The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: The Madison Symphony Orchestra performs its annual gala Christmas concert this weekend and also offers a FREE community carol sing this Saturday morning
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, 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.
By Jacob Stockinger
As Charles Dickens might say, the Madison Symphony Orchestra knows how to keep Christmas well.
Over many years, “A Madison Symphony Christmas” has become a popular and major annual kickoff to the holiday season in the Madison area by embracing the season with Christmas classics and new music.
Much of the event’s appeal derives from the diversity and range of the performers. This year it again features the full orchestra plus the Madison Symphony Chorus, the Madison Youth Choirs and the Mount Zion Gospel Choir.
In addition, two opera stars who have performed with the Madison Opera — tenor Mackenzie Whitney (below top) and soprano Michelle Johnson (below bottom)– return to the stage for this annual family-friendly tradition. For biographies of the two singers, go to: https://madisonsymphony.org/event/a-madison-symphony-christmas-2019/
MSO principal harpist Johanna Wienholts (below) is a featured soloist in a concerto by George Frideric Handel.
“A Madison Symphony Christmas” takes place in Overture Hall, 201 State Street, on this Friday night, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday night, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday afternoon, Dec. 15, at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $19 to $95 with discounts available. See below for details.
NOTE: On this coming Saturday morning, Dec. 14, at 11 a.m., Greg Zelek (below, in a photo by Peter Rodgers) — the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Organist and Curator of the Overture Concert Organ — leads a FREE Community Carol Sing in Overture Hall. All ages are welcome, and no tickets or reservations are needed. Learn more at: https://madisonsymphony.org/event/free-community-carol-sing-2019/
Music director and conductor John DeMain (below) offers the following preview of the MSO concert:“This is the biggest celebration of the season in Madison and beyond. It has four different choruses and choirs as well as amazing soloists from the orchestra, the world of opera and Broadway.
“The huge Madison Symphony Orchestra will play your favorite Christmas music, and there is a great carol sing-along featuring the Overture Hall organ playing with the MSO. After this concert, you’ll want to celebrate Christmas all year long.”
The program begins with classical styles in the first half, culminating in Handel’s “Hallelujah” Chorus (heard in the YouTube video at the bottom.) The concert climaxes with a Gospel music finale, and a chance for the audience to sing along.
Works to be performed include John Rutter’s version of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”; the “Magnificat” by Johann Sebastian Bach; Franz Schubert’s “Wiegenlied” (“Lullaby”); and music by Charles Gounod, J. S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Adolphe Adam, Dan Goeller and Randol Alan Bass.
The older voices of the Madison Youth Choirs (below) are featured in works by composer Stephen Hatfield, including a version of the traditional English “Apple-Tree Wassail.”
The Madison Symphony Chorus (below, in a photo by Greg Anderson) and soloists present of medley of familiar holiday favorites, including “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
Finally, the Mount Zion Gospel Choir (below, in a photo by Bob Rashid) sings arrangements for choir and orchestra by co-director Leotha Stanley, including “The Joy of Christmas,” Stanley’s version of “Silent Night,” and a newly composed song by Stanley, “Christmas Hope.”
CONCERT, TICKET AND EVENT DETAILS
The lobby opens 90 minutes prior to each concert. The MSO recommends concert attendees arrive early for each performance to make sure they have time to pass through Overture Center’s security stations — and participate in singing carols with the Madison Symphony Chorus that take place in the Overture Hall lobby (below) 45 minutes before the concerts.
Program notes are available online for viewing in advance of the concerts: http://bit.ly/msodec19programnotes
- Single Tickets are $19-$95 each and are on sale now at: https://madisonsymphony.org/event/a-madison-symphony-christmas-2019/through the Overture Center Box Office at 201 State Street, or by calling the Box Office at (608) 258-4141. Fees apply to online/phone sales.
- Groups of 10 or more can save 25% by calling the MSO office at (608) 257-3734. For more information, visit, https://www.madisonsymphony.org/groups.
- Student rush tickets can be purchased in person on the day of the concert at the Overture Center Box Office at 201 State Street. Students must show a valid student ID and can receive up to two $15 or $20 tickets. More information is at: https://www.madisonsymphony.org/studentrush
- Seniors age 62 and up receive 20% savings on advance and day-of-concert ticket purchases in select areas of the hall.
