The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music Q&A: Who will replace the famed Beaux Arts Trio? Cellist David Finckel, violinist Philip Setzer and Pianist Wu Han of the Emerson String Quartet and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center talk about their all-Mendelssohn concert this Friday at the Wisconsin Union Theater in Madison.
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ALERT: Want to sing through Haydn’s great oratorio “The Creation”? Then consider going to the FREE Madison Symphony Chorus Community Open Sing! this Tuesday night from 7:30 to 9:30 in the Wisconsin Room of the Overture Center. Scores will be provided and all levels are welcome. You’ll join members of the Madison Symphony Chorus and conductor-director Beverly Taylor, along with choristers from all over the community. Taylor will lead singersl in a brief rehearsal of the main choruses.. Then the public will sing them through with arias sung by soloists from the UW-Madison School of Music. (On Tuesday, March 20, the same group will do Mendelssohn’s oratorio “Elijah.”)
By Jacob Stockinger
Cellist David Finckel made news last week when he announced that after 36 years he would retire at the end of next season from the critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning Emerson String Quartet (below, with Finckel on the far right).By Jacob Stockinger
Here is a link to an NPR story about his retirement:
One of the reasons Finckel gave for the move — he will be replaced in 2013 by British cellist Paul Watkins — was to devote himself to other enterprises, including running the CD label (ArtistLed) and co-directing the famed Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center, both of which he does with his wife, pianist Wu Han.
Another reason Finckel gave for retiring from the Emerson will be to devote himself to other forms of chamber music – which makes this Friday’s concert at the Wisconsin Union Theater in Madison all the more timely, notable and even newsworthy.
On Friday night at 7:30 is when celllist Finckel and his wife Wu Han will team up with Emerson Quartet violinist Philip Setzer to perform both piano trios and a cello sonata in an all-Mendelssohn program.
It is a mark of the prestige these performers are held in that the concert is officially designated the Fan Taylor Memorial Concert. Each season the Wisconsin Union Theater names a concert in honor of Taylor, the pioneering university arts presenter who founded the Wisconsin Union Theater concert series and led it for many decades.
Here is link to more information, including ticket prices, a video and reviews, of Friday night’s concert by the Finckel, Setzer and Wu, Han Trio:
http://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/Season11_12/HanFinckelSetzerTrio.html
Could this trio become the new Beaux Arts Trio? David Finckel and Wu Han (below) took time out from their hectic schedule to answer an email Q&A for The Ear about their upcoming concert:
Speaking as members of the Emerson String Quartet and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, how healthy would you say the state of chamber music in America is today compared to the past?
DAVID FINCKEL: Chamber music varies, as do all classical music and serious art forms in America, from very healthy to endangered, depending upon the integrity, commitment of the local presenter and the engagement and support of the community.
We are often encouraged or alarmed when we travel to see different results in different communities. However, we always find intelligent, passionate audience in many different corners of the world.
We find if chamber music is presented in the best way – with intimacy and passion — the audience is always inspired. Because of that, we found through our role in the Emerson Quartet and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, chamber music continues to be a big part of many people’s lives.
How and why did the three of you start a piano trio?
WU HAN: We all love the same repertoire and have enjoyed making music together for quite a long time. It all started with the two Schubert trios (Note: Those trios are available in an exceptional recording, below bottom, from Artist Led and you can hear some of them at the bottom.) David and I knew Phil Setzer (below top) would be the perfect partner to record with because we all feel very deeply and similarly about that music.
It was such a success that we continued with the Mendelssohn trios now. We don’t know if this trio will continue, but we are letting the repertoire guide us.
Why did you choose an all-Mendelssohn program? Could you give a short introduction to each piece you will play and what you think its importance is or what the audience should listen for?
DAVID FINCKEL: Mendelssohn (below) was not only one of the most skilled and devoted musicians of all time, but his music appeals to a broad spectrum of the public — from those who are musical experts to new listeners. His ingenious voice well deserves an entire evening’s attention.
The Trio in D Minor, Mendelssohn’s first, shows him in a stormy mood for its outer movements, and offers both a song without words and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” experience in its middle movements. There’s something for everyone in this trio.
The second Trio in C Minor is a more advanced work in terms of its structure, with a final movement that contains extraordinary innovations. Listen for the quiet introducing of a hymn within a folk-inspired movement, and follow its progress towards the conclusion where both ideas are reconciled. It is one of the most magical creations in all of chamber music.
The Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Major is one of Mendelssohn’s most exuberant works. Giving the lion’s share of notes to the piano, the composer nevertheless affords the cello all the main themes and uses the instrument’s signature lyrical strengths to the fullest. It’s an absolute joy to play from start to finish.
Does the piano trio as a musical form or genre lack prestige or popularity compared to the string quartet, and if so why do you think that is?
WU HAN: The piano trio, in our experience, lacks neither prestige nor popularity among classical musicians and certainly among audiences. Not as much literature exists for the piano trio as for the string quartet, though, and as a result not as many professional trios exist as do string quartets.
The challenges of playing trios well are enormous. Ever since the days when Cortot, Thibaud and Casals (below, in that order in 1926) played trios, the public has expected world-class level of every trio’s members. The standards set by the world’s greatest trios are hard to live up to, but we try.
With the retirement of the incomparable Beaux Arts Trio (below) recently, we have found that chamber music audiences are hungry for trios. We come to Madison to feed them!
What are your plans for the trio in terms of concerts, projects and recordings?
WU HAN: Our trio is not a formally formed ensemble. We don’t even have a name! We have approached our projects simply as musically compatible friends who are eager to perform this repertoire, having always wanted to. We approach our trio’s career, if you can call it that, on a project-by-project basis. After Mendelssohn, there is another in the oven, but we can’t talk about that yet. Stay tuned.
Will you bring new string instruments as well as old ones to the concert?
