[applause]

Elliott Forrest: Live from the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, I'm Elliott Forrest from WQXR 105.9 FM, New York's classical music radio station. We are so happy to bring you tonight's concert with the chamber ensemble The Knights.

[applause]

Elliott Forrest: So great to have a live audience on this beautiful night. We thought that the rain would keep us, but it did not. Tonight's featured ensemble is one of New York's most beloved musical organizations. The Knights has been a part of these concerts for many, many, many years. We brought them tonight with the music of the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. I think there's a little bit of a thing called the kitchen sink for tonight. Joining me on stage right now is conductor and founder Eric Jacobsen.

Eric Jacobsen: Hey, Elliott, how are you? Hey, everyone.

[applause]

Elliott Forrest: You mentioned the kitchen sink. Why are you thinking about that?

Eric Jacobsen: Well, this program consists of so many different things, and we're kind of thinking, "Oh, can we figure out a through line?" What's better than going home, it's ten o' clock, and like, "I'm going to make some dinner out of whatever is in the fridge." I'm not sure if that's exactly what a kitchen sink is, but we're thinking of this program as the kitchen sink because there's a little bit of everything.

Elliott Forrest: It's the chopped version of a concert.

Eric Jacobsen: [laughs] Mixing metaphors.

Elliott Forrest: Yes, there you go.

Eric Jacobsen: Well, and we also thought since the first half bookends with a piece by an Italian composer and another piece by an Italian composer, and we thought, well, maybe for all of you, New York, it's known for some really great pizza, and maybe we could just say that that has some Italian heritage there. Here's the catch. If you all can just send us a message on whatever social media things that are out there, like Instagram, and if you happen to have the same favorite pizza joint as one of us on stage, we'll set up a time and come have a slice with you. Because what's better than having a slice together in New York?

[applause]

Elliott Forrest: Italian food, and then, I guess, Chinese food. We have a Chinese American composer in the second half.

Eric Jacobsen: Yes, Chen Yi. On the second half, we thought similarly, where are we going to meet for dumplings? We should figure out how to have this connection, because actually there's something so beautiful about every single musical culture and cuisine culture. Not that they're totally connected, but there's something so beautiful about actually having and embracing, and of course, New York City being a melting pot for so many amazing cultures.

Elliott Forrest: We've been seeing you conduct for many, many years. I think it's kind of special we're going to get to see you play tonight. I haven't seen that in a while.

Eric Jacobsen: Well, now you're making me nervous, Elliott.

Elliott Forrest: [laughs] Tell us about that.

Eric Jacobsen: Yes, I get to play Bach on the first half, this great trio sonata that we're really looking forward to playing.

Elliott Forrest: What is it about? I mean, I wish you guys could see this view right now. This is extraordinary. You've recorded and played in some of the best concert halls in the world, in recording studios. What's completely special for you playing outdoors in Central Park tonight?

Eric Jacobsen: Oh, I mean, I think the audience would speak better than I would about this, but I'm looking out, I see the American elm trees, some of the only that exist in the world, that were all fostered here in Central Park. I'm seeing this incredible audience. The sun is setting. Where is that? What direction is that? It's west, right?

Elliott Forrest: I think it's west.

Eric Jacobsen: Usually, even in New York, the sun sets west.

Elliott Forrest: Usually, it does.

Eric Jacobsen: I guess we're facing west and the sun just came down a little while ago. It's just such a perfect night for music.

Elliott Forrest: We're going to start with Vivaldi. What do you want us to know about it?

Eric Jacobsen: I think we're going to jump in and play some Vivaldi. A great Concerto Grosso.

Elliott Forrest: There we go. Ladies and gentlemen, The Knights.

[applause]

[MUSIC - Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto Grosso from L’Estro Armonico for Two Violins, Cello, and Strings in G minor, Op. 3, No. 2]

[applause]

Elliott Forrest: A Concerto Grosso by Antonio Vivaldi, performed by The Knights here at the Naumburg Bandshell. We're broadcasting live on this almost summer night from the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. I'm Elliott Forrest. In a moment, we will hear from Eric Jacobsen and flutist Alex Sopp the next work, Bach.