- Flex-ticket booklets of 8-10 vouchers for 19-20 symphony subscription concerts are available. Learn more at: https://madisonsymphony.org/flex
Discounted seats are subject to availability, and discounts may not be combined.
Tags: #AChristmasCarol, #AdolpheAdam, #Apple-Tree, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BoxOffice, #BroadwayMusic, #BroadwayMusical, #CarolSing, #CharlesDickens, #CharlesGounod, #ChoralMusic, #ChristmasHope, #ClassicalStyle, #CommunityCarolSing, #ConcertOrgan, #DanGoeller, #EnglishMusic, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FelixMendelssohn, #FranzSchubert, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GospelMusic, #GregZelek, #HallelujahChorus, #HarpConcerto, #HolidayConcert, #HolidayFavorites, #HolidayMusic, #HolidayTradition, #JohannaWienholts, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnDeMain, #JohnRutter, #LeothaStanley, #LetItSnow, #MackenzieWhitney, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonSymphonyChorus, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MadisonYouthChoirs, #MIchelleJohnson, #MountZionGospelChoir, #MusicalTradition, #MusicDirector, #NewMusic, #OCome, #OperaSinger, #OperaStar, #OrchestralMusic, #OvertureCenter, #OvertureHall, #ProgramNotes, #RandolAlanBass, #SeniorCitizen, #SopranoSinger, #StephenHatfield, #StudentID, #TenorSinger, #TheEar, #TheJoyofChristmas, #TheMagnificat, #VocalMusic, #YouTubevideo, A Christmas Carol, Adam, Adolphe Adam, afternoon, age, ages, annual, arrangement, Arts, availability, available, Bach, Baroque, bass, blog, box office, Broadway, Cantata, Carol, carol sing, celebrate, chance, Charles Dickens, Charles Gounod, choral music, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Classical, Classical music, Classical style, classics, climax, community, composer, Concert, concerto, conductor, curator, Dan Goeller, details, discount, diversity, Early music, Emanuel, embrace, English, event, Facebook, Family, family-friendly, favorites, Felix Mendelssohn, finale, forward, Franz Schubert, Friday, friend, gala, George Frideric Handel, Goeller, gospel, Gounod, Greg Zelek, group, Hallelujah Chorus, Handel, harp, harp concerto, harpist, Holiday, holiday music, hope, hymn, ID, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johanna Wienholts, John DeMain, John Rutter, kickoff, Leotha Stanley, Let It Snow, like, link, lobby, lullaby, Mackenzie Whitney, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Youth Choirs, Magnificat, medley, Mendelssohn, Michelle Johnson, morning, Mount Zion Gospel Choir, MSO, Music, Music director, new, New Music, night, notes, O Come, O Come Emanuel, OComeEmnanuel, older, online, opera, opera star, Orchestra, orchestral music, organ, Overture Center, Overture Hall, participate, perform, performance, performer, popular, post, posting, preview, principal, program notes, Randol Alan Bass, range, recommend, reservation, Saturday, say, Schubert, Season, security, senior, senior citizen, share, sing, sing-along, singer, Singing, soloist, song, soprano, Stephen Hatfield, Student, style, Sunday, tag, tenor, The Ear, The Joy of Christmas, ticket, tradition, traditional, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, verson, Viola, Violin, vocal music, voice, Wassail, welcome, Wiegenlied, Wisconsin, works, world, year, years, YouTube
Classical music: This Saturday night, pianist Emanuel Ax returns to the Wisconsin Union Theater in an all-Beethoven recital, and also is in a FREE and PUBLIC Q&A that afternoon. That same night, UW-Madison professor Alicia Lee gives a free clarinet recital
1 Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. 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.
By Jacob Stockinger
This Saturday night, Nov. 2, brings two separate but noteworthy recitals by Grammy-winning pianist Emanuel Ax and by UW-Madison clarinetist Alicia Lee.
Here are details:
EMANUEL AX
Emanuel Ax and Madison go way back.
Since 1974, the Wisconsin Union Theater has often seen Emanuel Ax (below, in a photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco) perform both as a soloist and a chamber musician with the legendary violinist Nathan Milstein and the superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who is also a close friend. (Ax has also performed with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra at the old Civic Center and with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in the Overture Center.)
