Chamber Music at the Movies

In this program, we delve into works by two composers known for their Hollywood contributions. Nino Rota composed more than 150 film scores including all of Federico Fellini’s — from La Strada and La Dolce Vita to 8 1/2 and The Orchestra Rehearsal — though his most famous work may be composing the scores to Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather series. Rota’s Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano hints at his strong sense of imagery especially in the finale which would find itself at home as the soundtrack to a Fellini circus scene. One of the first composers to craft scores directly suited to the emotions and events on screen, Erich Wolfgang Korngold was heavily influential in creating the modern standard for film composers. His chamber music works showcase this talent including in this Quintet in E major. After a first movement full of urgency and suspense, the second movement introduces variations on his Op. 14 Lieder des Abschieds, and closes with a somewhat playful and strange finale.