DAVID FINCKEL: Philip Setzer and I will be playing the violin and cello made for us by Samuel Zygmuntowicz (below, in his workshop photographed by Melissa Hamburg), although I might bring my Guadagnini.
All three of you have performed in Madison at the Wisconsin Union Theater, two of you quite often in the Emerson Quartet and the other as a solo recitalist. Do you have an impression of Madison and its audience?
WU HAN: We consider the Wisconsin Union Theater in Madison one of the most important and distinguished venues in the United States. A visit backstage will reveal, via historic posters, extraordinary seasons of concerts going way back to the Golden Age of instrumental playing in the first half of the 20th century. One is conscious of the tradition of greatness, and, combined with the vibrant, youthful audience, we know it is a place where we have to play our best.
Classical music news: Pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel draw a rave at the Aspen Festival. They will perform here Feb. 24 at the Wisconsin Union Theater, where single tickets are now on sale.
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By Jacob Stockinger
Here’s a timely news item, especially now that various groups have announced their upcoming seasons and now that single tickets for events at the Wisconsin Union Theater are now on sale.
The wife-and-husband team of pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel (both below) co-direct the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
On Feb. 24, 2012, at 7:30 p.m., Wu Han and David Finckel will be joined by Emerson Quartet violinist Philip Setzer for a performance at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
The all-Mendelssohn program features both of the composer’s two Piano Trios and his Sonata for Cello and Piano.
Here’s a link to details, including a video, ticket prices and contacts, and other information:
http://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/Season11_12/HanFinckelSetzerTrio.html
Both have Wu Han and David Finckel have played here before in the Wisconsin Union Theater. Wu Han played a solo recital, and Finckel has played there many times in his role as cellist with the famed Emerson String Quartet.
Two weeks ago,, the duo filled in at the last minute for pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet at the Aspen Festival – and received a rave review:
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20110716/AE/110719872/0/FRONTPAGE
Classical music profiles: Part 2 of a two-part interview with cellist David Finckel of the Emerson String Quartet about their Jan. 22 concert in Madison
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By Jacob Stockinger
Cellist David Finckel (below left) recently answered questions via e-mail (while he was on tour in Asia) about the Emerson String Quartet‘s upcoming concert at the Wisconsin Union Theater on Friday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m.
The program for the Fan Taylor Memorial Concert (Taylor was the first director of the Wisconsin Union Theater) is Ives’ String Quartet No.1, Dvorak’s quartet, Op. 51, and Beethoven’s late quartet, Op. 127.
Tickets are $18, $35 and $40 with $10 admission for UW students. Call 608 262-2201.
For The Ear, the combination of artists and program make this a MUST-HEAR concert. Chamber music just doesn’t get better.
Here is link to the Wisconsin Union Theater:
http://www.union.wisc.edu/Theater/season/emerson2.html
And here is a link to the home page for the Emerson String Quartet, which includes profiles of the members:
http://www.emersonquartet.com/
And here is a link to David Finckel’s home page for ArtistLed CDs, which he owns with his wife pianist Wu Han:
http://www.artistled.com/Biographies/DF_medium_bio.htm
And here is the second and final part of my interview with David Finckel (below left): 
Could you briefly comment on the works in your Madison program (Ives’ No. 1, Dvorak’ Op. 51 and Beethoven’s Op. 127)? 
Our program for Madison is a quintessential Emerson program. Beethoven’s Op. 127 is the first Beethoven quartet that I played with the Emerson, back in the 1979-80 season. It is a monumental, deeply felt work that leaves nothing un-said and no challenge ignored. Its four movements are each worlds in themselves, long, difficult and involved. But one feels renewed at its conclusion, no matter how tiring the experience.
The Ives is the work of a true American spirit, filled with optimism, idealism, and courage. And the Dvorak, a heartfelt work (as all his pieces are!) is a tranquil listening experience that takes one to the old world.
The University of Wisconsin Pro Arte Quartet turns 100 next year. I remember your playing the Mendelssohn Octet with them. Do you have an opinion about the artistic and historical importance of the Pro Arte? 
I wish I knew more of the history of the Pro Arte. I know that it is one of the longest-running quartets in history, with many members changing over the years. I love the concept of a quartet that just keeps going – because there is always some sense of tradition and style that is unique to every ensemble. It would be very interesting to find out from the quartet what they have kept from their earlier incarnations.
What advice would you have for young aspiring string quartet, and chamber music, players today?
My advice for young quartets? Learn lots of music. Don’t miss the forest for the trees. Remember that you are playing for the audience. Try everyone’s interpretational ideas and don’t fight about them.
Listen to great recordings, not only by quartets but by anybody. Listen to the Beethoven symphonies while you’re learning the Beethoven quartets. Learn Haydn. Learn Webern. Learn Bartok. And learn where the music came from. Know something about the composers and their lives and times.
Practice your individual parts and come to rehearsals being able to play in time and in tune. Scrutinize your own playing under the highest expectations. Don’t waste your colleagues’ time, ever.
I could go on.
What is the secret to the quality and longevity of the Emerson? And how do you balance your chamber music career with a solo career and with your duties co-directing the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (below right) with your wife pianist Wu Han (below left)? 
We have been together more than three decades. Our friendship is solid but we are really driven by the work itself. There is so much to do, just to play everything we are committed to, and to do it at the level that people have come to expect of us.
That’s not getting any easier in some respects, but in other ways, we have become more and more confident musically as we have gained perspective.
There is no such thing as balance with the solo career for me, not to mention the other careers I have as a presenter. I just try to do the best I can to live up to my responsibilities everywhere, and somehow, I squeeze by. My family still wants to live with me, which is enormously lucky for me.
Classical music profiles: Part 1 of a two-part interview with cellist David Finckel of the Emerson String Quartet about their Jan. 22 concert in Madison
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By Jacob Stockinger
Cellist David Finckel (below right) recently answered questions via e-mail (while he was on tour in Asia) about the Emerson String Quartet and its upcoming concert at the Wisconsin Union Theater on Friday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m.