This Saturday night, Nov. 2, Emanuel Ax returns again to help celebrate the centennial of the Union Theater’s Concert Series and to help kick off the Beethoven Year in 2020, which marks the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
The concert is at 7:30 p.m. in Shannon Hall with a pre-concert lecture, given by Andrea Fowler, a UW-Madison graduate student in musicology. Her lecture is at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union’s Play Circle.
The program centers on the first three piano sonatas, Op. 2, by Beethoven (below) plus two rarely heard sets of theme-and-variations. In addition, he will start the performance with the popular “Für Elise” Bagatelle known to so many piano students, their parents and the public. (You can hear “Für Elise” and see a graphic depiction of it in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Tickets run from $15 for UW-Madison students to $70. For more information about tickets, Emanuel Ax, the program, sample reviews and links to Ax’s website, go to:
https://union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/emanuel-ax/
NOTE: This time, there will also be a special event as part of his appearance.
On Saturday afternoon from 1 to 2 p.m. in Collins Recital Hall at the new Hamel Music Center, 740 University Ave., Ax will participate in a FREE and public Q&A.
Here is a publicity blurb about that event: “Join us for a Q&A with Grammy Award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax. Now is your chance to ask how he selects repertoire, what his practice schedule is like, if he has any pre-recital rituals, or whatever you would like to know!”
“This event is intended for UW-Madison students and UW campus community, however the Madison community is welcome.”
For more information about the Q&A, go to: https://union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/q-and-a-with-emanuel-ax/
ALICIA LEE
At 8 p.m. in Collins Recital Hall, UW-Madison clarinetist Alicia Lee (below), who also plays in the UW Wingra Wind Quintet, will give a FREE recital of chamber music.
The program includes music by Robert Schumann, Bela Bartok, Isang Yun, Eugene Bozza and Shulamit Ran.
Two faculty colleagues will join Lee: pianist Christopher Taylor and violinist Soh-Hyun Park Altino.
For more information about the event, go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/event/alicia-lee-faculty-clarinet/
For an extensive biography of Alicia Lee, go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/alicia-lee/
Tags: #AliciaLee, #All-Beethoven, #BeethovenYear, #BelaBartok, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChamberMusic, #ChamberMusician, #ChamberOrchestra, #CivicCenter, #ClarinetMusic, #CollinsRecitalHall, #ConcertSeries, #EmanuelAx, #EugeneBozza, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FranzLiszt, #FranzLisztChamberOrchestra, #FurElise, #GraduateStudent, #GrammyAward, #HamelMusicCenter, #HomeWebsite, #IsangYun, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MadisonWisconsin, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MemorialUnion, #Musicfaculty, #MusicProfessors, #NathanMilstein, #NewMusic, #OvertureCnter, #PianoSonata, #PianoStudent, #PlayCircle, #Pre-concertLecture, #RobertSchumann, #ShannonHall, #ShulamitRan, #Soh-HyunParkAltino, #SpecialEvent, #TheEar, #ThemeAndVariations, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #WingraWindQuintet, #WisconsinUnionTheater, #Yo-YoMa, #YouTubevideo, Alicia Lee, anniversary, answer, appearance, Arts, bagatelle, Béla Bartók, Beethoven, Beethoven Year, biography, birth, birthday, blog, blurb, Campus, celebrate, cellist, Cello, centennial, Chamber music, chamber orchestra, Civic Center, clarinet, Classical music, colleague, colleagues, Collins Recital Hall, community, composer, Concert, concert series, depiction, Emanuel Ax, Eugene Bozza, event, Facebook, Für Elise, first, foward, Franz Liszt, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, free, graduate student, Grammy Award, graphic, Hamel Music Center, heard, Isang Yun, Jacob Stockinger, lecture, legendary, like, link, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Mead Witter School of Music, Memorial Union, Music, Musician, Nathan Milstein, New Music, Orchestra, Overture Center, Parent, perform, performer, Pianist, Piano, Piano sonata, piano student, Play Circle, popular, post, posting, practice, professor, program, public, publicity, Q&A, question, question-and-answer, recital, repertoire, repertory, return, reviews, rituals, Robert Schumann, sample, schedule, select, Shannon Hall, share, Shulamit Ran, Soh-Hyun Park Altino, soloist, Sonata, special event, start, Student, superstar, tag, The Ear, theme, theme and variations, tickets, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, UW-Madison, variations, Violin, violinist, Website, Wingra Wind Quintet, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Union Theater, Yo-Yo Ma, YouTube
Classical music: World-famous Japanese violist Nobuko Imai will teach and perform two FREE concerts with students and the Pro Arte Quartet during her UW residency today and Thursday
2 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. 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.
