The Well-Tempered Ear
The New York Times names the top 25 classical recordings of 2020 and includes sample tracks
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FOWARD A LINK TO IT or SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
What did the holidays bring you?
Did Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa bring you a gift card?
A subscription to a streaming service?
Maybe some cash?
Or maybe you just want to hear some new music or new musicians or new interpretations of old classics?
Every year, the music critics of The New York Times list their top 25 recordings of the past year. Plus at the end of the story, the newspaper offers a sample track from each recording to give you even more guidance.
This year is no exception (below).
In fact, the listing might be even more welcome this year, given the coronavirus pandemic with the lack of live concerts and the isolation and self-quarantine that have ensued.
The Ear hasn’t heard all of the picks or even the majority of them. But the ones he has heard are indeed outstanding. (In the YouTube video at the bottom, you can hear a sample of the outstanding Rameau-Debussy recital by the acclaimed Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafssen, who scored major successes with recent albums of Philip Glass and Johann Sebastian Bach.)
Here is a link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/17/arts/music/best-classical-music.html
Of course not all critics agree.
The Ear has already listed the nominations for the Grammy Awards (a link is below), and more critics’ picks will be featured in coming days.
You should also notice that a recording of Ethel Smyth’s “The Prison” — featuring soprano Sarah Brailey (below), a graduate student at the UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music and a co-founder of Just Bach — is on the Times’ list as well as on the list of Grammy nominations.
What new recordings – or even old recordings — would you recommend?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #AlexanderScriabin, #AmazonMusic, #AmericanJazz, #AnnaThorvaldsdottir, #AnthonyTommasini, #AntoineForqueray, #ArchivMusic, #AshFure, #AvieRecords, #BangonaCan, #BarnesandNoble, #BaroqueDance, #BaroqueMusic, #BaroqueOpera, #BavarianRadioSymphoyOrchestra, #BenjaminGrosvenor, #BlackAmericans, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CarolinWidmann, #CelloSuites, #ChamberMusic, #ChandosRecords, #ChoralMusic, #ChristmasHoliday, #ClaudeDebussy, #CorinnadaFonseca-Wollheim, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #CriticallyAcclaimed, #DanillTrifonov, #DavidGreilsammer, #DavidHertzberg, #DeccaRecords, #DeutscheGrammophon, #DriftMultiply, #DukeEllington, #ElimChan, #EriksEsenvalds, #EthelSmyth, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FairyTale, #FergusonMissouri, #FranzSchubert, #FredericChopin, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GeorgeLewis, #GiftCard, #GraduateStudent, #GrammyAward, #GrammyAwards, #HermannScherchen, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #HolidayGift, #HolidayGiftGuide, #IgorStravinsky, #InternationalContemporaryEnsemble, #JacobStockinger, #JanLadislavDussek, #Jean-EfflamBavouzet, #Jean-FéryRebel, #Jean-PhilippeRameau, #JohannNepomukHummel, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnnyGandelsman, #JosephC.PhillipsJr., #JosephWölfl, #JoshuaBarone, #JoyceDiDonato, #JustBach, #KarimSulayman, #KirillGerstein, #LiliBoulanger, #LincolnCenter, #LiveConcert, #LivingComposers, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MariinskyOrchestra, #MariinskyTheaterOrchestra, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MeredithMonk, #Mezzo-sopranoSinger, #MirareRecords, #MusicalInterpretation, #MusicCritics, #Muzio, #NadiaBoulanger, #NaiveRecords, #NathalieJoachim, #NewMusic, #NewYorkCity, #NewYorkTimes, #NicholasPhan, #OldClassics, #OlivierMessiaen, #PeriodInstruments, #PhilipGlass, #PianoConcerto, #PianoSonata, #PierreHantai, #RebeccaSaunders, #RichardWagner, #RoyalScottishNationalOrchestra, #SampleTrack, #SarahBrailey, #Self-Isolation, #Self-Quarantine, #SergeiProkofiev, #ShiverLung, #SilverAge, #SoloPiano, #SopranoSinger, #SoundSample, #StreamingService, #TenorSinger, #TheBeethovenConnection, #TheEar, #TheExterminatingAngel, #ThePrison, #TheUK, #TheUW, #ThomasAdès, #TopRecordings, #TristanPerich, #UnitedKingdom, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #ValeryGergiev, #ViennaStateOperaOrchestra, #VikingurOlafsson, #VocalMusic, #WyntonMarsalis, #Yi-hengYang, #YouTubevideo, #ZacharyWoolfe, 2020, acclaimed, African American, Agrippina, Alexander Scriabin, Amazon, Amazon