The program for the Fan Taylor Memorial Concert (Taylor was the first director of the Wisconsin Union Theater) is Ives’ String Quartet No. 1, Dvorak’s quartet, Op. 51, and Beethoven’s late quartet, Op. 127.
Tickets are $18, $35 and $40 with $10 admission for UW students. Call 262-2201.
For The Ear, the combination of artists and program make this a MUST-HEAR concert. Chamber music just doesn’t get better.
Here is link to the Wisconsin Union Theater:
http://www.union.wisc.edu/Theater/season/emerson2.html
And here is a link to the home page for the Emerson String Quartet, which includes profiles of the members:
http://www.emersonquartet.com/
And here is a link to David Finckel’s home page for ArtistLed CDs, which he owns with his wife pianist Wu Han:
http://www.artistled.com/Biographies/DF_medium_bio.htm
And here is Part 1 of my interview with David Finckel, who studied with famed celllist Mstislav Rostropovich: 
Chamber music has the reputation of drawing older listeners, much like classical music in general. What, if anything, can be done – and what do you and your wife pianist Wu Han do at the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society – to reach younger listeners and a wider audience? Or is it just something that one grows into as one matures in listening habits and likes?
I have never believed that just because people become older they somehow magically come to like classical music. There are other factors involved – free time, no kids to take care of, a tiring of popular culture – that may well lead people to become more engaged with the art. But that can happen to younger people as well.
There’s not much one can do with chamber music especially to make it more interesting than it already is. People have to come to it, not the other way around. It is not as visually diverse as a symphony or opera performance. But if one becomes involved, the art form presents myriad opportunities for fulfillment.
The most important thing we do in presenting is truth in advertising – not to promise anything other than what the real experience will be.
This, we believe, will gain the trust of new listeners, and getting the trust of your public is the most essential element of building and keeping an audience.
As I recall, you often play cellos made today as well as great old instruments. How do they compare with old ones?
Regarding cellos, yes, I’m a great fan of contemporary makers and believe that a really fine new instrument can be the best asset for serious and aspiring young player.
Except for the finest early instruments, in the best condition, the great new ones are infinitely better in every way: volume and richness of tone, ease of playing, reliability and stability, not to mention cost.
You and the quartet (and your wife Wu Han, below) have played concerts in Madison several times. Do you have any recollections or impressions of the city and its classical music audiences? Of the Wisconsin Union Theater? 
Our impression of Wisconsin Union Theater are indelible, and they are mostly so because of the distinguished history of concerts. The posters backstage remind everyone who plays there that they have been preceded by the greatest performers the world has every known. So you have to live up to the standard the venue has set, and to become a worthy part of its legacy.
Your new Emerson CD “Intimate Letters,” with music of Janacek and Martinu, is up for a Grammy. What are your plans for your next CD or two? Is there any chance of a second Haydn Project since he wrote so many great quartets? 
At the moment, the Emerson is involved in a large project of Dvorak. We have to get that out the door before we consider the next repertoire. There are still many quartets that we would like to record, even though we’ve made so many recordings already. We are really very fortunate.
What do you think of the state of string quartet composing today? Are there specific composers or new quartets (music) that you admire and add to your repertoire?
String quartet composing is just as challenging today as it was in the time that Haydn set new standards that everyone had to live up to. Many living composers have embarked on ambitious, multi-quartet cycles, among them Carter, Harbison, Wernick, Tsontakis, Widmann. One of the final compositions of the late Leon Kirchner was his fifth quartet, and the whole cycle was recently recorded by the Orion Quartet. Most important for us is that a composer understands the capabilities and limitations of the instruments, and that they have a true sense of chamber music conversational style.
Are there younger string quartets (St. Lawrence, Pacific, Orion, Brentano) that you think are especially promising for the future of chamber music?
All of the young string quartets that you mention ARE the future of chamber music, along with many of their colleagues. These groups are truly modern in the sense that they know, as young artists do today, that they must make their own careers, and that there’s no real “industry” left to do that anymore. All the young groups are very well equipped and passionate. We are counting on them.
What is the state of string quartets in the U.S. today?
I don’t think there are more professional quartets now than earlier. I have heard that there has actually been a severe reduction in the number since the early 1980s. I do know that we see fewer and fewer quartets and real classical chamber ensembles on series around this country. Many series have mixed in other disciplines, and this has not developed the classical listenership.
Tomorrow: David Finckel speaks about its Madison program, the UW Pro Arte String Quartet, and offers advice to young chamber music players .
Classical music news: Let us now praise the Tokyo String Quartet, which will disband after 40 years.
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By Jacob Stockinger
This past weekend, in Madison we partied as we celebrated the last of this season’s four concerts, lecture series and world premieres of commissioned works marking the centennial of the UW’s Pro Arte String Quartet.
There were lectures, a dinner, a question-and-answer session with American composer John Harbison and UK musicologist/music journalist Tully Potter; and a dessert reception after a FREE concert (below) that included Haydn’s String Quartet in C major, Op. 54, No. 2; Franck’s Quartet in D major; and the world premiere of John Harbison’s Quartet No. 5, commissioned by the Pro Arte.
The Pro Arte, you may recall, started in 1912 at the Belgium Conservatory in Brussels, then became the royal court quartet and got marooned in Madison when Hitler invaded their homeland in May of 1940 while they were on tour, playing a Beethoven cycle in Madison at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
So 100 years is a world record for a quartet.
Just how very impressive that fact is came home again when I learned that the acclaimed Tokyo String Quartet (below) is going to disband at the end of next season – after 40 years of existence — instead of finding two replacements for two retiring original members.
They had already replaced two of the original members and changed record labels from RCA to Harmonia Mundi. The quartet has won major prizes at both labels.
The Tokyo is not alone. String quartets, and there are many of them right now, come and go.