Eric Jacobsen: We're moving on to a piece by Bach. It's a trio sonata. Here's the fun thing about this is Bach loved coffee. Most of us love coffee. Not everyone, but most of us love coffee. He wrote this piece for a coffee shop, literally a series to be played at a coffee shop. Though we're not quite sure of what his order was, we've heard that it is the soy macchiato with two pumps of caramel. I think the most beautiful thing about this piece, and maybe it's just because we know that it was created for a coffee shop, but the dialogue between the flute and the violin, Alex Sopp and Colin Jacobsen, just back and forth having this beautiful dialogue that could take place over a nice cup of coffee together.

Colin Jacobsen: This is what brothers do. We are our brother's keepers. We find their glasses for them.

Elliott Forrest: Colin and Eric Jacobsen talking about the work as they tune up here. Colin Jacobsen, violin. Alex Sopp, flute. Eric Jacobsen, cello. Stephen Beck, harpsichord. The Bach Trio in G live on WQXR. Live from Central Park.

[MUSIC - Johann Sebastian Bach: Trio Sonata in G Major, BWV 1038]

Elliott Forrest: The Trio Sonata by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by members of The Knights. We are live here in Central Park for the opening concert of the 2025 summer season. I'm Elliott Forrest. There are four more concerts this coming summer, including June 24th. We'll hear the chamber ensemble A Far Cry. On Tuesday, July 8th, the Orchestra of St. Luke's play the music of Mozart, Dvorak and Mendelssohn. On Tuesday, July 22, the Nosky's Baroque Band will be performing. We'll wrap things up on August 5th. Another Tuesday with ECCO, the East Coast Chamber Orchestra. All live, all in Central Park and all free. Coming up next.

Eric Jacobsen: We're moving on to a piece by Bottesini, composer known mostly for work featuring the bass. He was a bass player himself, and actually it was in the middle of the 1800s that he started touring to New York and he started getting these rave reviews. Like, "This is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. It's fireworks on such a wild instrument, the bass. We've never heard anything like that." I don't think he liked New York as much, but we loved him, and so it feels so appropriate to be playing his music here. I know. I know. No one's perfect. Zach Cohen is our bassist for tonight.

[applause]

Eric Jacobsen: Agnes Marchione on clarinet.

[applause]

Eric Jacobsen: We're going to take a second in tune and we'll be right here back for the duet for clarinet and bass by Bottesini.

Elliott Forrest: Giovanni Bottesini, born in 1821, lived until 1889, an Italian composer, conductor, and as you heard, a double bass virtuoso. He was actually known as the Paganini of the double bass and wrote over 250 works for the double bass. He actually wrote a book called The Complete Method for the Double Bass. As Eric was telling us, we will hear the music of Bottesini. The soloist, Sir Agnes Marchione, clarinet. Zachary Cohen, double bass. It will be conducted by Eric Jacobsen. Originally, this was written for two bases, but this is an arrangement for clarinet and bass. This written in 1888.

[MUSIC - Giovanni Bottesini: Gran Duo for Clarinet and Double Bass]

[applause]

Elliott Forrest: A piece by Giovanni Bottesini. The Grand Duo for Clarinet and Double Bass played by The Knights here at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. The soloists were Agnes Marchione, clarinet, and Zachary Cohen, double bass, conducted by Eric Jacobsen. You can hear the applause in this beautiful night here in Central Park. We had doubts with the rain here in New York earlier, but it totally cleared out and it is a beautiful night. Maybe you hear a couple of dogs, a siren here and there, but it is a beautiful night.

