The Art of Duo

The Art of Duo | Musical Salon: From Lekeu to Los Angeles

Ambroise Aubrun, violin
Steven Vanhauwaert, piano

This concert pays tribute to the refined tradition of musical salons, tracing their influence from nineteenth-century Vienna to early twentieth-century Los Angeles. At its heart is Guillaume Lekeu’s Violin Sonata, performed in homage to Alfred Megerlin, the Belgian violin virtuoso and concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the 1920s. The L.A. Philharmonic itself was founded by William Andrews Clark Jr., a passionate patron of the arts who likely hosted intimate musical gatherings in the Drawing Room at the Clark Library. Through works by Schubert, Fauré, Debussy and others, the program evokes the elegance, intimacy, and cultural dialogue that defined salon music across generations and continents.

Program

1. Viennese Prelude

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Sonata in G Minor, op. 137 no. 3, D. 408

Allegro giusto
Andante
Menuetto
Allegro moderato

2. French Miniatures

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Berceuse, op. 16

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Beau soir, CD 84 (Arr. Heifetz for violin and piano)

3. Belgian Homage

Guillaume Lekeu (1870-94)
Violin Sonata in G Major

Très modéré – Vif et passioné
Très lent
Très animé

4. Calming our Souls

Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947)
À Chloris (arr. violin/piano)

Maria Theresia von Paradis (1759-1824)
Sicilienne for Violin and Piano in E-flat Major