Over decades, the constant practicing and performing, touring and recording, can be a strenuous way to earn a living and live a life. It takes a toll.
A few years back, it was the wonderful Guarneri Quartet, which recorded with pianist Artur Rubinstein in the 1960s and 1970s, that disbanded. (The Guarneri played at the Wisconsin Union Theater during its farewell tour.)
The Emerson Quartet is still together and performing after some 35 years but is replacing is retiring cellist David Finckel who performed Mendelssohn’s two piano trios at the Wisconsin Union Theater this season with his pianist wide Wu Han and Emerson violinist Phillip Setzer.
I also heard the Tokyo Quartet at least once and probably more at the Wisconsin Union Theater. I especially recall a performance they gave of a Shostakovich quartet.
But they were also known for two complete Beethoven cycles plus Schubert and Mozart cycles. Of the two Beethoven cycles I especially love the six early Op. 18 quartets they recorded for a second cycle for Harmonia Mundi (below), although many listeners will prefer the middle and late quartets, pro their Dvorak, or Tchaikovsky, or their Debussy (at bottom). But I’m just a sucker for early Beethoven!
Anyway, cheers again to the Pro Arte and here is the story about the break up of the Tokyo, which allied itself to Japanese schools and then to Yale University as it followed the academic affiliation model pioneered by the Pro Arte Quartet when they became artists-in-residence at the UW after being exiled here.
Here is the story about the Tokyo Quartet ‘s approaching end:
And here is a link to a live concert by the Tokyo Quartet on April 7 of Haydn, Bartok and Beethoven. It is available for streaming from the New York City radio station WQXR via NPR’s blog “Deceptive Cadence”:
http://www.npr.org/event/music/135218789/tokyo-string-quartet-at-wqxr-watch-live-friday-7-p-m-et
Enjoy, and let’s relish the music we have left to hear from the Tokyo Quartet – both live and whatever they have “in the can” for recordings.
And finally: Thank you, Tokyo String Quartet, for so much beauty over so many years.
Are cellists the most friendly and sociable players in classical music?
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By Jacob Stockinger
I like festivals.
I also like cellists.
Combine the two, and you have a good thing.
A very good thing.
Just ask, if you could, that most famous cellist and festival founder of all, Pablo Casals (below), the man who rediscovered and rehabilitated the solo cello suites of J.S. Bach.
But is the old story about cellists being the most friendly and sociable (or is it social?) of all instrument players in classical music true?
Singers might be even more social, especially given the collaborative nature of opera and choral singing.
But I have indeed found that it is very often the cellists who speak for string quartets. Locally, I have spoken with cellists Parry Karp (below), Karl Lavine, Janet Greive, Sarah Schaffer and Benjamin Whitcomb, among others. And the rule holds up.
All the cellists I have interviewed as individuals or orchestra players are also a pleasure to deal with. They often have hearty laughs and a whimsical sense of fun.
They also very often seem to preserve a sense of proportion and to act as the peacemakers in a group.
And in my experience even solo cellists like Alisa Weilerstein, David Finckel and Yo-Yo Ma (below) are gracious, outgoing and sociable.
What is it about the cello and cellists that make them that way?
Could it be because the cello’s tone is so close to the human voice?
Could it be that you learn to offer help to and accept help from others when you lug around a big instrument and pay for a second plane seat on the airplane?
Could it be you feel especially close and human as a musician when you wrap your legs around your instrument?
Could it be the kind of music, very songful and lyrical music, that cellists so often play?
Could it be all of the above, or many of the above in some combination?
Well, it turns out that my own personal impressions are not just mine.
Take a look at the following stories.
The first examines the inaugural First Piatigorsky Cello Festival in Los Angeles, overseen by cellist Ralph Kirschbaum (below), who performed a few seasons ago with the Madison Symphony Orchestra:
More to the point, using the festival’s collaborative celebration of J.S. Bach’s 327th birthday last Wednesday, the second story takes a closer look at the reputation cellists have for being amiable.
Classical music datebook: Great chamber music by Mendelssohn and by living composers plus some Big Beethoven mark a rich week for music in Madison.
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By Jacob Stockinger
This is a rich week for great classical music in Madison. Some might even say it is too rich, since Friday is another one of those inevitable train wrecks.
That’s when two great and very appealing concerts take place almost at the same time: an all-Mendelssohn concert by the David Finckel, Wu Han and Philip Setzer piano trio (below) at the Wisconsin Union Theater; and a largely Beethoven concert, with the Violin Concerto and the Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”) by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra at the Overture Center.
My colleague Greg Hettmansberger even wrote in detail about the conflict for his “Classically Speaking” blog for Madison Magazine:
But I guess that is the price one pays for living in such a culturally rich city. Still, for the sake of audiences, performers and the financial stability of the organizations, The Ear just wishes that the two organizations would cooperate more closely to eliminate such heart-breaking conflicts when they are not absolutely necessary.
Anyway, there is a lot of other notable musical concerts to console us for that one disheartening dilemma.
TODAY
At 7:30 p.m. in Mills Hall, the UW Western Percussion Ensemble (below) and UW percussionist Anthony Di Sanza will give a FREE concert. No program is available yet.
THURSDAY
The recital by UW soprano Julia Faulkner and pianist Martha Fischer has been CANCELLED.
FRIDAY
Friday’s FREE Noon Musicale, from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in the Landmark Auditorium of the First Unitarian Society Meeting House, 900 University Bay Drive, features harpist Linda Warren, violinist Leyla Sanyer and cellist Philip Delaquessi in music of Naderman and Respighi. For information, call (608) 233-9774 or visit www.fusmadison.org.
From 2:30 to 4 p.m., a TRIPLE-HEADER of FREE public master classes, with University of Wisconsin-Madison students, will be held: Emerson Quartet cellist David Finckel in Mills Hall; Emerson Quartet violinist Philip Setzer (below) in Morphy Recital Hall; and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center pianist and co-director Wu Han on the stage at the Wisconsin Union Theater, where the same trio will performance an all-Mendelssohn program later Friday night.
