Finnish-born pianist Marja Kaisla will be joined by Philadelphia Orchestra violinist Paul Arnold and cellist Ovidiu Marinescu in recital Saturday, March 2, at 5 p.m. in Chestnut Hill’s Woodmere Art Museum. Saturday’s concert is the postponement date for one originally scheduled for Jan. 19, which was changed due to inclement weather.

Kaisla explained, “The Beethoven Piano Trio, the first work he considered to be sufficiently substantial to be published, is sunny, energetic and life-affirming – which is what I believe our world needs so badly today.

“While the Beethoven is structured traditionally,” she continued, “Dvorak’s ‘Dumky Trio’ is the opposite regarding its form. There are six sections. The first three are seamlessly sewn together, which somehow gives the score a four-movement impression. All the themes are based on ‘dumkas,’ Ukrainian folk tunes, creating a fantasy of a quintessential Slavic emotional rollercoaster.”

The next event on Woodmere’s roster of classical performances is set for Saturday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m. The recital is part of the 2023-24 season of Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra. It will feature baritone Jean-Bernard Cerin and cellist Eve Miller in a program entitled “Lisette – A Song’s Journey from Haiti and Back.” For more information visit woodmereartmuseum.org.

Ballet to dance ‘Giselle’

The Philadelphia Ballet will continue its 60th anniversary season with a production of “Giselle” in the Academy of Music Feb. 29 through March 10. The company’s interpretation of this classic romantic ballet was choreographed by its artistic director, Angel Corella.

“Giselle” tells the haunting tale of love, betrayal and redemption. Corella’s take on the narrative brings a fresh and dynamic perspective to a story beloved by generations of ballet enthusiasts.

“With ‘Giselle,’ I sought to honor the ballet’s rich heritage while infusing it with a contemporary vitality that resonates with today’s audiences,” Corella explained. “It’s a privilege to bring this iconic piece to life and share my vision with our incredible audiences.”

The Philadelphia Ballet’s 2023-24 season continues with “Dance Masterpieces” March 14-16 and concludes with Frederick Ashton’s “The Dream” and George Balanchine’s “Prodigal Son” May 9-12. 

For more information visit philadelphiaballet.org.

Chamber Music Society recital

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society continued its series of Sunday afternoon recitals in the Kimmel Center’s intimate Perelman Theater, Sunday, Feb. 11, with the Daedalus Quartet and pianist Stewart Goodyear. The internationally acclaimed musicians were heard in a program of music composed by Franz Joseph Haydn, Johannes Brahms and Goodyear. The performances were heard by an audience that packed the house and supported the players with rounds of hearty applause.

Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F minor, Opus 34, holds a special place in the chamber music repertoire. It’s a virtual concerto for piano and strings. Divided into four movements – Allegro non troppo, Andante/Poco Adagio, Scherzo/Allegro, and Finale: Poco sostenuto/Allegro non troppo – it covers the gamut of emotions expressed through the classical formal traditions Brahms so loved and mastered.

It's an interesting sidenote that Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto in B-flat major is often thought of as a symphony with a prominent solo piano part. It, too, is in four movements, which is unusual for concerti but not for symphonies.

The score of the F minor Piano Quintet is both expansive and focused. It projects a broad horizon of structure within and through which the composer revealed his innermost feelings from the heart held safely within the edifice of classical development techniques.

The Daedalus Quartet – violinists Min-Young Kim & Matilda Kaul, Jessica Thompson and cellist Thomas Kraines – proffered a distinctly different tonal sound world from that of Goodyear at the Perelman’s stunning Steinway & Sons concert grand piano. Whereas the pianist conjured up mounds of glowing, warm tones and timbres, the string quartet projected bracing clarity of texture. Together they caught the thematic generosity of the first movement, the lieder-like lyricism of the second, the frenzy of the third movement and the intense passion of the fourth.

The program’s first half opened with a crisp reading of Haydn’s String Quartet in D major, Opus 1, no. 3. Goodyear’s “Hommage a Beethoven” filled it out.

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society’s next Sunday afternoon matinee recital at 3 p.m. is scheduled for Feb. 25 and will feature the Orion Quartet. The musicians will play Franz Schubert’s Quartet in G major, D. 887, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Quartet in B-flat major, Opus 130 with the “Grosse Fuge” included as originally intended by the composer. The performance will take place in the Benjamin Franklin Auditorium of the American Philosophical Society located at 427 Chestnut Street in the Old City section of Philadelphia. For more information call 215-569-8080 or visit pcmsconcerts.org.

You can contact NOTEWORTHY at Michael-caruso@comcast.net.