Beethoven & the Ladies brings together four composers whose works reveal the extraordinary range of music written for winds and piano across nearly two centuries. Beethoven’s Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 16 anchors a program that also features music by Claude Arrieu, Elizabeth Brown, and Louise Farrenc, creating a conversation between the Classical era, the 19th century, and the contemporary musical landscape.
The program offers particularly striking contrasts in musical language and form. Arrieu’s Quintet in C and Farrenc’s Piano Sextet in C Minor, Op. 40 demonstrate the richness of the French chamber-music tradition, while Elizabeth Brown’s Pentalogue—written in 2021—brings a distinctly contemporary voice to the ensemble. Heard alongside Beethoven’s elegant and finely balanced quintet, these works reveal the enduring possibilities of chamber music while highlighting the distinctive perspectives of women composers across different eras.
Claude Arrieu (1903–1990)
- Quintet in C
- Allegro
- Andante
- Allegro scherzando
- Adagio
- Allegro vivace
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
- Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 16, for Piano and Winds
- Allegro ma non troppo
- Andante cantabile
- Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo
Elizabeth Brown (b. 1953)
- Pentalogue (2021)
- I. Prologue
- II. Procession
- III. Walking and Waltzing
- IV. Of Mice and Mahler
- V. Epilogue
Louise Farrenc (1804–1875)
- Piano Sextet in C Minor, Op. 40
- Allegro
- Andante sostenuto
- Allegro vivace