At 7:30 p.m. in the Wisconsin Union Theater, retiring Emerson Quartet cellist David Finckel and his wife Wu Han (below), who also co-direct The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, will team up with Emerson Quartet violinist Philip Setzer to perform both piano trios and a cello sonata in an all-Mendelssohn program.
It is a mark of the prestige these performers are held in that the concert is officially designated the Fan Taylor Memorial Concert. Each season the Wisconsin Union Theater names a concert in honor of Taylor, the pioneering university arts presenter who founded the Wisconsin Union Theater concert series and led it for many decades.
Here is link to more information, including ticket prices, a video and reviews, of Friday night’s concert by the Finckel, Setzer and Wu Han Trio:
http://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/Season11_12/HanFinckelSetzerTrio.html
At 8 p.m. in the Capitol Theater of the Overture Center, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra under Andrew Sewell with violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky (below) will perform Benjamin Britten’s “End Sequence” from “Night Mail” as well as Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Beethoven’s famed Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”).
For more information about the concert and tickets, visit:
http://www.wcoconcerts.org/performances/masterworks/27/event-info/
SATURDAY
At 11:55 a.m. CST at the Point and Eastgate cinemas, the Metropolitan Opera’s “Live in HD” satellite broadcast will feature Verdi’s “Ernani.” The cast includes (below) acclaimed soprano Angela Meade and Marcello Giordani. (The encore presentation is March 14 at 6:30 p.m.)
At 8 p.m. in Mills Hall, the UW Wind Ensemble will perform “Circa Now,” a FREE concert of works by living composers. The ensemble performs “Fanfare for the Uncommon Man” by UW composer John Stevens, who will conduct the work; “Concerto for percussion” by Michael Udow, with percussion soloist Anthony Di Sanza; “The Future of Fire” by Zhou Long (below), the 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner in music, with the UW Concert Choir; and “Cosmosis” by Susan Botti, with soprano soloist Mimmi Fulmer and the women of the Concert Choir. Scott Teeple is the conductor of the Wind Ensemble.
A pre-concert discussion with Stevens, Udow and Zhou will take place at 7:15 p.m.
SUNDAY
This week’s “Sunday Afternoon Live from the Chazen” offers violinist Kangwon Lee Kim (below) 12:30-2 p.m. p.m. in Brittingham Gallery Number III at the Chazen Museum of Art. It will be broadcast live by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Kim will be joined by colleagues Eli Kalman, pianist, David Rubin, violinist, Matthew Michelic, violist, and Janet Anthony, cellist, presenting Sonatas for violin and piano by Ludwig van Beethoven and Maurice Ravel, and the Piano Quintet in C minor by Erno Dohnanyi.
Kim received degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Oberlin Conservatory, the Manhattan School of Music, and Temple University, and this year she has been asked to join the faculty at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Members of the Chazen Museum of Art or Wisconsin Public Radio can call ahead and reserve seats for Sunday Afternoon Live performances. Seating is limited. All reservations must be made Monday through Friday before the concert and claimed by 12:20 p.m. on the day of the performance. For more information or to learn how to become a museum member, contact the Chazen Museum at (608) 263-2246.
A reception follows the performance, with refreshments generously donated by Fresh Madison Market, Coffee Bytes and Steep & Brew. A free docent-led tour in the Chazen galleries begins every Sunday at 2 p.m.
At 2 p.m. in Mills Hall, a FREE concert will be performed by the UW Concert Band, conducted by Michael Leckrone (below).
At 2:30 p.m. in the St. Joseph Chapel of Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, the Edgewood Chamber Orchestra will perform a concert under the direction of Blake Walter (below, in a photo by John Maniaci).
The program includes Rossini’s “L’Inganno Felice” Overture, Gorecki’s “Kleines Requiem für eine Polka” (Little Requiem for a Polka), and Mozart’s well-known Symphony No. 40 in g minor, K. 550. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.
WEDNESDAY
The Middleton Community Orchestra’s Winter Concert, conducted by Steve Kurr, will be on Wednesday, February 29, 7:30 at the Middleton Performing Arts Center at Middleton High School. The concert features a performance of “Schelomo,” by Ernest Bloch with cellist Jordan Allen (below) as soloist. The orchestra will also play “John Henry” by Aaron Copland and “The Firebird Suite” by Igor Stravinsky.
Tickets are $10 for general admission. Students and retirement home residents are free. Tickets are available at the door and at Willy St. Coop West.
Call 608-212-8690 for more information.
Classical music: Annals of the Violin 1 – Can YOU hear the difference between a vintage Stradivarius violin and a newly made 21st-century violin?
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By Jacob Stockinger
Sometimes the same subject draws the interest of different reporters, and we have a happy convergence of information that can often remain esoteric and known only to specialists.
Two recent stories – one in The New York Times and the other on NPR – focused on the differences – or lack of them – between old and new violins.
Traditionally, the Old Master violins, made by Stradivarius (above, the 1729 “Solomon ex-Lambert” Strad photographed by Dan Emmert/Getty Images) and by Guarneri, sell for millions and are legendary. They are always considered more beautiful in tone, louder in volume and easier to play than more modern instruments.
But how much of that received wisdom is, in fact, wisdom or truth? And how much of it is myth or hype?
Defying conventional wisdom, some high-profile professional concertizing musicians have turned to modern string instruments, including cellist David Finckel (below) of the Emerson String Quartet who will perform an all-Mendelssohn program with the David Finckel, pianist Wu Han and violinist Philip Setzer Piano Trio at the Wisconsin Union Theater on Friday, Feb. 24. And the acclaimed German violin virtuoso Christian Teztlaff (at bottom, playing solo Bach) also performs on a modern violin.
