Tag Archives: Daniel Muller-Schott ‘cellist

DVORAK & BRAHMS: A PERFECT NIGHT

DAVIES SYMPHONY HALL, San Francisco, Friday, March 13, 2026 — Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B minor, Opus 104. Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, in D major, Opus 73. The two great compositions were beautiful, totally original, complex. The works were performed by Daniele Rustioni, conductor, and cellist Daniel Mutter-Schott.  Rustioni conducts with every ounce of strength, mentality, and love for all of the music. Mutter-Schott masters this gorgeous Cello Concerto and that Concerto masters the cellist making his wonderful tone, his intellect trained on the music, and deep understanding of the complexity of Dvorak’s work.

The San Francisco Symphony played the Cello Concerto with great heart. They followed Rustioni as he jumped, crouched over to look at a musician, reached out to the clarinets and then brought out the horn. It was something special to watch and listen to at the same time

Daniel Muller-Schott

Both the Cello Concerto and Brahms’ Symphony No.2 included songs that the composers worked into the larger. In the Concerto, Dvorak used his song, Leave Me Alone (originally in Czech), Opus 82, no. 1. It was Josefina’s, his sister’s in law favorite song. During  the time Dvorak was completing the Cello Concerto, he learned that Josefina was very ill. Once he returned to Prague from America, she passed away. That emotional trial led him to change the the third movement, Finale: Allegro moderato. The Cello now also changes his mood to a more inward look. There are elements of folk-music and yet not any wildness. The cello becomes very quiet until is is silent. A forceful crescendo is taken up by the entire orchestra. And it is gone. Dvorak had loved Josefina but married her younger sister.

(Leave Me Alone: “Leave me alone with my dreams, do not disturb the rapture in my heart!…Leave me alone!…Do not ask about the magic that fills my, you cannot comprehend the bliss his love has made me feel…Leave me alone with my burden of passionate torment, of blazing ecstasy.”)

Brahms wrote the second symphony in a few months. He certainly composed it without the amount of struggle he lived with for his first. The Symphony No. 2 has been called “sunny” or pastoral; actually, it strikes me in a different way. The first movements, Allegro non troppo and then Adagio non troppo, felt stormy, threatening. Brahms wrote, “I would have to confess that I am a very melancholy person and that dark wings are constantly rustling above me.” I am aware that Brahms did not write music that makes a picture, vision, or story. However, the music can affect the listener. Brahms cannot get away from himself.Daniele Rustioni, Conductor

Symphony No. 2 in D major, Opus 73, is a miracle from Brahms. The opening movements are almost frightening and then Brahms gives us the sunshine.

His song, Wiegenlied (Lullaby) Opus 49, no.4, which was known to me as Brahms’ Lullaby when I was a very young person, is distributed in bits or pieces or given different harmony. Near the end of the movement, the Allegro non troppo soothes the music and now might briefly calm an adult. The second movement, Adagio non troppo struck me as Brahms’ most inward gaze. The third movement, Allegretto grazioso, plays as though on a school field, running and occasionally jumping. The orchestra has moved away from horns, violas, bassoons to the oboe, violins, woodwinds. We are moving out of our dark thoughts which took over for two movements and bits. The finale, Allegro con spirito, starts with the strings playing quietly, a contrapuntal harmony, the flute takes the stage, and the full orchestra and the brass welcome a happy day.

Brahms’ Lullaby

Lullaby, and good night, with pink roses bedight
With lilies o’er spread, is my baby’s sweet head
Lay thee down now, and rest, may thy slumber be blessed!
Lay thee down now, and rest, may thy slumber be blessed!
Lullaby, and good night, your mother’s delight
Shining angels beside my darling abide
Soft and warm is your bed, close your eyes and rest your head
Soft and warm is your bed, close your eyes and rest your head
Sleepyhead, close your eyes. mother’s right here beside you
I’ll protect you from harm, you will wake in my arms
Guardian angels are near, so sleep on, with no fear
Guardian angels are near, so sleep on, with no fear
Enjoy more lullabies to soothe the soul.

