Classical music: Fortepianist Trevor Stephenson and baritone Joshua Copeland perform and record Franz Schubert’s epic song cycle “Winterreise” TONIGHT at 7 p.m. in Sauk City.

By Jacob Stockinger

Our good friend and fine musician Trevor Stephenson, the ever-busy founder and director of the Madison Bach Musicians, which twice performed cantatas and concertos this past weekend, writes:

“Bass-baritone Joshua Copeland and I have been recording Franz Schubert’s song-cycle “Winterreise” (Winter Journey) this week at beautiful Park Hall in Sauk City.

“The acoustics are simply amazing and the ambiance is, well, take a look at these photos that Kent Sweitzer took there Tuesday morning.

“The concert is TONIGHT, THURSDAY EVENING, OCT. 9, AT 7 P.M.

“Sauk City is only 20 minutes from Madison’s west side—closer than American Players Theatre in Spring Green.

Here are directions: “To get to Park Hall at 307 Polk Street:  Just take Highway 12 west to Sauk City; cross the Wisconsin River; then turn right on John Adams Street, go two blocks and turn left on Polk Street, and you’re there. There is plenty of parking!

“All tickets are $25. You can purchase them in advance from MBM ticket outlets or at the door.”

Adds The Ear: At  bottom is a YouTube video of the legendary baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and pianist Murray Perahia performing “Gute Nacht” (Good Night), the opening song of the “Winterreise” cycle that in the first two lines announces the whole cycle’s motif: “A stranger I arrive, and a stranger I depart.”

No wonder the cycle was a favorite of the absurdist Irish playwright and writer Samuel Beckett.

 

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Posted in Classical music
Tags: absurd, absurdist, American Players Theatre, Arts, Bach, baritone, bass, CD, Chamber music, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Early music, Franz Schubert, Ireland, Irish, Jacob Stockinger, Joshua Copeland, Madison Bach Musicians, Murray Perahia, Music, Piano, plarwright, recording, Samuel Beckett, Sauk City, song, song cycle, Trevor Stephenson, vocal music, voice, Winterreise, Wisconsin River, Writer, YouTube