BCMF Returns With Music for Summer

“In a limpid brook
the capricious trout
in joyous haste
darted by like an arrow”
— Christian Schubart, “Die Forelle”

Each year, Marya Martin, the founder and artistic director of the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, comes up with a unique theme to define the summer music program, which this year includes a series of 11 concerts and intimate performances offered between July 19 and August 17.

While chamber music, by its nature, is a wordless genre, with classical compositions that are more focused on exploring the range of possibility inherent in the various instruments, unless there’s a singer thrown into the mix, there’s not much in the way of actual text to ponder.

But for BCMF’s 42nd season, in the coming weeks, Martin, who herself is a flutist, is looking to change that construct by exploring music in the context not just of melody, but also in words. These are not words that are printed on the sheet music and performed verbatim during the piece, but rather the poetry and stories that have inspired composers in their entirely musical works.

“This season, I had the idea of the language of music,” Martin said. “I was sitting there for five days, on the jury of an international competition where there were singers, flutists, clarinetists, pianists. When the singers came along, all the text they perform is given to you, so you can follow along.

“I thought about music and how a lot of it is related to text, but we don’t let it be known,” Martin added. “All of a sudden, about a year ago I started looking at music differently. Thinking not just what the composer was doing and thinking when they were writing the music, but what were his influences? Did he just go to a play? Did he just read something? Throughout the entire festival, every concert is inspired by words.

I’m really excited about this year,” she said. “I feel this is slightly different. We’ve worked really hard, we’ve got Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms, but we also have this great stuff in between.”

It turns out that there is, indeed, a lot of instrumental music inspired directly by poetry and books. In the coming weeks, BCMF will present pieces by composers who were stirred by the poetry of Yeats and T.S. Eliot, the writings of Goethe and Jonathan Swift and sonnets written by Vivaldi himself. Another festival theme this year will specifically explore several pieces by Franz Schubert, a composer who was deeply moved by the written word.

One example that Martin shared is Schubert’s famous “Trout” quintet, which will be performed at the opening night BCMF concert this Sunday, July 20, at 6 p.m. at the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church. Titled “Schubert’s Trout,” the concert will feature three Schubert competitions — “Die Forelle” (“The Trout”), on which the theme and variations movement of the “Trout” quintet is based, “Halt” (“Stop”) and “Der Müller und der Bach” (“The Miller and the Brook”) from Die Schöne Müllerin (The Fair Maid of the Mill).

“Die Forelle” is a morality tale warning young women to be wary of deceitful men. The song cycle Die Schöne Müllerin tells of a journeyman miller who falls in love with another miller’s daughter, but she is interested in a hunter instead. In “Halt” (“Stop”) the miller is drawn by a stream to the mill, where he is to meet the young woman, and in “Der Müller und der Bach,” the miller, spurned, returns to the brook, where he lies down for a “cool rest,” implying a permanent one.

Another piece with a literary heft behind it is Robert Beaser’s “The Old Men Admiring Themselves in Water” for flute and piano, which will be performed as part of “Schubert, Dohnányi & Moret” the second BCMF concert on July 24. This piece is based on a poem of the same name by William Butler Yeats and it explores the concept of mortality and the passage of time.

“It’s a gorgeous 3-minute piece about the old men admiring themselves in the beautiful water, where they see themselves grow younger,” Martin said. “It’s something you’d never know if you just heard the music. It’s not even mentioned. So we do it.”

Like choral performances, the BCMF program will include all the text that inspired the various compositions the musicians will perform in the festival.

“When you listen to a piece where poetry is involved, it’s filled with beauty and changes the way you listen to it,” she said. “Sharing that information brings the audience in. They feel connected. I know I feel more connected after reading the words.”

One piece that will be performed as part of “Metamorphosis,” the BCMF benefit concert on Saturday, July 26, at the Atlantic Golf Club, comes with a very direct and personal connection to Martin.

As a young flute player, Martin met composer Douglas Mews when he judged a music competition in her native New Zealand when she was 14 years old. Several years later, she encountered Mews again, this time as a student at the University of Auckland, and he gifted her a piece of music

As the story goes, at the time Martin was finishing up at the university and preparing to leave New Zealand and travel abroad to continue her studies. Mews showed up at her door with a piece of music he had composed for her in one hand, and a music box in the other. That piece, “Tangi Pohutu for Flute and Music Box,” is based partly on “Pokarekare Ana,” a Māori love song from 1914.

“The piece is based on the area of Rotorua and its hot springs, and is about a woman leaving her homeland and going across the ocean,” Martin explained. “It’s a gorgeous piece. This guy gave me the piece when I’m about to travel across the ocean.

“At the time, I didn’t look up exactly the words and why this composer gave it to me. For me, it’s fun to delve deeper into these things,” she continued. “Musically, I knew all the information, but if you translate the Māori, this work is based partly on ‘Pokarekare Ana,’ it’s an education on the waters of Rotura. It says, if you cross over, girl, they will be calm.