Coming up in the next half of the program, we will be hearing the music of Claude Debussy and the Chinese American Chen Yi, as well as some traditional folk songs. This is Classical New York, WQXR 105.2 and HD Newark, 90.3 FM, WQXW Ossining and WNYC FM HD2, New York. We are broadcasting live from the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. We're celebrating the 120th year of this beautiful Bandshell in Central Park, somewhat off of 72nd Street. If you haven't been here, it's pretty easy to get to. It's pretty historic as well. There have been performances here over the 120 years by Leonard Bernstein and Pete Seeger, Victor Herbert, Irving Berlin, Zero Mostel performed here. More contemporary artists like Bill T. Jones have all performed here.

WQXR has its own connection to the Naumburg family. Eleanor Naumburg Sanger, the grand niece of the concert series founder, actually went on to found this radio station, New York's classical radio station, WQXR. We are so proud to have that connection to WQXR and to the Naumburg Bandshell and to continue the tradition of these broadcasts. As we mentioned earlier from the stage, Elkan Naumburg's great grandson, Christopher London has carried on the tradition of being the president of the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts for decades, and we so appreciate his partnership.

It is intermission here at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. I'm Elliott Forrest and you're listening to The Knights on WQXR. We have a couple of members of The Knights that are going to join us here on the broadcast bench. Eric Jacobsen is a co-founder and conductor. He'll be joining us in just a moment. Joining us now is Agnes Marchione, the clarinetist that we just heard. Thank you so much for joining me.

Agnes Marchione: Thank you.

Elliott Forrest: How was that for you? Did you have a good time?

Agnes Marchione: Yes, it's a really fun piece.

Elliott Forrest: Maybe give us a little bit of the history. If I have it right, it started off as a piece for two basses and then morphed into bass and violin, but somehow, we heard it for clarinet. Tell me about that journey.

Agnes Marchione: I know that Bottesini's father was a clarinetist, and it was influential for him to write something for the clarinet. I can't tell you too much more than that.

Elliott Forrest: When did you become familiar with the piece?

Agnes Marchione: I had heard there was a piece for clarinet and double bass quite a while ago, maybe 20 years ago, but I did not listen to it or anything until maybe six months ago, and I thought it was an interesting pairing of two instruments that normally wouldn't be paired together.

Elliott Forrest: Yes. I mean, normally the bass doesn't step out all that much. I mean, normally you get more of a spotlight as a clarinet player than the bass.

Agnes Marchione: Absolutely.

Elliott Forrest: What does that feel like up there to hear the dynamic between the two instruments?

Agnes Marchione: I kind of love it.

Elliott Forrest: Yes.

Agnes Marchione: Yes.

Agnes Marchione: I think it's great. I wish there was more duos written for that combination.

Elliott Forrest: You play with all sorts of different ensembles and orchestras. What's unique about this particular to play with The Knights?

Agnes Marchione: The collaboration and the fact that we're all genuinely friends and supportive of each other. It's a really amazing place to play.

Elliott Forrest: This Bandshell, what's it like for you to be able to play outdoors in addition to any other place you've ever played?

Agnes Marchione: It's very magical being in the park and getting to enjoy this with the audience. When the weather is nice, it is even better.

Elliott Forrest: Right. Actually, we've been out here-- I don't know how it is for the performers because it's pretty nice tonight. It's actually fairly cool and feels really good. It's probably a little more toasty for you guys.

Agnes Marchione: No, it's not bad. We've had worse.

Eric Jacobsen: I always wonder because the humidity and the clarinet has so many keys. What happens? Does it all fill up with water?

Agnes Marchione: It could. It can.

Eric Jacobsen: Now the concert's already happened, we could say those things.

Agnes Marchione: Exactly.

Elliott Forrest: Joining us now is Eric Jacobsen, conductor and one of the founders of The Knights. Great job so far. Here we are at intermission. How's it going for you?

Eric Jacobsen: It feels pretty good. Even with you saying before the performance, like, "Hey, I haven't heard you play cello for a while," which put me on edge. No, I'm kidding. No, it was really fun. Agnes found this piece, the Bottesini, which is not performed very often. I had never heard of the piece before, and then found and said, "We should do this. They're all different keys and versions." Then you said, "Zach has to play bass on this," and obviously that was the truth.