Music, amazon.com, America, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Anthony Tomassini, Antoine Forqueray, Archiv Music, Arts, Ash Fure, audience, Avie Records, award, Bach, Bang on a Can, Barnes and Noble, Baroque, Baroque music, Baroque opera, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven, Benjamin Grosvenor, Berceuse, black, blog, brilliant, BrowandBeige, Brown and Beige, Carolin Widmann, cash, Cello, Cello Suite, centuries, Chamber music, Chandos Records, chaos, China, Chinese, Chopin, choral music, Christmas, Classical music, classics, Claude Debussy, Clementi, coming, composer, Concert, concerto, conductor, connection, conversation, Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, coronavirus, dance, Daniil Trifonov, David Greilsammer, David Hertzberg, days, Debussy, Decca, Decca Records, Deutsche Grammophon, DG, drift, Drift Multiply, Duke Ellington, Dussek, Early music, Earth, Elim Chan, end, Eriks Esenvalds, Ethel Smyth, exception, Facebook, Facebook post, Facebook posting, fairy tale, Ferguson, fortepiano, Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, George Frederic Handel, George Lewis, gift, gift card, gigue, Glass, graduate student, Grammy, guidance, Handel, Hanukkah, harpsichord, hear, Hermann Scherchen, historically informed performance practices, Holiday, Hummel, Iceland, Icelandic, Igor Stravinsky, International Contemporary Ensemble, interpretation, isolation, Jacob Stockinger, Jan Ladislav Dussek, Jazz, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Jean-Féry Rebel, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johnny Gandelsman, Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Joseph Wölfl, Joshua Barone, Joyce DiDonato, Just Bach, Karim Sulayman, Kirill Gerstein, Kwanzaa, Labyrinth, lack, like, Lili Boulanger, LIncoln Center, link, listing, live concert, living composers, Love, Ludwig van Beethoven, lullaby, Mariinsky Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, me, Mead Witter School of Music, Meredith Monk, Messiaen, Mezzo-soprano, Mirare Records, Missouri, multiply, Music, music critics, Musician, Muzio Clementi, Nadia Boulanger, Naive Records, Nathalie Joachim, new, New Music, New York City, New York Times, Newspaper, Nicholas Phan, nominations, old, old classics, Olivier Messiaen, opera, Orchestra, Overture, pandemic, past, period instruments, Philip Glass, Pianist, Piano, Piano concerto, Piano Concerto No. 1, Piano sonata, Pierre Hantai, post, posting, Prokofiev, quiet, Rameau, Ravel, reader, Rebecca Saunders, Rebel, recital, Recordings, reverential, Richard Wagner, Romance, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, sample, sample track, Sarah Brailey, Schubert, Scotland, Scottish, Scriabin, Sergei Prokofiev, share, Shiver Lung, Silver Age, Solo Cello Suites, solo piano, Sonata, song, songs, soprano, Spotify, story, Stravinsky, streaming service, subscriber, subscription, Suite, symphony, tag, teach, tender, tenor, The Beethoven Connection, The Ear, The Exterminating Angel, The Prison, Thomas Ades, top, top recordings, track, transcription, Tristan Perich, UK, United Kingdom, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, UW-Madison, Valery Gergiev, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Vikingur Olafsson, Viola, Violin, violinist, violist, vocal music, Wagber, Wynton Marsalis, Yang, year, Yi-heng Yang, you, YouTube, Zachary Woolfe
Classical music: Madison Bach Musicians summer workshops in early music are open to the public. A faculty concert is on Wednesday night and a FREE all-participants concert is on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
Leave a Comment
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
REMINDER: Madison Opera’s annual Opera is the Park was cancelled last night because of weather and takes place TONIGHT in Garner Park at 8 p.m. For more information, go to: https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2019/07/15/classical-music-madison-operas-annual-free-opera-in-the-park-returns-this-saturday-night-july-20-in-garner-park-and-celebrates-18-years-in-madison-plus-a-glimpse-of-the-upcoming-season/
By Jacob Stockinger
The fifth annual Madison Bach Musicians Summer Chamber Music Workshop (below, a cello class from last year) will be held from Monday, July 23, to Friday, July 26, at the West Middleton Lutheran Church, 3763 Pioneer Road, in Verona, Wisconsin.
The workshop is chaired by MBM assistant artistic director and baroque violinist Kangwon Kim (below), who says: “I’m excited to welcome 32 participants, our largest number ever, working in nine chamber groups this summer to share a week of intense music-making and learning.
