Rembrandt Chamber Musicians presents: The Schubert Quintet

Few works in the chamber music repertoire possess the depth, beauty, and emotional power of Franz Schubert’s monumental String Quintet in C Major. For this special program, Rembrandt Chamber Musicians is joined by distinguished cellist Paul Dwyer alongside violinists Emily Nebel and John Macfarlane, violist Carol Cook, and cellist Calum Cook. The evening opens with Jean-Baptiste Barrière’s elegant Sonata for Two Cellos in G Major, a virtuosic and engaging work that highlights the expressive possibilities of the cello and provides a fitting introduction to the rich sonorities that follow.

The centerpiece of the program is Schubert’s final chamber masterpiece, completed just weeks before the composer’s death in 1828. Scored for two violins, viola, and two cellos, the quintet expands the traditional string quartet texture to create an unparalleled range of color and depth. From the transcendent serenity of the famous Adagio to the work’s dramatic outer movements, the String Quintet in C Major remains one of the greatest achievements in all of chamber music—a work of profound humanity, lyric beauty, and enduring emotional impact.

PROGRAM

Jean-Baptiste Barrière (1707–1747)
Sonata for Two Cellos in G Major

Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
String Quintet in C Major, D. 956

ARTISTS

Emily Nebel, violin
John Macfarlane, violin
Carol Cook, viola
Calum Cook, cello
Paul Dwyer, cello

REMBRANDT CHAMBER MUSICIANS
Now entering its 36th season, Rembrandt Chamber Musicians continues to build upon its distinguished legacy while expanding its artistic vision for the future. The ensemble will broaden its programming to include not only classical chamber music, but also jazz and improvised music, as well as contemporary classical works presented at a variety of venues throughout the Chicago-land area. This evolution reflects the organization’s longstanding commitment to innovation, collaboration, and artistic exploration while remaining rooted in the ensemble’s core mission of presenting engaging, accessible, and deeply personal musical experiences. Praised by Chicago Tribune critic John von Rhein as “one of the more notable success stories in Chicago chamber music,” Rembrandt continues to be recognized for performances filled with “infectious verve, spontaneity, and abundance of feeling,” with concerts regularly featured on WFMT and highlighted among Chicago’s top classical music events.