The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: Bach Around the Clock 2018 is looking for participating performers to sign up
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By Jacob Stockinger
It’s time to get practicing!
The Ear has received the following announcement to post for those who are interested in participating and performing in Bach Around the Clock 2018.
Dear friends,
I invite you to Bach Around The Clock, the annual FREE community festival celebrating the music and birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach.
It will take place this year on Saturday, March 10, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1833 Regent Street, on Madison’s near west side. There is free on-street parking in the surrounding neighborhood.
Players and singers; soloists and ensembles; beginners, amateurs and professionals — all are welcome to come share your musical gifts with the Madison community, and to enjoy the performances that will go on all day. Audience members can come and go, and stay as long or as short as they like. (At bottom is a YouTube video from a previous Bach Around the Clock with arrangements of a Two-Part Invention.)
Those who are unable to attend in person can view the event via live stream.
There will be an upright piano and a grand piano available.
This year there will also be a small back-up for concertos.
Performers and audience members can relax between numbers in the newly remodeled Parish Hall, directly below the Sanctuary, where refreshments, comfortable seating and free wi-fi will be available throughout the event, with birthday cake served at the end.
For more information, please visit our website at: bacharoundtheclock.wordpress.com
To sign up for a performance time, visit our Contact/Sign Up page at bacharoundtheclock.wordpress.com/contact/
Thank you and hope to see you there,
Marika Fischer Hoyt, Artistic Director Bach Around The Clock
Tel : 608-233-2646; batcmadison@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/batcmadison; bacharoundtheclock.wordpress.com
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Classical music: Here are lists of the Best Classical Recordings of 2017 as named by The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Forbes magazine and Gramophone magazine
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By Jacob Stockinger
Just in time for last-minute holiday shopping and streaming – whether by others or yourself – some major publications and critics have published their lists of the top classical recording of 2017.
Personal preferences and taste matter, to be sure. So opinions inevitably differ.
But in some cases, the verdicts seem close to unanimous.
Take the case of some pianists.
You can, for example, find overlapping agreement on the merits of the 24-year-old Italian pianist and Cliburn Competition silver medal laureate Beatrice Rana playing the famed Goldberg Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Same for the 33-year-old Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olaffson who gives revelatory readings of works by contemporary American Minimalist composer Philip Glass.
And many critics give raves to acclaimed Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes playing neglected piano miniatures by Finnish symphonic titan Jean Sibelius. (See Andsnes discussing Sibelius in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The various lists cover all genres from solo piano music to songs, chamber music to symphonies, oratorios to operas.
You can find lots of neglected repertoire — both early and new — unknown artists and small labels.
But there are also major stars, tried-and-true repertoire and large vintage or heritage labels.
In short, both beginners and experienced classical listeners and players can find plenty to please them.
In addition, some of the lists for the past year include links to lists from previous years. And those lists too still have some excellent choices that hold up.
Here is a link to the 2017 list in The New York Times, which was compiled by several critics:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/arts/music/best-classical-music-recordings-2017.html
Here is a list by a critic and columnist for Forbes magazine:
Here is the list from John von Rhein for the Chicago Tribune:
And here is a list from the British Gramophone magazine, which often favors artists and groups located in the United Kingdom:
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/the-best-new-classical-albums-december-2017
And in case you missed it before, here are lists from other sources that this blog has posted and linked to:
From famed WQXR-FM radio in New York City:
And here are the classical nominations for the 2018 Grammy awards:
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Classical music: What are the best classical music pieces for beginners to listen to? And why?
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By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear needs your help.
Recently a good friend said: “I don’t listen to or know much about classical music, but I wish I did. You know a lot. What would be good pieces for me to begin with?”
I said I would think about it.
So many composers and works come to mind.
But it is so subjective.
So The Ear thought: Why not turn to readers?
Why not ask readers what pieces got them started on listening to classical music?
And what pieces they would recommend to others?
There are of course some proven and popular standards such as the Symphony No. 5 and the Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” by Beethoven; the Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor by Tchaikovsky (played and recorded by Van Cliburn in a way that influenced a whole generation); and the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff.
But there is so much more to choose from, as you can tell from the YouTube video at the bottom.
String music, wind music and brass music.
Big pieces and small pieces.
Solo music, chamber music and orchestral music.
Vocal music and choral music, including operas.
So what would you tell my friend?
Leave a suggestion and why you chose it in the COMMENT section with a link to a YouTube performance if possible.
The friend is waiting.
And The Ear wants to hear.
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