” We will explore wonderful repertoire from the baroque and early classical periods, both familiar and rarely performed, while working intensely in an encouraging community that will support musical growth.”
Harpsichordist JungHae Kim (below top) from San Francisco and baroque violist Micah Behr from Madison will join returning faculty members recorder player Lisette Kielson, cellist Martha Vallon (below bottom), dance instructor Karen McShane-Hellenbrand, and MBM founder, artistic director and keyboardist Trevor Stephenson.
Musicians who range in age from 13 to older adulthood will receive personalized ensemble coaching in violin, viola, baroque cello, viola da gamba, piano, fortepiano, harpsichord and recorder. (You can sample the Madison Bach Musicians in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The public is invited to an evening Faculty Concert and various afternoon classes exploring continuo playing, specific instrument master classes, stage presence for musicians, sight-reading, baroque dance, and more.
The Faculty Concert on Wednesday night, July 23, at 7:30 p.m. will feature works by Carl Heinirch Graun (below top), Francesco Turini, Jean-Henri D’Anglebert (below bottom), Georg Philipp Telemann, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier and Henry Purcell on period instruments. Admission is $15 at the door.
The all-participants final concert of the music from the workshops is on Friday, July 26, at 12:30 p.m. It is FREE and open to the public.
An Auditor’s Pass for afternoon programming for the entire festival — including the Faculty Concert — is $40.
For more information, go to: https://madisonbachmusicians.org/summer-workshop/
Tags: #ArtisticDirector, #BaroqueCello, #BaroqueContinuo, #BaroqueDance, #BaroqueMusic, #BaroqueRecorder, #BaroqueViola, #BaroqueViolin, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CarlHeinrichGraun, #ChamberGroup, #ChamberMusic, #ChamberMusicians, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #Classicalperiod, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FacultyConcert, #FacultyMember, #FrancescoTurini, #GarnerPark, #GeorgPhilippTelemann, #HarpsichordMusic, #HenryPurcell, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #HomeWebsite, #InstrumentalMusic, #Jean-HenriD'Anglebert, #JohannSebastianBach, #JosephBodindeBoismortier, #JungHaeKim, #KangwonKim, #KarenMcShane-Hellenbrand, #LastYear, #LisetteKielson, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonOperaChorus, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MadisonWisconsin, #MarthaVallon, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MicahBehr, #Music-Making, #OperaArias, #OperaInThePark, #OperaMusic, #PeriodInstruments, #SanFrancisco, #SanFranciscoCalifornia, #StagePresence, #TrevorStephenson, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VeronaWisconsin, #VioladaGamba, #VocalMusic, #WestMiddletonLutheranChurch, #YouTubevideo, admission, adult, adulthood, afternoon, age, annual, Artistic director, Arts, attend, audience, auditor, Bach, Baroque, baroque dance, blog, Boismortier, California, Carl Heinrich Graun, cellist, Cello, chamber group, Chamber music, chamber musicians, choral music, Christian, church, Classical music, Classical period, community, composer, Concert, continuo, D'Anglebert, dancer, door, early, Early music, evening, excited, explore, Facebook, faculty, faculty concert, faculty member, familiar, festival, fifth, fortepiano, forward, founder, Francesco Turini, free, Friday, Garner Park, Georg Philipp Telemann, Graun, group, growth, harpsichord, Henry Purcell, historically informed performance practices, information, instrument, instrumental, intense, Jacob Stockinger, Jean-Henri D'Anglebert, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Jung Hae Kim, Kangwon Kim, Karen McShane-Hellenbrand, Keyboard, largest, last year, learn, learning, like, link, Lisette Kielson, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, Madison Opera, Madison Opera Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Martha Vallon, master class, masterclass, MBM, Mead Witter School of Music, member, Micah Behr, Middleton, Music, musical, Musician, night, number, older, open, opera, Opera in the Park, participants, pass, performed, performer, period instruments, person, personalize, Piano, player, playing, presence, programming, public, rarely, reader, recorder, reminder, repertoire, repertory, San Francisco, share, sight-reading, Sonata, specific, stage, stage presence, subscriber, summer, symphony, tag, Telemann, tonight, Trevor Stephenson, Turini, United States, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, UW-Madison, Verona, Viola, viola da gamba, Violin, vocal music, weather, Wednesday, welcome, West Middleton Lutheran Church, Wisconsin, wonderful, work, working, workshop, year, YouTube
Classical music: Madison Bach Musicians hold their fourth annual Baroque Summer Chamber Music Workshop with a faculty concert and afternoon performances and classes this coming Tuesday through Friday. Many events are open to the public
Leave a Comment
By Jacob Stockinger
The fourth annual Madison Bach Musicians Summer Chamber Music Workshop offers an evening Faculty Concert and various afternoon classes exploring baroque dance, ornamentation, continuo playing, specific instrument master classes, and more. (Below is a photo by Mary Gordon from last year’s workshops.)
