About this Event
What could be better than hearing the sublime sound of the violin? Two violins, of course! Join violinists Fritz Gearhart, Teresa Ling and pianist Genevieve Feiwen Lee for our of classical music concerts on the coast this January. On a cold and blustery day, warm your soul and enjoy wonderful music and community together with us at our RMF events.
The concert features the music of the fascinating, yet often overlooked, composer Paul Juon (1872–1940), born in Moscow to a family of Swiss, Russian, and Irish heritage. His Seven Little Tone Poems is a delightful discovery, filled with eclectic themes, unexpected harmonies, and a fresh, distinctive musical voice.
Also featured on this tour are several of Beethoven’s remarkable sonatas for violin and piano, performed by Teresa Ling and Genevieve Feiwen Lee. 2027 marks the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death and as a special event, we offer an opportunity to experience the extraordinary creativity of a composer who transformed the musical landscape. From the dramatic intensity to lyrical warmth and elegance, each work reveals a different facet of Beethoven’s genius.
Each concert features a different selection of Beethoven’s violin sonatas, offering audiences a unique musical experience at every stop.
The sonatas we wil be performing on this tour:
Port Orford: "Kretuzer Sonata, Op. 47
North Bend: C minor( Op. 30 #2)
Brookings: E - flat major (Op. 12 #3) and A major (Op. 30, #1)
Bandon: G major Op. 96Beethoven Sonatas Featured on This Tour
Read more about these sonatas below.
Meet Paul Juon: The Composer Who Deserves to Be Discovered
Born in Moscow to a family of Swiss heritage, composer Paul Juon (1872–1940) forged a distinctive musical voice at the crossroads of Russian Romanticism and the European traditions of his day. A gifted violinist and pianist who studied composition in Moscow and Berlin, Juon became a respected teacher and composer—but his music remains a delightful discovery for many concertgoers.
His Seven Little Tone Poems, Op. 81, published in 1928, is a miniature musical journey for two violins and piano. Across seven contrasting character pieces, Juon takes us from the pastoral charm of Pastorale to the playful wit of Impromptu, the gently swaying Barcarole, and the spirited finale, Burletta. Along the way, an elegant Intermezzo, a mischievous Capriccietto, and a thoughtful Ciacona reveal the range of color, personality, and imagination Juon draws from just three instruments.
Come discover a hidden gem of chamber music: seven short pieces, seven distinct moods, and a composer whose music deserves to be heard far more often. Join us this January for an intimate musical encounter with Paul Juon and the pleasures of discovering something wonderfully unexpected.
Notes on the specific Beethoven Sonatas featured on this tour:
Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 12, No. 3 (1798)
Beethoven’s early violin sonatas reveal a young composer working within the Classical traditions of Haydn and Mozart while already displaying the individuality, humor, and dramatic imagination that would distinguish his mature music. The Sonata in E-flat major, the third and final work in his Op. 12 set, is particularly expansive and ambitious, giving the piano a role of unusual brilliance and complexity for its time.
Sonata for Violin and Piano in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 (1802)
Beethoven’s C-minor Sonata stands at a significant turning point in his creative life. Composed in 1802, it belongs to a period when the composer was confronting the increasingly devastating effects of his hearing loss. Although we should be cautious about interpreting every dramatic passage as autobiography, the sonata’s intensity, emotional contrasts, and restless energy seem to anticipate the heroic style that would soon define many of his greatest works.
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, Op. 47, “Kreutzer” (1803)
Few works in the violin-and-piano repertoire are as immediately recognizable for their scale, intensity, and virtuosity as Beethoven’s celebrated Kreutzer Sonata. Its subtitle, “written in a highly concertante style, almost like a concerto,”reflects Beethoven’s revolutionary conception of the two instruments. Here, violin and piano are not soloist and accompanist but formidable equals, engaged in a dramatic contest of ideas, colors, and musical energy.
The sonata was originally written for the violinist George Polgreen Bridgetower, who performed it with Beethoven in Vienna in 1803. The two musicians initially enjoyed a close friendship, but a disagreement led Beethoven to change the dedication to the French violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer. Ironically, Kreutzer never performed the work and reportedly found it incomprehensible. Nevertheless, his name became permanently associated with one of Beethoven’s most daring creations.
The Kreutzer Sonata remains a landmark in chamber music, expanding the traditional violin sonata into a work of unprecedented dramatic power. It challenges the performers to combine technical brilliance with a shared sense of musical architecture, and it invites listeners into a world where two instruments seem capable of expressing the full force of a symphony.
Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, Op. 96 (1812)
Beethoven’s final violin sonata offers a striking contrast to the fiery intensity of the Kreutzer. Composed in 1812, the Sonata in G major, Op. 96, is a work of refinement, intimacy, and quiet originality. Rather than relying on overwhelming drama or virtuoso display, Beethoven creates a musical world in which small gestures, subtle changes of mood, and delicate exchanges between the instruments carry extraordinary expressive weight.
The sonata was dedicated to Archduke Rudolph, Beethoven’s student and one of his most important patrons. It received its first performance in December 1812, with the French violinist Pierre Rode playing the violin part and the Archduke at the piano. Beethoven took Rode’s particular abilities into account while composing the work, especially in its finale, which favors elegance and grace over sheer technical bravura.
Op. 96 is Beethoven at his most understated and subtle. Its apparent simplicity conceals remarkable craftsmanship, and its intimate exchanges between violin and piano reveal a composer who could achieve profound expression without relying on grand drama. The work offers a glimpse of Beethoven’s late style, in which musical thought becomes increasingly concentrated, inventive, and personal.
Sources for historical and musical details
The notes draw on program-note and scholarly resources covering the four works, including the Gerald Larner Programme Note Archive, the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Event venue & nearby stays
First Presbyterian Church, 2238 Pony Creek Road, North Bend, United States
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