates between mournful, meditative passages and lively, dance-like interludes. The word dumka (plural dumky) comes from a Ukrainian term meaning "a thought" or "reverie," and in musical terms, it refers to a piece that mixes sorrow with exuberance in a dramatic, improvisational style.
Composed in 1891, the trio reflects Dvořák’s deep connection to Czech folk music, which permeates the entire work. Each movement stands on its own, but together they form a powerful emotional arc that moves from introspective melancholy to joyful celebration. The opening Lento maestoso sets the tone with a slow, brooding melody that suddenly breaks into a bright, dancing section. This push and pull between sadness and joy continues throughout the piece, giving the music a sense of spontaneity and emotional immediacy.
Unlike the tightly structured trios of Beethoven or Brahms, Dvořák’s Dumky is more like a sequence of musical stories or folk tales. The performers must shift rapidly between moods—sometimes within a single phrase—making the piece a tour de force of expression. The trio was premiered by the composer himself at the piano, alongside members of the Bohemian Quartet, and it quickly became one of his most frequently performed chamber works.
Dvořák once wrote, “I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what are called the Negro melodies.” Just as he celebrated his own roots through the Dumky, he believed deeply in the value of folk traditions and their ability to inspire great art. The Dumky Trio is a vivid and heartfelt expression of that belief—a work that feels both timeless and deeply personal.