The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music datebook: Sunday starts the end of the Winter Intermission with viola, harpsichord and cello music

A reminder: The Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the young and charismatic superstar maestro Gustavo Dudamel and with guest tenor soloist Juan Diego Florez, performs tonight on PBS’ “Great Performances” series at 8 p.m. on Wisconsin Public Television. Warm up a cold night!

By Jacob Stockinger

That wasn’t so long or so bad, after all, was it?

I’m talking about the Winter Intermission in live performances of classical music.

Of course, we classical music addicts had a lot of help from Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television to get us through it, of course.

We still have nearly three weeks before the second semester begins, and already live performances are under way.

Both concerts take place on Sunday, barely into the New Year.

But the music to be performed offers some great choices for string and keyboard music.

IT ALL TAKES PLACE ON SUNDAY:

FIRST, VIOLA MUSIC:

“Sunday Afternoon Live from the Chazen” resumes its season after the holiday break when it welcomes violist Elias Goldstein (below) from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Brittingham Gallery III at the Chazen Museum of Art. As usual, it will be broadcast live by Wisconsin Public Radio.

The unusual and noteworthy program will feature Watson Forbe’s Transcriptions, Beethoven’s Nocturne for Viola and Piano, Boccherini’s Sonata Number 6 in A major, and other composers like Arthur Benjamin, Sarasate, Dinicu and Paganini.

Elias Goldstein graduated with a Master’s in Music from DePaul University where he studied with Mark Zinger.  He has appeared as a soloist with the DePaul Symphony Orchestra, and has performed as guest concertmaster with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Goldstein will be accompanied by Matthew Ganong on the piano.  Ganong is currently the principal keyboardist of the Advent Chamber Orchestra.

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 Fair Trade Coffee House. A free docent-led tour in the Chazen galleries begins every Sunday at 2 p.m.

Parking is available at the City of Madison State Street Campus Ramp (entrances on Frances and Lake streets) and in the University Square parking ramp (entrance on Lake Street). Metered parking is available in the lower level of UW Lot 46 (entrances on Lake and Frances streets). For more information or for information about upcoming concerts, please call 608 263-2246 or visit the Chazen website at www.chazen.wisc.edu.

SECOND, ALL-HANDEL ON THE HARPSICHORD:

At 3 p.m. is another of the congenial and musically satisfying “house music” concerts will be offered by early music specialist Trevor Stephenson (below).

It take places at the home of Trevor and Rose Stephenson at 5729 Forsythia Place, on Madison’s west side.

The program is all-Handel – a good choice to greet the New Year since music by Handel (bel0w) almost always seems a bit more light and melodic, more Italian, than Bach’s, at least to The Ear’s ears.

The program includes the “Harmonious Blacksmith: Variations; the Suite in D minor (with the beloved/infamous Sarabande); a Gavotte in G major; a Sonatina in B-flat major; “Impertinence” and other favorites.

Stephenson will perform on a harpsichord modeled on a circa 1720 German Double-manual Harpsichord, the same kind that Bach bought and used in his Brandenburg Concertos.

Admission is $35 with the audience limited to around 40. Light refreshments will be served.

Reservations are required: contact trevor@trevorstephenson.com or call (608) 238-6092.

THIRD:  THREE CELLOS IN A COFFEE HOUSE

The Ear’s friend Samantha Crownover, manager of the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, writes us:

Maureen Kelly and three other cellists will perform a concert at the Washington Coffee House — at Lakeside Fibres, 402 W. Lakeside St. in Madison — on Sunday, January 2, 2011, at 4 p.m. Suggested donation is $10.  Food, wine and food available for purchase.

The program features South American style pieces by composers such as Piazzolla, Villa Lobos and Albeniz.  Don’t be surprised if you hear some other treats thrown in.

Maureen Kelly is a recent graduate of UW-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in cello performance, while there, she was a member of the Perlman Piano Trio (below, middle).  She has also been a member of the National Symphony Orchestra in San Jose, Costa Rica, and will be moving to Israel in February to further her studies at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

About the other cellists: Andrea Kleesattel is currently pursuing her doctorate at UW-Madison and is a member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Sebastiaan de Rode is a Dutch cellist who initiated the Cello Quartet in the summer of 2010. Mark Bridges is an accomplished cellist who recently relocated to the Midwest.

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