By Jacob Stockinger
Think of it as Viola Week at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead Witter School of Music — a chance to celebrate the gorgeous, mellow sound of a frequently but unjustly maligned instrument (below) the range of which falls between the higher violin and the lower cello.
The world-famous Japanese violist Nobuko Imai (below) is returning to the UW-Madison campus this week for a two-day residency where she will give master classes and perform.
Imai will be joined by two other distinguished guest violists, both Taiwanese: Wei-Ting Kuo (below top, in a photo by Todd Rosenberg) now of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and formerly the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; and En-Chi Cheng (below bottom), a prize-winning, concertizing student of Imai now studying at the Juilliard School.
For detailed biographies of all three violists go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/event/nobuko-imai-with-wei-ting-kuo-and-the-uw-madison-viola-studio/
The violists will give two FREE concerts in the new Hamel Music Center, 740 University Avenue.
At 7 p.m. TONIGHT, Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Collins Recital Hall, Nobai and the two other guest artists will perform with viola students at the UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music. No program has been given for them. Nobuko will also perform a chorale by Johann Sebastian Bach with UW-Madison collaborative pianist Martha Fischer (below).
Then at NOON tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 31, in the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall, the UW’s Pro Arte Quartet (below, in a photo by Rick Langer) will perform the melodious “American” Viola Quintet by Antonin Dvorak with Imai. (You can hear the second movement of the Dvorak quintet in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
In addition to a viola arrangement of the “Song of the Birds” by Pablo Casals, Imai will perform the Adagio movement from Beethoven’s Trio in C Major for Two Oboes and English Horn, Op. 87, with Wei-Ting Kuo and Pro Arte Quartet violist Sally Chisholm (below, second from right).
Tags: #AmericanQuintet, #AntoninDvorak, #AsianMusicians, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChamberMusic, #ChicagoSymphonyOrchestra, #ChineseMusicians, #CollaborativePianist, #CollegeStudent, #CollinsRecitalHall, #ConcertHall, #En-ChiCheng, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FrenchHorn, #GraduateStudent, #HamelMusicCenter, #JohannSebastianBach, #JuilliardSchool, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MarthaFischer, #MeadWitterFoundationConcertHall, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MilwaukeeSymphonyOrchestra, #NobukoImai, #PabloCasals, #PianoAccompaniment, #PianoAccompanist, #Prize-Winning, #ProArteQuartet, #SallyChisholm, #SongoftheBirds, #StringMusic, #TheEar, #TheViola, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #ViolaMusic, #ViolaQuintet, #Wei-TingKuo, #World-famous, #YouTubevideo, accompany, adagio, America, American, Antonín Dvořák, arrangement, Arts, Asia, audience, Bach, Baroque music, Beethoven, bird, birds, blog, Campus, celebrate, Cello, Chamber music, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, China, Chinese, Chinese musicians, Chorale, Classical music, classicalmusic, collaborative pianist, Collins Recital Hall, composer, Concert, concert hall, concertize, concertizing, Dvorak, En-Chi Cheng, Facebook, famous, forward, foundation, free, French horn, frequent, gorgeous, Hamel Music Center, higher, instrument, Jacob Stockinger, Japan, Japanese, Johann Sebastian Bach, Juilliard School, like, link, lower, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, malign, Martha Fischer, master class, masterclass, Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall, Mead Witter School of Music, mellow, melodious, melody, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Music, New York City, night, Nobuko Imai, noon, Oboe, Pablo Casals, perform, performer, Pianist, Piano, post, posting, prize, Pro Arte Quartet, quintet, range, reader, residency, resident, Sally Chisholm, share, song, Song of the Birds, Sound, string music, Student, study, studying, subscriber, tag, Taiwan, Taiwanese, teach, The Ear, Thursday, tomorrow, tonight, transcription, trio, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, unjust, UW-Madison, vioist, Viola, viola music, viola quintet, Violin, week, Wei-Ting Kuo, Wind, wind trio, Wisconsin, world, YouTube
Classical music: The gala opening this weekend of the UW-Madison’s new Hamel Music Center is SOLD OUT. What do you think of the building, the music and the event? Plus, veteran music critic John W. Barker has died
7 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. 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.