This is a particularly interesting topic to Madison circles. Until his death last summer, William “Jack” Fry (below), a retired professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Physics Department, had long investigated the sonics and engineering of violins. The Token Creek Chamber Music Festival has used some of Fry’s instruments as played by John and Rose Mary Harbison, the husband composer/violist and wife-violinist who co-direct the summer festival.
So both old and new violins have their defenders and partisans.
Now you can try the test and decide for yourself.
Here is a link to an illuminating background story in the New York Times.
And here is a link to the NPR story – listen to the streamed broadcast over reading the typescript, if you can — where you can take a “blindfold” hearing test to see whether the old or new violin sounds better to you, and then compare your results to the panel of experts and violinists:
How did you do?
What did you learn?
What do you say in the debate about the superiority of older violins and the inferiority of newer violins?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: David Finckel, Emerson String Quartet, Guarneri, New York Times, NPR, Stradivarius, Violin
Classical music news: Madison offers a lot of local holiday gifts for lovers of classical music.
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By Jacob Stockinger
Well, here we are with only one week to go before Christmas.
And The Ear got a big Christmas gift today – a generous and well written endorsement from Dave Zweifel, my former editor at The Capital Times:
Anyway, I suspect some of you are starting become a bit frantic about what to get as a gift.
Perhaps I can offer some reassurance and help for those of you who are still shopping for classical music lovers. In the past weeks, I have offered holiday gift guides from The New York Times, The New Yorker magazine, NPR and others.
Rest assured, there is still time to buy from local vendors and also on-line sellers.
But start with choosing a really nice holiday card and writing a heart-felt message on it.
As in past years, I highly recommend packaging a CD with tickets to a live performance. Both can generate long-lasting memories, but the essence of making music and listening to music happens at a live event.
You can focus on either the performer or the repertoire. Most of all, I recommend the gift of time and companionship, which I find increasingly matter to people,especially older and younger people who might have mobility issues.
I offer some specific examples:
Pianist Peter Serkin (below) is returning to Madison — specifically to the Wisconsin Union Theater — to perform a solo recital featuring Beethoven’s epic Diabelli Variations. You can get a CD of the Diabelli’s or Serkin and then add tickets plus a promise to go with and talk about.
Also at the WUT, on Friday, Feb. 24, is an all-Mendelssohn evening with the piano trio of David Finckel, Phillip Setzer and Wu Han.
For more information, visit:
http://uniontheater.wisc.edu/season2011_12.html
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra will host cellist Amid Peled in a Boccherini concerto and also perform Haydn’s late Symphony No. 100 on Jan. 13. On Feb. 24, the WCO will host violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky (below) in the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Beethoven’s famed Sixth Symphony (“Pastoral”) also on the program. Those works offer great chances for match-ups.
For details, visit:
http://www.wcoconcerts.org/performances/masterworks/
The Madison Opera will mark the 75th birthday of composer of Philip Glass (below) with a production of his “Galileo Galilei” on Jan. 26-29, and then performs Rossini’s “Cinderella” on April 27 and 29. Tickets and a recording of that or some other opera or other music by Glass or Rossini would make a great pairing.
For more information, visit:
You could do the same kind of CD-ticket pairing with Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, which Augustin Hadelich (below) will perform with the Madison Symphony Orchestra on Jan. 20-22, or with pianist Philippe Bianconi in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 on March 30-April 1. (The last performances coincide, unfortunately, with the UW spring break.) You also have the advantage of the MSO offering reduced price holiday tickets for $15 and $40.
For details, go to:
And don’t forget the affordable, enjoyable and increasingly popular Live in HD satellite broadcasts at Point and Eastgate cinemas by the Metropolitan Opera and the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Gustav Dudamel.
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/liveinhd/LiveinHD.aspx
The UW Choral Union and the UW Symphony Orchestra (below), under Beverly Taylor, will perform Verdi’s operatically dramatic Requiem in Overture Hall on Friday, April 20.
But it is still a bad economy. Are some of those events listed above still too expensive?
There are a lot of “cheap thrills” to be found in the Madison classical scene. That is thanks in large part to the University of Wisconsin’s School of Music, which offers some 300 concerts a year – almost all FREE of charge. And that doesn’t even count free events at Edgewood College or WYSO (the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras) concerts.
The UW offers something for everyone: piano music, string music, wind music, percussion, early music, orchestral music, choral music.
I would single out two history-making events that will be fun to be participate in and that are part of the centennial of the Pro Arte String Quartet (below, in a photo by Rick Langer). They feature world premieres of two works commissioned from well-known composers by the Pro Arte: a new piano quintet by William Bolcom on March 24 and a string quartet by John Harbison on April 21.
Those concerts, by the way, are bookended by free lectures given by New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini in March and British critic Tully Potter in April.
For a listing of UW School of Music events go to www.music.wisc.edu and click on the Events Calendar.
The weekly First Unitarian Society Friday Musicales and “Sunday Live From the Chazen” series (below) also offers constant sources of live and regional chamber music combined with visual and fine art, especially in the Chazen’s stunning new building which has increased exhibit space by double and has brought great works of art out of storage. Of course, if you can’t get there in person, the concerts are broadcast live over Wisconsin Public Radio.
For a schedule, soon to be updated for the second semester, go to:
It is traditional to also recommend some local CDs. But what exactly is local?
Well, you can find some great overtures and several Mozart piano concerts on recordings by the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, respectively. You can also find many CDs by UW faculty at the UW School of Music:
http://apps.music.wisc.edu/cdstore/
I also highly recommend a new CD of holiday music from the much acclaimed Isthmus Vocal Ensemble (below), which usually performs in the summer.
http://www.isthmusvocalensemble.org/xmas.html
You can also find recorded music from many other local groups – the Wisconsin Chamber Choir, the Oakwood Chamber Players, the Madison Bach Musicians, early musician Trevor Stephenson and many UW groups – and a ticket to a live concert would go well with one of them.
