The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: The Ear turns matchmaker – and helps amateur musicians to connect

By Jacob Stockinger

It started out simply as a desire to help.

But now The Ear has turned out to be a matchmaker.

You may recall that a University of Wisconsin-Madison bacteriology professor Kenneth Hammel is an amateur baroque bassoonist. He asked if The Ear might have suggestions for his finding a chamber music partner.

So The Ear suggested posting his request, and he agreed.

Here is the original link:

https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2015/12/13/classical-music-an-amateur-baroque-bassoon-player-wants-to-play-who-can-help-make-that-happen/

Now it turns out the experiment worked and was a success.

So The Well-Tempered Ear now serves as a sort of online dating service for classical musicians who seek musical partners to play with. And as a fierce advocate of amateur music-making, he likes that role!

Here is the follow-up letter that Hammel sent to The Ear:

“Hi Jake:

“I wanted to let you know that it worked. Two people contacted me after you posted my letter and picture. One of them you certainly know — Paul Baker. He and I played together on cello and bassoon this weekend.

“The other person, named Betty Cohen, is a recorder player who says she’ll contact me shortly to arrange a session.

“So, many thanks to you for getting the word out on your blog.”

“In case you want to hear a sample of baroque bassoon playing, I’ve attached an mp3 (not for dissemination!) of me playing a short fantasia by Jean Daniel Braun, ca. 1730.

“Best wishes for the new year,

“Ken”

“PS: The music, and an interesting commentary on it (at the end of the score) is at:

http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/b/bf/IMSLP349300-PMLP564250-Tel41a4fag-cel.pdf

The bass line for the sonata was long thought to be lost, but was then discovered in a different library than the one that holds the original solo part.

A very good YouTube performance on baroque bassoon (4 separate links for the 4 movements) is at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO9l1PYJZEY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF_ZyJp-avc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKNtxgEoatg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2IyM3pKR6A

A quick search for the ensemble, Concordi Musici, indicates that their bassoonist is named Josip Casadella.

And The Ear also heard about success from the other chamber music partner, Paul Baker (below), who wrote with his usual sense of self-deprecating humor.

Paul Baker, you might recall, is a jazz fan in addition to being a radio host for WSUM, the student radio station at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He hosts a program and writes a blog called Only Strings:

Here is a link to his blog:

https://onlystringswsum.wordpress.com

“My friend:

“I thank you for posting Ken Hammel’s request for baroque practice buddies. We are now working independently on sections of a Sonatina in A Minor, TWV 41, by Georg Philipp Telemann and will meet soon to begin rehearsing.

“Yo-Yo Casals”

Forgive The Ear’s pride.

But now he may have to seek out a violinist or cellist or another pianist for himself, as an avid amateur pianist, to play with.

Anyone interested in playing with The Ear?

Anyone else want to find a different music partner?

Leave word in the COMMENT section.

Or maybe it should be called the PERSONALS?

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