ALERT: Word arrived late last night that the respected longtime music critic John W. Barker, a retired UW-Madison professor of medieval history, died Thursday morning. He wrote locally for Isthmus, The Capital Times and this blog. Details will be shared when they are known.
By Jacob Stockinger
This weekend, Oct. 25-27, marks the official gala opening of the new Hamel Music Center (below, in a photo by Bryce Richter for University Communications) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead Witter School of Music. It is located at 740 University Ave., next to the new wing of the Chazen Museum of Art, which has a special exhibit relating to the new music center.
The impressive $58-million structure, which has taken many years to fund (completely privately) and then to build, will celebrate its opening tonight, Saturday night (while the 14th annual Halloween FreakFest on State Street is happening) and Sunday afternoon.
The performers will include distinguished alumni, faculty members and students.
Here is a link to an overall schedule as published on the School of Music’s home website: https://www.music.wisc.edu/hamel-music-center-opening-schedule/
Thanks to an astute reader who found what The Ear couldn’t find, here is a complete schedule — long, varied and impressive — of works and performers: https://www.music.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20191025-Hamel-Music-Center-Opening-Weekend.pdf
And here is a link to the official UW-Madison press release with more background and details about the building: https://news.wisc.edu/mead-witter-school-of-musics-hamel-music-center-opening-this-fall/
UW-Madison composer Laura Schwendinger (below) has been commissioned to write a Fanfare that will receive its world premiere tonight.
The opening promises to be a success, complete with receptions at the end of each performance.
In fact, the public has signed on enough that the FREE tickets to all events are SOLD OUT, according to the School of Music’s home website.
Taste is personal and varies, and The Ear has heard mixed reviews of the new building. (For the special occasion, you can hear “The Consecration of the House” Overture by Beethoven, performed by the La Scala opera house orchestra in Milan under Riccardo Muti, in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Basically, people seem to agree that the acoustics are much improved over Mills Hall and Morphy Recital Hall in the old Humanities Building.
But public opinion seems more divided over other aspects, from the overall external architecture and interior design to the smaller size of the big hall, the seats and seating layout, and the restrooms.
So if you go – or have already gone – let the rest of us know what you think about those various aspects of the new building and about the various performers and programs.
As a warm-up preview, here are photos of the main halls or spaces, all taken by Bryce Richter for University Communications:
Here is the 660-seat Mead Witter Concert Hall:
Here is the 300-seat Collins Recital Hall:
And here is the Lee/Kaufman Rehearsal Hall:
But what do you say? You be the critic.
The Ear and others hope to see COMMENTS from listeners and especially performers. What is it like to perform there? Or to sit and listen?
What does the public think of the new building and concert halls? Are you satisfied? What do you like and what don’t you like?
Should some things have been done – or not done – in your opinion?