But then there are CDs from national and international labels (Naxos is a big one) that feature local artists, especially faculty members such as soprano Julia Faulkner, trombonist Mark Hetzler, pianist Martha Fischer, violinist David Perry (below is his CD of concertos by Ignaz Pleyel) and composer Laura Schwendinger and others. Just go to amazon.com’s classical music section and plug in a name.
This list is very far from exhausting the possibilities for gift ideas. In fact, I hope readers will leave their own ideas in the COMMENTS section.
The more, the merrier – and the more helpful to both giver and recipient.
Classical music: University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music announces concerts for the 2011-12 season
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By Jacob Stockinger
Most classical music groups in Madison have already announced their next season.
But until now, the biggest presenter of concerts, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music has not announced its next season. It usually offers some 300 events per year, if you include student concerts, master classes and degree recitals.
So get out your datebooks and start penciling in things.
Most specific programs are not decided yet – and many won’t be available until the next academic year gets underway. Also, the Sunday Afternoon Live From the Chazen series, which is co-sponsored by the UW School of Music and often features UW faculty members, has not yet been announced.
Still, this will give you some ideas of groups and possible conflicting dates until printed brochures are ready in mid-July.
Here is a guide to the symbol key:
Free admission except where noted $
FCS is the Faculty concert series, which will again be free, even though donations have dropped off, according to the School of Music
GAS is the Guest Artist Series
For the first semester, now, and later the entire year, you call also visit: http://www.music.wisc.edu/calendar
SEPTEMBER
Sat 3: Color Field (GAS), Morphy, 8 p.m.
Mon 5: 35th Karp Family Opening Concert (FCS), Mills Hall (below), 7:30 p.m.
Sun 18: Les Thimmig, woodwinds (FCS), Matan Rubinstein, piano, Mills, 2 p.m.
Thu 22: Black Music Ensemble, Richard Davis, director, Morphy, 8:30 p.m.
Sun 25: University Opera Gala Concert $, “Arias Over Lake Mendota,” Holy Wisdom Monastery, 3 p.m.
Sun 25: Malcolm Bilson, fortepiano (GAS), Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 30: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble (below) $, Wisconsin Union Theater, 7:30 p.m.
OCTOBER
Sun 2: UW Symphony Orchestra, James Smith, conductor (below); Mills, 2 p.m.
Wed 5: Joseph Johnson, violoncello (GAS) with Victor Asuncion, piano; Morphy, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 6: UW Chamber Orchestra with James Smith, conductor; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 7: Wind Ensemble, Scott Teeple, conductor; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 8: Mark Hetzler, trombone (FCS) and Martha Fischer, piano; Mills, 8 p.m.
Fri 14: Wind Ensemble Collage, Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 15: Choral Collage, Mills, 4 p.m.
Sun 16: Concert Band with Scott Teeple, conductor; Mills, 2 p.m.
Sun 16: University Bands, Mills, 4 p.m.
Fri 21: Tyrone Greive, violin (below, in a photo by Katrin Talbot) (FCS) with Martha Fischer, piano; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 22: Pro Arte Quartet (below, in a photo by Katrin Talbot) Centennial (FCS); String Quartet No. 2 by Walter Mays (world premiere) Mills, 8 p.m.
Thu 27: Contemporary Chamber Ensemble with, Laura Schwendinger, artistic director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 28, Sun 30 and Tue 1: University Opera with Symphony Orchestra $, William Farlow, director, and James Smith, conductor; “La Bohème” by Puccini; Music Hall, 7:30 p.m. (Fri and Tue), 3 p.m. (Sun)
Sat 29: Wisconsin Brass Quintet (FCS); Mills, 8 p.m.
NOVEMBER
Wed 2: Symphony Strings with James Smith, conductor; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 3: Wind Ensemble Chamber Winds; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 3: Caroline Goulding, violin (below) $; Wisconsin Union Theater, 7:30 p.m.
Sat 5: Chamber Orchestra ($) with James Smith, conductor, and Caroline Goulding, violin; Wisconsin Union Theater, 7:30 p.m.
Sun 6: Parry Karp, violoncello (FCS) with pianists Howard and Frances Karp; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 10: Christopher Taylor, piano (below) (FCS); Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 10: Black Music Ensemble with Richard Davis, director; Morphy, 8:30 p.m.
Fri 11: Madrigal Singers with Bruce Gladstone, conductor; Mills, 8 p.m.
Tue 15: Trombone Choir with Mark Hetzler, director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Wed 16: Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel (below) $; “A Beethoven Bonanza”; Mills Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Wed 16: Guitar Ensemble; Javier Calderón, director; Morphy, 8:30 p.m.
Fri 18: Concert Choir and Chorale with Beverly Taylor and Bruce Gladstone, conductors; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 19: Women’s Chorus and University Chorus; Mills, 4 p.m.
Sat 19: Pro Arte Quartet Centennial (FCS): Piano Quintet by Paul Schoenfield (world premiere); Mills, 8 p.m.
Sun 20: Wingra Woodwind Quintet (below) (FCS) with Christopher Taylor, piano; Mills, 2 p.m.
Sun 20: Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble with Matthew Mireles, director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Tue 22: Opera Workshop; Music Hall; 7:30 p.m.
Tue 29: Early Music Ensemble with Jeanne Swack, director; Morphy, 8:30 p.m.
Wed 30: Western Percussion Ensemble with Anthony Di Sanza, director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
DECEMBER
Fri 2: Wind Ensemble with Scott Teeple, conductor; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 3: All University String Orchestra with Janet Jensen, conductor; Mills, 4 p.m.
Sun 4: Winter Choral Concerts; Luther Memorial Church; 2 and 4 p.m.
Sun 4: Concert Band with Scott Teeple, conductor; Mills, 2 p.m.
Sun 4: University Bands; Mills, 4 p.m.