“Here I was about to cross the water to America,” she added. “It made me feel more connected.”

Another piece that will be performed at the benefit is an intriguing one by composer John Cage titled “4’33”.” This composition may surprise audiences; really make them think.

“It’s four minutes and 33 seconds,” Martin explained. “You buy the music, it’s a solo pianist, he puts his hands up but doesn’t play. The pianist counts out four minutes and 33 seconds in their head. The real score has no notes, just perpendicular lines up and down. There’s no text — you’re listening in a different way.

“The whole point is to listen to the sounds of the room, feel one another’s breathing and be in the moment,” she added. “‘4’33”’ is in some ways the epitome of the idea of what constitutes meaningful sound.

“Instead of telling you more, you let your own ears decide.”

Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival runs July 19 to August 17. For tickets, visit bcmf.org.

Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival 2025 Concert Schedule

“Songs From the Heart: Joseph Parrish @ Madoo”

Saturday, July 19, 6 p.m. Wine reception, 6:30 p.m. concert Madoo Conservancy

This intimate concert features a program of American songs performed by the celebrated bass-baritone Joseph Parrish, accompanied by pianist Francesco Barfoed.

“Opening Night: Schubert’s Trout”

Sunday, July 20, 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church

Louise Farrenc’s vibrant Trio sets the stage and a set of art songs performed by Joseph Parrish brings the theme of text and music into focus. The program concludes with Schubert’s beloved “Trout” Quintet, named for one of his own songs.

“Lyrical Contrasts: Schubert, Dohnányi & More”

Thursday, July 24, 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church

Schubert’s String Trio opens with warmth, followed by Bartók’s “Contrasts,” full of rhythmic fire and folk influence. Robert Beaser’s “The Old Men Admiring Themselves in Water,” inspired by a Yeats poem, contemplates aging while Dohnányi’s youthful Piano Quintet closes the evening with bold brilliance.

“Annual Benefit — Metamorphosis”

Saturday, July 26, 6:30 p.m. Atlantic Golf Club

Join the BCM board of directors for a festive celebration of 42 years of music and community. This evening features music of transformation — from the delicacy of Douglas Mews and Philip Glass to the lyricism of Schumann and the grandeur of Brahms.

“Songs Without Words: Mendelssohn/Torke/Golijov/Fauré”

Sunday, July 27, 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church

Mendelssohn’s lyrical “Songs Without Words” open the evening, followed by Torke’s shimmering “After the Forest Fire.” Golijov’s “Mariel,” written in memory of a friend, offers a heartfelt lament and Fauré’s Piano Quartet brings the concert to a romantic close.

“Not the Stillness: Beethoven and More”

Thursday, July 31, 6 p.m. Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church

Mozart’s “Flute Quartet” begins the evening with classical charm. Milhaud’s jazz-inspired “Suite,” Beglarian’s meditative “I will not be sad in this world” and John Metcalf’s “Not the Stillness” all explore reflection and movement. Beethoven’s stately Piano Quartet concludes the program with grace and strength.

“Shimmering Night: Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet”

Sunday, August 3, 6 p.m. — Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church

An evening of beauty, remembrance and serenity. Schubert’s “Notturno” begins with hushed lyricism, followed by the world premiere of a new work by Lowell Liebermann — a poignant tribute in memory of a loved one. Mozart’s “Clarinet Quintet” closes with elegance and warmth.

“Friendly Rivals: Telemann & Bach”

Thursday, August 7, 6 p.m. — Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church

A rich exploration of Baroque brilliance. The program includes Bach’s “Concerto for Violin and Oboe,” Telemann’s “Gulliver’s Travels” and colorful concertos and a bold trio by C.P.E. Bach.

Sublime Laments: Hummel/Watkins/Brahms

Sunday, August 10, 6 p.m. — Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church

Hummel’s sparkling Septet opens the evening, followed by Huw Watkins’s emotionally charged “Lament.” The program concludes with Brahms’s stormy “Werther” Piano Quartet, inspired by Goethe’s famed tale of longing.

“Wm. Brian Little Concert — Season for Seasons: Vivaldi and Piazzolla”

Friday, August 15, 6 p.m. wine and hors d’oeuvres, 7 p.m. concert Channing Sculpture Garden

This outdoor concert weaves time and place through music. Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” evoke nature in Baroque splendor while Piazzolla’s “Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas” reimagine them through the tango rhythms of Buenos Aires. Together, these works create a vibrant dialogue across centuries and cultures.

“The Last Word: A Festive Finale”

Sunday, August 17, 6 p.m. — Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church

The season concludes with Frühling’s lush Trio in A minor, while Nico Muhly’s “Short Variation” offers a contemporary echo of Haydn’s “Seven Last Words of Christ.” The world premiere of Paul Moravec’s “Meditation,” written for Marya Martin, offers a moment of intimate beauty and personal connection. Schumann’s exhilarating Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, brings the season to a jubilant close.