Agnes Marchione: Yes. It's different tuning for the bass. He has to tune up, right?

Elliott Forrest: He's got to change some things?

Eric Jacobsen: Yes.

Agnes Marchione: Yes. That's very cool.

Elliott Forrest: I bring this up every time we get together that I was so happy to help. I think that one of the first concerts we had at the Angel Orensanz Center, when The Knights got together and how do you-- Is that 20 years ago? How long ago was that?

Eric Jacobsen: Well, yes, the origins really are from over 20-- almost 25 years ago. From the beginning of people coming together and using that name, The Knights. I think the main thing that we continue to try to go for, which I think in this program is felt, is the idea of musicians coming together for fun, playing music that they like in a living room setting.

What is that? It's joy. It's lack of any type of anxiety. It's like, "Hey, I found this music. Can we play it?" Whether it's a string quartet by Beethoven or a Bottesini duo for clarinet and bass. "Hey, there's this fun thing I want to read." I don't know, I feel like a lot of the musicians that are in The Knights share that thing. Maybe all musicians do. Just wanting to sit together and play music together.

Elliott Forrest: There's something new about it because you guys all were friends and younger players when you first started, and still young players.

Eric Jacobsen: Oh, that's so sweet.

Agnes Marchione: I know. Right?

Eric Jacobsen: Thank you.

Elliott Forrest: Yes. I'm trying to buy myself into that at the same time, and I'm not sure anyone's buying it, but there's something traditional about it, because the idea of a salon, the idea of some of these composers would play just for themselves in their living room. There's something completely traditional about it as well.

Eric Jacobsen: Absolutely. I think, obviously, Schubert is someone who we think of as being performed in a small chamber. Obviously, the chamber music he wrote is so great, but obviously, he didn't get to hear all of his symphonies. Most of them, and to think about that, that he played it, maybe forehand piano, maybe there was violinist, cellist, maybe a flutist that joined to hear the rendering of a piece that he would never hear. Then, 50 years later got its premiere. Yes, I think that's exactly what it is.

Elliott Forrest: Tell us what's coming up this summer for The Knights and maybe in the fall.

Eric Jacobsen: Yes, absolutely. We're in Bryant Park in a month. We are then heading to the Clark Museum up in the Berkshires. We're doing our residency at Carnegie Hall. We do our three concerts a year at Zankel, which, gosh, so many fun programs this year. We start with a Philip Glass symphony and a Schumann symphony. Actually, we have a great poet with us, Mae Barizo, who's joining us and writing some new works for us. That kicks off the season.

Elliott Forrest: If I can, your non-Knights work you've been conducting around the country as well.

Eric Jacobsen: Yes, well, absolutely. We've just finished a really fun week. A Mahler 9 in Virginia and a Tchaikovsky 5 in Orlando. Both felt so, so, so much fun. Gosh, it's great to end the season there.

Elliott Forrest: Agnes, Eric, I want to give you a chance to go cool down a little bit. We've got more to come here tonight. Thank you for stopping by.

Agnes Marchione: Thank you so much.

Eric Jacobsen: Thank you, Elliott.

Elliott Forrest: All right, you're always welcome.

Eric Jacobsen: Agnes, you're amazing.

Agnes Marchione: Thank you.

Elliott Forrest: Beautiful night. Coming up in the second half of the concert by The Knights, we'll hear music by Debussy, Chen Yi and some folk songs. We have a little more time in this intermission. The concert goers are stretching their legs and eating a few more picnic snacks and chatting with friends as you can hear. We're going to hear something that was recorded right here at the Naumburg Bandshell last summer.

This is the ensemble A Far Cry who will be back on Tuesday night, June 24, two weeks from today, for another Bandshell performance. This piece is from Leoš Janáček's Idyll and was partly inspired by the Bavarian countryside where Janáček wrote the work. It was the New York City Central Park evening that inspired these musicians as they performed this work live in the Bandshell last year.