Mon 5: Masters Singers; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Wed 7: Jazz Orchestra; Jim Doherty, director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 9: UW Symphony Orchestra with James Smith, conductor; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 10: World Percussion Ensemble with Neil Sisauyhoat, director; Music Hall, Noon
Sat 10 and Sun 11: Choral Union (below) with UW Chamber Orchestra $, Beverly Taylor, conductor; Mills, 8 p.m. (Sat) and 4 p.m. (Sun)
JANUARY
Fri 27: Martha Fischer and Bill Lutes, piano (FCS); Mills, 8 p.m.
FEBRUARY
Wed 8: Daniel Grabois, horn (FCS) with Kirstin Ihde, piano; Morphy, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 10: UW Symphony Orchestra with James Smith, conductor; Student Concerto Competition Winners; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sun 12: UW Chamber Orchestra (below) with James Smith, conductor; Mills, 2 p.m.
Sun 12: Robert Shannon, piano (GAS); Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Tue 14: Mark Hetzler, trombone (below) (FCS) with Vincent Fuh, piano; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 16: Black Music Ensemble; Richard Davis, director; Morphy, 8:30 p.m.
Sat 18: Bonerama (GAS); Mills, 8 p.m.
Wed 22: Western Percussion Ensemble with Anthony Di Sanza, director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 23: Julia Faulkner, soprano (below) (FCS) with Martha Fischer, piano; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 24: David Finckel, Wu Han and Philip Setzer, piano trio, $; Wisconsin Union Theater, 7:30 p.m.
Sat 25: Wind Ensemble; Scott Teeple, conductor; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sun 26: Concert Band with Michael Leckrone, conductor; Mills, 2 p.m.
MARCH
Thu 1: Contemporary Chamber Ensemble with Laura Schwendinger, artistic director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 2: Wingra Woodwind Quintet (FCS); Morphy, 8 p.m.
Sat 3: Wisconsin Brass Quintet (FCS); Mills, 8 p.m.
Sun 4: The Thimmig-Johnson Duo (FCS) with Les Thimmig, clarinets and saxophone; Jessica Johnson, piano; Anthony Di Sanza, marimba; Mills, 2 p.m.
Fri 9: Parry Karp, violoncello (below) (FCS) with Eli Kalman, piano; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 10: Marc Vallon (below), bassoon (FCS); Morphy, 8 p.m.
Sun 11: University Bands; Mills, 4 p.m.
Fri 16, Sun 18 and Tue 20: University Opera with Chamber Orchestra $; William Farlow, director, and James Smith, conductor; ”Don Giovanni” by Mozart; Music Hall, 7:30 p.m. (Fri & Tue), 3 p.m. (Sun)
Sat 17: UW Symphony Orchestra with James Smith, conductor; Mills, 8 p.m.
Fri 23: Enric Madriguera, guitar (GAS); Morphy, 8 p.m.
Sat 24: Pro Arte Quartet Centennial (FCS); Christopher Taylor, piano; Piano Quintet No. 2 by William Bolcom (world premiere); Wisconsin Union Theater, 8 p.m.
Sun 25: Horn Choir with Daniel Grabois, director; Mills, 2 p.m.
Sun 25: Wisconsin Brass Quintet (FCS); Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Mon 26: Arabesque Winds (GAS); Morphy, 7:30 p.m.
Tue 27: Concert Band; Michael Leckrone, conductor (below); Mills, 7:30 p.m.
APRIL
Wed 11: Lincoln Trio (GAS); Morphy, 7:30 p.m.
Sat 14: Concert Choir with Beverly Taylor, conductor (below); Mills, 8 p.m.
Sun 15: Trombone Choir with Mark Hetzler, director; Mills, 4 p.m.
Tue 17: Contemporary Chamber Ensemble (below) Laura Schwendinger, artistic director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Wed 18: Jazz Orchestra with Jim Doherty, director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 19: Black Music Ensemble with Richard Davis, director; Morphy, 8:30 p.m.
Thu 19: Guitar Ensemble with Javier Calderón, director (below, in a photo by Katrin Talbot); Mills, 8:30 p.m.
Fri 20: Choral Union with Symphony Orchestra $ with Beverly Taylor, conductor; Requiem by Verdi; Overture Hall, 8 p.m.
Sat 21: Beethoven Piano Competition Winners; Morphy, 3:30 p.m.
Sat 21: Women’s Chorus and University Chorus; Mills, 4 p.m.
Sat 21: Pro Arte Quartet Centennial (FCS); String Quartet No. 5 by John Harbison (below) (world premiere); Mills, 8 p.m.
Sun 22: Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble with Matthew Mireles, director; Mills, 4 p.m.
Wed 25: Opera Workshop; Music Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 26: UW Chamber Orchestra; James Smith, conductor; Wilson Center, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 27: Chorale, with Bruce Gladstone, conductor (below, photo by Katrin Talbot); Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 28: All University String Orchestra; Janet Jensen, conductor; Mills, 4 p.m.
Sat 28: Javanese Gamelan Ensemble with R. Anderson Sutton, director; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sun 29: University Bands; Mills, 4 p.m.
Mon 30: Masters Singers; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
MAY
Tue 1: Early Music Ensemble with John Chappell Stowe, director (below); Morphy, 7:30 p.m.
Tue 1: Western Percussion Ensemble with Anthony Di Sanza, director; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Wed 2: Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel $; “A Musical Love Triangle”; Mills Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Thu 3: Wind Ensemble with Scott Teeple, conductor; Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Fri 4: Madrigal Singers with Bruce Gladstone, conductor; Mills, 8 p.m.
Sat 5: World Percussion Ensemble with Neil Sisauyhoat, director; Music Hall, Noon
Sat 5: Peter Serkin, piano (below) $; Wisconsin Union Theater, 7:30 p.m.
Sun 6: Concert Band with Michael Leckrone, conductor; Mills, 1 p.m.
Sun 6: UW Chamber Orchestra with James Smith, conductor; Mills, 4 p.m.