The workshops, classes and concerts will be held this coming Tuesday through Thursday, July 24-27, at the West Middleton Lutheran Church, 3763 Pioneer Road, in Verona, Wisconsin.
Tickets for the Madison Bach Musicians Faculty Concert on Wednesday night from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. are $15.
The Friday all-workshop concert from 2 to 3:30 p.m. is FREE and open to the public.
An Auditor’s Pass for afternoon programing for the entire festival — including the Faculty Concert — is $40.
MBM artistic director Trevor Stephenson, MBM concertmaster Kangwon Kim and other outstanding faculty members will share their expertise over four afternoons.
Adds Stephenson: “We’re excited about a wonderful new venue for the event—at West Middleton Lutheran Church, which is located at the intersection of Mineral Point and Pioneer Roads, just 10 minutes west of West Towne Mall.
“Twenty-four participants ranging in age from high school to older adulthood will get personalized ensemble coaching from outstanding instructors in violin, cello, piano, harpsichord, recorder and flute.”
Kim (below) adds: “I am thrilled. Of our 24 participants this year, almost half are returning students, which we love. Most of the our participants come from the Dane County area, but last year we had a participant from France and this year we have a couple from Oklahoma.
“Chamber music is the best way to get to know people as you are learning a new piece – you have a personal voice, but you also need to listen and blend with the other voices. I am always amazed to see the transformation both musically and socially over the four days of the workshop. I am so excited to meet everyone and to see the magic that happens when these musicians work together.”
Harpsichordist Jason Moy (below) will be returning this year to discuss the art of continuo playing.
Lisette Kielson (below) who offers recorder workshops throughout the United States will lead a class “To Flourish and Grace: Ornamentation!”
Sarah Edgar (below), a specialist in 18th-century stage and dance performance, will focus on the interplay of music and dance rhythms in two afternoon baroque dance classes.
MBM cellist Martha Vallon (below) will explore how to play creative and enjoyable continuo lines for cellists and bassoonists.
The Wednesday night Faculty Concert from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. will feature works by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Telemann, Boismortier, Biber and a special Baroque dance performance-–all performed by the faculty members who specialize in early music with play period instruments.
For information about the specific schedule and enrolling in the workshops, go to take a look the schedule
You can also find more general information at: http://madisonbachmusicians.org/education-and-outreach/summer-workshop/
Tags: #ArtisticDirector, #BaroqueBassoon, #BaroqueCello, #BaroqueContinuo, #BaroqueDance, #BaroqueEra, #BaroqueFlute, #BaroqueMusic, #BaroqueOrnamentation, #BaroqueRecorder, #BaroqueViolin, #ChamberMusic, #ChristianChurch, #DaneCounty, #FacultyMember, #FluteMusic, #GeorgPhilippTelemann, #HeinrichBiber, #HighSchool, #Jason Moy, #JohannSebastianBach, #JosephBodindeBoismortier, #KangwonKim, #LisetteKielson, #LutheranChurch, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MarthaVallon, #MusicFestival, #OpentothePublic, #PeriodInstrument, #PeriodInstruments, #PianoMusic, #RecorderMusic, #SarahEdgar, #TrevorStephenson, #UnitedStates, #VeronaWisconsin, #WestMiddletonLutheranChurch, #WestTowneMall, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, admission, Artistic director, Arts, auditor, Bach, Baroque, Bassoon, Biber, Boismortier, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, class, Classical music, composer, Concert, concertmaster, continuo, dance, Dane County, drama, Early music, earlymusic, expertise, faculty, festival, flute, France, free, harpsichord, Heinrich Biber, high school, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Kangwon Kim, Kim, learning, Lisette Kielson, Madison, Martha Vallon, masterclass, Mozart, Music, Oklahoma, open, ornamentation, pass, Piano, public, recorder, rhythm, Sarah Edgar, share, social, socially, Sonata, stage, Telemann, ticket, Trevor Stephenson, U.S., United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Verona, Viola, Violin, violinist, voice, Website, West Towne Mall, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, workshop, YouTube
Recent Comments
 | Ronnie on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | welltemperedear on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | Polly Kuelbs on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
| welltemperedear on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | Ann Boyer on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
The Well-Tempered Ear 