[MUSIC - Leoš Janáček: Idyll]

Elliott Forrest: Hello, New York, we're back. Everybody having a good time?

[applause]

Elliott Forrest: I'm Elliott Forrest. We're broadcasting live from the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. If you're listening on the radio, you just heard a recording from last summer featuring Janáček's Idyll, performed by the ensemble called A Far Cry. A Far Cry will be the next featured performers here at the Bandshell two weeks from tonight. Tonight, it's all about The Knights.

[applause]

Elliott Forrest: The Brooklyn based ensemble, our regulars here at the Bandshell. We're going to hear three more pieces on the second half of the program. But first let's get started with a much-loved work you heard about earlier by Claude Debussy, the Sacred and Profane Dance featuring harpist Megan Conley. Our conductor is Eric Jacobsen. The Knights live from the Naumburg Bandshell.

[applause]

[MUSIC - Claude Debussy: Danses sacrée et profane] [applause]

Elliott Forrest: Beautiful Claude Debussy's Sacred and Profane Dances performed by The Knights, with conductor Eric Jacobsen. The soloist is harpist Megan Conley. What a beautiful piece for an outdoor concert tonight. We're broadcasting live on WQXR from the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, first of five concerts in this series this summer, all located at the bandshell south of Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. In just a moment, we'll hear from Colin Jacobsen and Joe Gramley, who are on stage now, and tell us about the next work by Chen Yi.

Colin Jacobsen: We're going to jump from Debussy, over 100 years ago in France, to Chinese American composer Chen Yi. That's a leap of 100 years and a lot of culture in between, but I think you'll find some resonance between these two pieces. In fact, let's see, I've got next to me here, Joseph Gramley, percussionist with The Knights, and we met in the context of the Silk Road Ensemble that Yo-Yo Ma started many years ago. In fact, some of the early programming of that group featured the music of Debussy and Chinese composers like Chen Yi. We're going to play a piece of hers called Sound of the Five, right? Originally for cello and strings, and you've made this, or you are doing this new version with marimba and other percussion instruments. What has that translation been like for you, Joe?

Joseph Gramley: For sure. Thanks, Colin. I've loved the music of Chen Yi for years. She wrote an amazing percussion concerto, which is one my most favorite pieces in the world. I wanted to try to find more pieces to play by her. This piece came up. It is a quintet. The solo part is normally played by a cellist. Lucky for us, the lowest note of the marimba is also the lowest note of the cello. We started off on the right foot.

I wanted to try to bring out the many aspects of her writing that I think are just beautiful and evocative. She is a dynamo. We're going to hear a love story, and then we're going to hear a ferocious dance. Her music really embodies that—her lush, lyrical string writing. As Megan Conley said in the first half, it is for me a dream come true to be able to play with the string players of The Knights.

Then we have the dance, which is the last movement. The strings of the cello are a little closer together than this eight-foot marimba. That was one of my challenges. I'm going to have to do a little bit of footwork. Hopefully, everything comes through all right. I just love her music. I love her sense of line, I love her energy, and I love her joyfulness.

Colin Jacobsen: You know her personally, right? As well—and does she embody those qualities?

Joseph Gramley: Completely. She's hilarious. She's funny. She's amazing. Excellent composer to work with.

Colin Jacobsen: Great. I'll let you go get set up, and just to say that it's so great to be able in this program to feature the many and varied talents of the members of The Knights in these solo roles. Really, so much of what we do is of a collaborative nature, but this program really features the interests of so many people in this group, so Joseph Gramley and Chen Yi's Sound of the Five.

[applause]

[cheers]

[MUSIC - Chen Yi: Sound of the Five]

[applause]

[cheers]

Elliott Forrest: Two exciting movements from a piece called the Sound of the Five by Chinese American composer Chen Yi, performed by The Knights at the Naumburg Bandshell, here live in Central Park. The soloist was Joseph Gramley, hugging Eric Jacobsen, the conductor right now, and taking a bow. Joseph Gramley playing a number of different instruments, including an eight-foot marimba and a number of other percussion instruments.

