The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: The Oakwood Chamber Players opens its 30th anniversary season with “Rework!” — featuring music by Johannes Brahms and Ferdinand Ries -– on this coming Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
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By Jacob Stockinger
The Oakwood Chamber Players (below) marks the start of its 30th anniversary season with two late Romantic compositions — often described as “autumnal” in mood — by Johannes Brahms.
The composer came out of retirement on hearing inspiring playing by a clarinetist. Brahms then (below) wrote two sonatas – Op. 120, Nos. 1 and 2 — and, after initially envisioning clarinet, added the option of viola to match the rich timbre he had conceived for the piece.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
The Oakwood Chamber Players will present the first Sonata in F Minor with viola and piano, and the second Sonata in E-Flat Major with clarinet and piano (at bottom in a YouTube video). This provides a delightful and insightful contrast of two solo instruments showcasing compelling melodies and stirring conclusions.
Clarinetist Nancy Mackenzie (below top) and violist Christopher Dozoryst (below middle) will collaborate with pianist Vincent Fuh (below bottom) on these two works.
AN UNKOWN WORK BY AN UNKNOWN COMPOSER
The program will also include a sunny contrasting early Romantic-style quartet for flute, violin, viola and cello by Ferdinand Ries (below), who was a protégé and publisher of Ludwig van Beethoven.
The concerts are on Saturday night, September 13, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday afternoon, September 14, at 1:30 p.m. Both concerts will be held in the auditorium at the Oakwood Center for Arts and Education, 6209 Mineral Point Road, on Madison’s far west side.
NOTE: The Oakwood Chamber Players (below) will NO LONGER longer perform at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum Visitor Center because of prohibitive cost, as was explained in a previous post (a link is below) about the chamber music ensemble that is known for both its quality of playing and its creative, unusual programming. Its members perform in many other local groups including the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.
Next weekend’s program is the first concert in their celebratory 30th anniversary season series titled “Reprise! Looking Back Over 30 Years.”
Upcoming concerts include:
- Remix! Christmas Lights Memories – November 28 and November 30
- Recapitulate! – January 17 and January 18
- Replay! – March 14 and March 15
- Reissue! – May 23 and May 24
The Oakwood Chamber Players is a group of Madison-area professional musicians who have rehearsed and performed at Oakwood Village for 30 years.
Tickets are available at the door: $20 general admission, $15 seniors and $5 students. For more information, visit www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a professional music ensemble proudly supported by Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries and the Oakwood Foundation.
Tags: Arts, Beethoven, Cello, Chamber music, Classical music, Ferdinand Ries, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Oakwood Chamber Player, Piano, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Violin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, YouTube
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The Well-Tempered Ear 