Does the building and do the concert halls live up to the expectations and hype?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #AaronCopland, #AnthonyDiSanza, #ArpeggioneSonata, #ArthurBenjamin, #AstorPiazzolla, #AugustaReadThomas, #BandMusic, #BeverlyTaylor, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BrassMusic, #BryceRichter, #CapTimes, #ChamberMusic, #ChazenMuseumofArt, #ChenYi, #ChoralFantasy, #ChoralMusic, #ChristopherTaylor, #ClassicalGuitar, #ClaudeDebussy, #CollinsRecitalHall, #CommissionedMusic, #ConcertChoir, #ConcertHall, #ConsecrationoftheHouse, #CoreyPompey, #EmeritusProfessor, #EuphoniumMusic, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FluteMusic, #FranzSchubert, #Fridaynight, #GuitarMusic, #HalloweenFreakfest, #HamelMusicCenter, #HomeWebsite, #HumanitiesBuilding, #InteriorDesign, #IsthmusMagazine, #IsthmusNewspaper, #JamesSmith, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnAdams, #JohnCage, #JohnW.Barker, #KarlheinzStockhausen, #KarlosMoser, #LaScala, #LauraSchwendinger, #Lee/KaufmanRehearsalHall, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MarcFink, #MarcVallon, #MarkHetzler, #MeadWitterFoundationConcertHall, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MedievalHistory, #MillsHall, #MorphyRecitalHall, #MusicCommission, #MusicCritic, #Musicfaculty, #NewMusic, #OldBuilding, #OperaHouse, #OperaMusic, #OrchestralMusic, #OriolSans, #ParryKarp, #PaulCollins, #PersonalTaste, #PianoMusic, #PressRelease, #ProfessorEmeritus, #PublicOpinion, #RebecccaBlank, #RiccardoMuti, #RichardLottridge, #RichardStrauss, #SaturdayNight, #SergeiRachmaninoff, #SergeiRachmaninov, #SoldOut, #SopranoSinger, #StateStreet, #StephenSondheim, #Sundayafternoon, #SusanC.Cook, #TenorSinger, #TheCapitalTimes, #TheEar, #TimothyHagen, #TomCurry, #TraditionalMusic, #TyroneGreive, #TyroneGrieve, #UniversityCommunications, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UW-MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #UWChorale, #UWSymphonyOrchestra, #VincenzoBellini, #ViolaMusic, #ViolinMusic, #VocalMusic, #WindEnsemble, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #WorldPremiere, #YouTubevideo, Aaron Copland, acoustics, afternoon, alumni, Anthony DiSanza, architecture, Argentina, Arpeggione sonata, Art, Arthur Benjamin, artistic, Arts, audience, Augusta Read Thomas, Ástor Piazzolla, Bach, background, band music, Bassoon, Beethoven, Bellini, Beverly Taylor, blog, blue, brass, Brazil, Brazilian music, Bryce Richter, build, building, Campus, Cap Times, celebrate, Cello, Chamber music, chancellor, Chazen, Chazen Museum of Art, Chen Yi, Choir, choral, Choral Fantasy, choral music, Chorale, Christopher Taylor, clarinet, Classical music, classicalmusic, Claude Debussy, collage, Collins Recital Hall, comments, commission, commissioned music, communication, composer, Concert, Concert Choir, concert hall, conductor, consecration, Consecration of the House, Corey Pompey, critic, death, Debussy, design, details, die, died, director, distinguished, do, done, donor, ensemble, Euphonium, event, exhibit, expectations, external, Facebook, faculty, Fanfare, fantasy, fest, flute, folk song, folksong, forward, frak, Franz Schubert, freak, Freakfest, free, Friday night, fund, gala, graduates, guitar, Halloween, Halloween Freakest, Hamel Music Center, History, Holiday, home website, Horn, House, humanities, humanities building, hype, impressive, improved, information, interior, interior design, Isthmus, Italian, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, James Smith, Jazz, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Adams, John Cage, John W. Barker, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Karlos Moser, La Scala, Laura Schwendinger, Lee/Kaufman Rehearsal Hall, link, listeners, live, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, madrigal, major, Marc Fink, Marc Vallon, Mark Hetzler, Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall, Mead Witter School of Music, Medieval, Milan, Mills Hall, mixed, mixed reviews, Morphy Recital Hall, Mosse Humanities Building, Mozart, Music, music critic, music faculty, new, New Music, news, Oboe, occasion, Octet, offically, old, old building, opening, opera, Opera house, opinion, Orchestra, orchestral music, Oriol Sans, Overture, Parry Karp, Paul Collins, performer, performers, photo, photograph, photographer, Piano, pieces, post, posting, press, press release, preview, private, private schools, program, public opinion, publicity, Rachmaninoff, Rachmaninov, reader, Rebecca Blank, reception, rehearsal, restroom, review, Riccardo Muti, Richard Lottridge, Richard Strauss, satisfaction, satisfied, Saturday night, say, schedule, Schubert, seat, seating, Serenade, share, social, sold-out, something, Sonata, soprano, space, special, State Street, Stephen Sondheim, Strauss, structure, Student, subscriber, success, Sunday, Sunday afternoon, Susan C. Cook, symphony, tag, tango, taste, tenor, The Capital Times, The Ear, think, Thursday, ticket, time, Timothy Hagen, Tom Curry, tonight, traditional, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Tyrone Greive, Tyrone Grieve, United States, University Communications, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW Concert Choir, UW Symphony Orchestra, UW Wind Ensemble, UW-Madison, UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra, vary, Veteran, Vincenzo Bellini, Viola, Violin, vocal music, warm up, weekend, wind ensemble, wind music, winds, wing, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, word, world, world premiere, years, you, YouTube
Classical music: The Mosaic Chamber Players open their new four-concert season this Saturday night with an all-Mozart program
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.
