Weekend pick: free chamber music marathon at KenCen

A free event this weekend that’s well worth noting: the Kennedy Center is hosting a three-part chamber music marathon in the Terrace Theater on Sunday [corrected!]. Starting at 2:30 pm with performances by ensembles from the Kennedy Center’s Conservatory Project, in repertory curated by the composer Johannes Maria Staud, it continues in more conventional vein with NSO musicians playing Beethoven, Dvorak and Dohnanyi at 6 pm, and the Thymos Quartet at 8 pm.

2:30: Conservatory Project Chamber Ensembles  

György Kurtág                        Hommage à R. Sch.

Johannes Maria Staud            Sydenham Music

Martin Smolka                        Die Seele auf dem Esel (“The Soul on the
Donkey”)

Johannes Maria Staud            Incipit II (Esquisse retouchée)

Martin Smolka                        Rinzai and Water Skaters for retuned
guitar, bass clarinet, and string quartet

Johannes Maria Staud            Lagrein

György Kurtág                        Signs, Games and Messages for Strings

6:00:  Members of the National Symphony Orchestra  

Beethoven                             Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20

Dvořák                                   String Quintet in A minor, Op. 1

Dohnányi                               Quintet for Piano & Strings in C minor, Op. 1

8:00:  Quatuor Thymos  

Webern                                   Langsamer Satz

Bartók                                    String Quartet No.2

Webern                                   Five Pieces for String Quartet, Op.5 (1909)

Janáček                                  String Quartet No.1 (“Kreutzer Sonata,”
1923)