Santa Barbara Music Club

The Eternal Triangle

Saturday, Nov 23, 2019 3:00 pm

First United Methodist Church

305 E Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Image: Clara SchumannbBy Andreas Staub - Eigenes Foto einer Originallithographie aus eigenem Besitz, Public Domain

On Saturday, November 23, at 3:00 p.m. the Santa Barbara Music Club will present another program in its popular series of beautiful classical-music concerts. The all-German program originally included the Fantasy in C Major, D. 934, by Franz Schubert; Robert Schumann’s Three Romances, Op. 94; Ludwig van Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 4 in C, Op. 102; and the first movement of the Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op 49 by Felix Mendelssohn. Violinist Han Kim, cellist Sang Yhee, pianist Constantine Finehouse, and clarinetist Joanne Kim were to perform today’s program.

However, the following pieces were performed: Clara Schumann’s Three Romances, Op. 22, Robert Schumann’s Three Romances, Op. 94, Brahms’s Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118 No. 2, and the first movement of Brahms’s Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8. The performers were Han Soo Kim, Timothy Beccue, and Constantine Finehouse.

Program Details

Three Romances, Op. 22
Clara Schumann
(1819-1896)
  • Andante molto
  • Allegretto
  • Leidenschaftlich schnell
Han Kim, violin
Constantine Finehouse, piano
Three Romances, Op. 94
Robert Schumann
(1810-1856)
  • Nicht schnell
  • Einfach, innig
  • Nicht schnell
Han Kim, violin
Constantine Finehouse, piano
Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2
Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)
Constantine Finehouse, piano
Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8
Johannes Brahms
  • Allegro con brio
Han Kim, violin
Timothy Beccue, cello
Constantine Finehouse, piano

Notes on the Program

Unfortunately, we only have program notes for the Robert Schumann Romances.

The Drei Romanzen (Three Romances), Op. 94, of Robert Schumann (1810–1856) exist as the only pieces in his chamber-music repertoire scored for a woodwind instrument. Originally written for piano and oboe in 1849, one of the final years of his compositional productivity, these three short pieces have been arranged for several other instruments: violin, viola, cello, and flute to name a few. Yet whichever arrangement receives a performance, the oftentimes-capricious quality of Schumann’s lyricism is unmistakable, at once tender then brooding a moment later. Today’s performance includes the arrangement for piano and clarinet, played by Constantine Finehouse and Joanne Kim, respectively.

Note from President Eric Valinsky: This was a wonderful concert but unfortunately at some point, Constantine Finehouse’s phone timer went off. I tried to stop it but could only snooze it and after several attempts at fixing the situation, the phone locked me out. I ended up running backstage and smothering the phone in Timothy Beccue’s cello case and the concert went on without further interruption.

The Performers

Constantine Finehouse was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and attended New England Conservatory, Juilliard and Yale. His principal teachers included Fredrik Wanger, Natalia Harlap, Herbert Stessin, Jerome Lowenthal, Boris Berman and Bruce Brubaker. Praised by Rhein Main Presse Allgemeine Zeitung for his “interpretations of depth and maturity,” Finehouse has performed extensively in the US (including in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Washington) and abroad (including in Lausanne, London, Odessa, St. Petersburg and Trieste). Recent recordings include Backwards Glance [Spice Rack Records 101-01], which interweaves music of Johannes Brahms and Richard Beaudoin. The Bolcom Project, made in collaboration with his American Double partner, violinist Philip Ficsor, included double-CD [Albany Troy 959/960] and a national tour. Fanfare praised the recording as “indispensable to any serious collector with an interest in later 20th century duo repertoire for violin and piano.” As part of American Double, Finehouse also toured Hungary, performing sonatas by Brahms, Bolcom and Ravel. More recently, he collaborated with violinist Olga Caceànova at Lausanne Conservatoire and with cellist Sebastian Bäverstam at Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall) and Merkin Recital Hall (Kauffman Center). Finehouse is currently recording Bolcom’s complete piano solo works for Naxos Records.

Han Soo Kim, violinist, is an award-winning and internationally accomplished artist who has performed to critical acclaim in numerous countries on four continents. Dr. Kim has concertized extensively as solo performer, duo-recitalist and chamber musician. In the United States, he has performed in some of the nation’s most prominent venues including Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Weill Recital Hall and Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Cutler Majestic Theater, Jordan Hall, Kaufmann Concert Hall, and The Kennedy Center. Performances have also led him to institutions and festivals including Académie Internationale de Courchevel, Boston Conservatory, Columbia University, Le Domaine Forget International Music Festival, The Juilliard School, Longy School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College, Meadowmount School of Music, Morningside Music Bridge, Musicorda, New England Conservatory, and Stony Brook University. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the US and abroad performing standard concertos to contemporary world premieres. As a Promessa Records Artist he has released Encore Favori, a solo CD featuring a dozen encores and virtuosic showpieces, and will be recording the next album in 2021. He is Founder and the violinist of The Finehouse-Kim-Yhee Trio.
Dr. Kim has earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in violin performance under a fellowship grant. His Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in violin performance are from The Juilliard School where he was a merit scholarship recipient. His influential teachers and mentors include Roman Totenberg, Sally Thomas, and Pamela Frank. He has worked with distinguished chamber music artists including Emerson, Guarneri, Juilliard, and Orion String Quartets. He is a Bella Rosins Artist and performs on a Carlo Antonio Testore of 1721. His CDs can be purchased at the Westmont College bookstore and hanjoannekim.com. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, son Kian and dog Dolce, exploring restaurants in Santa Barbara, playing pool, and gardening.

Timothy Beccue, cellist, has won numerous awards for his performances spanning North America and Europe, including First Place in the 2018 SB Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation Competition. He graduated with a physics degree from Westmont College, where he studied cello with Trevor Handy, has been soloist with the Westmont Orchestra and West Coast Symphony, and contracts as substitute cellist with the SB Symphony. In addition to his musical pursuits, he works with robotic telescopes at Las Cumbres Observatory.


Funding support for our 50th Anniversary Season is provided by the City of Santa Barbara's Organizational Development Grant Program and by the Towbes Fund for the Performing Arts, a field of interest fund of the Santa Barbara Foundation.