I'm Elliott Forrest. We're live in Central Park. Once again, here's Colin Jacobsen.

Colin Jacobsen: Thank you. We have one more set of tunes for you, and these are tunes that the Danish String Quartet arranged. They're from Scandinavia and Scotland. To talk about them, I'm bringing here Jane Cords-O'Hara, who is the cellist of The Knights for many years, and also really wanted to play these pieces, so why, Jane?

Jane Cords-O'Hara: Thanks for lowering the mic. Yes, that was necessary [chuckles]. They're absolutely amazing pieces. If you don't know them, they're just wonderful to listen to, super fun to play. I played these a lot with my string quartet back in Minneapolis, where I live now. I've always wanted to play these with The Knights, so I suggested it to Colin and Eric, and they agreed. We're playing three of them tonight. The first one is a Polska, which is actually a Swedish traditional arranged by the Danish String Quartet. They have an album called Last Leaf. If you don't know it, go home and listen to it, because it's absolutely amazing.

We're playing three pieces from that. First up is Polska from Dorotea, followed by the Boat Song, which is a really beautiful lilting movement. It's from the Shetlands actually. Then the third one we're playing is called The Dromer, and that is Danish and Scottish, I believe. You might hear something that you recognize near the end of that one, too, so watch out for that.

Colin Jacobsen: They are good guys. I got to play with them in Tivoli in Copenhagen, which is like the Coney Island of Copenhagen, and afterwards, got to play some games and do some archery and other things. Jane Cords-O'Hara, and here we go for the Danish tunes.

Jane Cords-O'Hara: Thank you.

[applause]

[cheers]

Elliott Forrest: Tonight's co-founder Colin Jacobsen, along with Jane Cords-O'Hara, the cellist, introducing these three traditional songs.

[MUSIC - Swedish traditional folk song: Polska from Dorotea]

[applause]

[cheers]

[MUSIC - Scottish traditional folk song: Unst Boat Song]

[MUSIC - Norwegian traditional folk song: The Dromer]

[applause]

[cheers]

Elliott Forrest: Three traditional folk songs—Polska, the Boat Song, and The Dromer—with a little Auld Lang Syne woven into the end, performed by The Knights at the Naumburg Bandshell, here live in Central Park on WQXR. Those arrangements were made by the Danish String Quartet. What a great night here for The Knights. They are all lined up on stage, in the front of the stage, here at the Naumburg Bandshell, taking a well-deserved bow, with the audience here in Central Park, on their feet as well. What a great night. We started with Vivaldi. We heard music of the American William Grant Still, the music of Bach, Giovanni Bottesini, Claude Debussy, the Chinese American Chen Yi, and wrapping up with those three traditional folk songs. The Knights on stage, waving goodbye to this very appreciative audience.

Tonight, we're celebrating the 120th season of free classical music concerts for the people of New York from the Naumburg Bandshell. There are four more of these free concerts. You can find out more at naumburgconcerts.org, and of course, at wqxr.org. That concludes the first concert of this series of our concerts from Central Park. There are four more. We'll be back here in Central Park for another concert of the Naumburg Orchestral Concert Series, two weeks from tonight, Tuesday, June 24, for a concert featuring A Far Cry.

Our great thanks to Christopher London, President of the Naumburg Orchestral Society, and Anthony Bracewell, the new executive director, and the Naumburg staff includes stage manager extraordinaire Patty Dines. Also thanks to Wilson's Showtime Services and our friends at SummerStage.

The WQXR team includes engineers George Wellington, Ed Haber, Noriko Okabe, and Bill Siegmund. Our production team, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Christine Herskovits, and Nicole Nelson. I'm Elliott Forrest.

[01:31:58] [END OF AUDIO]

 

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