February 18, 8:00 PM 
First Pres Santa Monica

Dmitri Shostakovich
  Preludes & Fugues 11 & 12 Op. 87 (1951)
Sergei Prokofiev
  Three Pieces from Cinderella Op. 95 (1942)
Igor Stravinsky
  Sonata (1924)
Alfred Schnittke
  Homage to Stravinsky, Prokofiev & Shostakovich (piano six hands, 1979)

Dmitri Shostakovich
  Quartet No. 3 Op. 73 (1946)
Igor Stravinsky
  Concertino (original string quartet version, 1920)
        
                                               
Danny Holt, piano
Yana Reznik, piano
Vicki Ray, piano
Lyris Quartet

At the center of this program is a tribute to the Russian forbears of Alfred Schnittke — the three leading Russian composers of the 20th century. His Homage requires three pianists sharing a piano bench to layer allusions to each composer, much like the Russian nesting dolls first carved in 1890 and made famous in Paris at the 1900 World's Exhibition. Considering they died, inside Schnittke is Shostakovich, inside him is Stravinsky and inside him is Prokofiev. Characteristic piano works introduce each composer: Shostakovich's interest in Bach as a model, Prokofiev's love of storytelling, Stravinsky's recycling classical forms. After intermission two string quartets offer Stravinsky's tart response to post-WWI euphoria and Shostakovich's sorrow and jubilation after WWII.