Photos by Brittany Hosea-Small, courtesy of San Francisco Symphony

 

Beethoven & Anne-Sophie Mutter: BRAVO! BRAVA!Part II

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter brought a full program of Beethoven chamber music to San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, January 27. it was a stunning event which demonstrated that chamber music, in this case two trios and one quartet, is not something slight or limited in its musical character or expression. This music being all Beethoven, that thought should be underlined and in bold-face type. It was an enormously successful performance both in the artistry of the musicians and the thrills experienced by the audience.

Anne-Sophie Mutter

Among her good works, Ms Mutter is dedicated to the development of young artists. The three musicians who played with her in this performance all began their careers with the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. These artists include: Vladimir Babeshko, violist; Daniel Muller-Schott, ‘cellist; Ye-Eun Choi, violinist. In addition to touring with Ms Mutter, each one appears independently with distinguished orchestras around the world as well as their extensive touring performances with Ms Mutter through Europe, the US, Asia, and South America. Together with Anne-Sophie Mutter they achieved the remarkable effect of becoming what Ms Muller describes as “this one huge string instrument in which to tackle the profoundly philosophical string trios [in E-Flat major, Opus 3 and in C minor, Opus 9, no. 3] and the Harp Quartet [Opus 74] by Beethoven.”

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

String Trio in C minor (Opus 9, no. 3), written 1796-98, is a forceful, tempestuous work which contrasts precise decorum with drama, dissonance, and defiance toward the conventional. Although early in his career, Beethoven is already Beethoven. A passionate, almost anxious expression emerges. Beethoven, central to the tradition of Western classical music, is always innovative and even seems to laugh musically at what his audience would expect serious music to be. His minor mode music shifts to a calm, quiet major mode to end the Trio in a whisper.

A special delight of chamber music is that the audience can easily watch the music move from instrument to instrument, see the rhythm overlapping or interrupting from one instrument to another, experience the force when they suddenly play together. The String Quartet in E-flat major, Opus 74, 1809, offered many opportunities to see the instruments run after one another, skip rhythms, and finally catch up to express a musical energy. The Quartet ends with a view of too-many-clowns-running-out-from-too-small-a-car which lifts this listener’s heart when Beethoven creates that event in his symphonies. This was a splendid performance of a piece with deep philosophy of both fear and joy.

String Trio in E-flat major, Opus 3, 1796, reminds the listener of the Classical world’s sounds that surrounded Beethoven as he moved into the physical and imaginary world of Mozart. Order and clarity are the rule. Beethoven was able to assimilate those values into his own deeply colored, sometimes wild, always Natural while thoroughly human world. Which is, of course how Mozart had created Mozart, assimilating what was into what he was, too. A favorite portion of the lengthy Trio for this listener was in the second Minuet when the violin soars into space while the others accompany with a steady, repetitive rhythm and sound. The Trio is clear and present Beauty.

The audience knew it was hearing music that had both beauty and meaning. We all stayed on our feet applauding. The musicians, after four curtain calls, relented and repeated the Scherzo of the first trio. The moment was rhapsodic. Ms Mutter will return June 4-6 to perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting. She is one of the Artists-in-Residence for this Beethoven250 Birthday festival.

Fashion note:  As reported in Beethoven & Mutter, Part I, Ms Mutter is noted for her beauty as well as her trademark strapless gowns. For this chamber music performance, she kept the strapless concept but took a creative step. She appeared wearing pants fitted to the legs and a strapless top. The pants had black and silver designs. The top was a soft yellow color. Fitted close to the body, it had a short skirt beginning at the waist, divided on the sides, and extending just over the hips. She wore black shoes which had very high, narrow heels and appeared to have a platform under the metatarsal. Fantastic.