By Jacob Stockinger
The critically acclaimed Mosaic Chamber Players (below, in a photo by John W. Barker) will open their new season this coming Saturday night, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the older and historic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Landmark Auditorium of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Drive.
The program is all works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (below) and includes the following pieces:
The Sonata for Violin and Piano in C Major, K. 303, features violinist Laura Burns, of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Oakwood Chamber Players, and pianist Jess Salek, who is also the founder and artistic director of the chamber music ensemble.
The Sonata for Violin and Piano in B-Flat Major K. 454, will be performed by violinist Wes Luke, of the Ancora String Quartet and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and pianist Salek.
The energetic Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478, features violinist Laura Burns, violist Wes Luke, pianist Salek and cellist Derek Handley (below), of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. (In the YouTube video at the bottom, you can see a graphic depiction of the first movement of the Piano Quartet.)
Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students. Only checks or cash will be accepted.
A reception will be held after the performance
Here are the concerts and programs – all take place at the First Unitarian Society — for the rest of four-concert season, including two-all Beethoven concerts to mark the Beethoven Year in which the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth will be celebrated.
Friday, Feb. 21, at noon (Free admission)
All-Beethoven (below) String Sonata Program:
Sonata in F Major for Piano and Cello, Op. 5, No. 1
Sonata in E-Flat Major for Piano and Violin, Op. 12, No. 3
Sonata in C minor for Piano and Violin, Op. 30, No. 2
Saturday March 21, at 7:30 p.m. (Tickets required)
All-Prokofiev (below) Program:
Sonata in F minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 80
Sonata in D Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 94a
Sonata in C Major for Cello and Piano, Op. 119
Saturday June 13, 2020 7:30 p.m. (Tickets required)
All-Beethoven Piano Trio Program:
Piano Trio in E-Flat Major, Op. 1, No. 1
Piano Trio in E-Flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2
Piano Trio in G Major, Op. 121a: “Kakadu” Variations
For more information about the group and biographies of the players, go to: http://www.mosaicchamberplayers.com
You can also follow the group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mosaicchamberplayers/
Tags: #All-Beethoven, #AncoraStringQuartet, #ArtisticDirector, #BeethovenYear, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CelloSonata, #ChamberMusic, #CriticallyAcclaimed, #DerekHandley, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FirstUnitarianSocietyofMadison, #FrankLloydWright, #JessSalek, #KakaduVariations, #LauraBurns, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MilwaukeeSymphonyOrchestra, #MosaicChamberPlayers, #MusicCritic, #OakwoodChamberPlayers, #PianoQuartet, #PianoTrio, #SeniorCitizen, #SergeiProkofiev, #ThemeAndVariations, #ViolinSonata, #WesLuke, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #YouTubevideo, all-Mozart, all-Prokofiev, Ancora String Quartet, Artistic director, Arts, audience, auditorium, Beethoven, Beethoven Year, birth, blog, celebrate, cellist, Cello, Cello Sonata, Chamber music, Classical music, classicalmusic, composer, Concert, critically acclaimed, depicted, depiction, Derek Handley, design, ensemble, Facebook, First Unitarian Society of Madison, forward, founder, Frank Lloyd Wright, George Frideric Handel, graphic, graphically, historic, Jacob Stockinger, Jess Salek, Kakadu Variations, Laura Burns, like, link, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Mosaic Chamber Players, Mozart, MSO, Music, music critic, Oakwood Chamber Players, old, older, Op., open, opus, performer, Pianist, Piano, Piano Quartet, Piano Trio, piece, post, posting, program, Prokofiev, retired, Season, senior, senior citizen, Sergei Prokofiev, share, Sonata, tag, theme and variations, ticket, university, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, Violin Sonata, violinist, violist, Wes Luke, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, YouTube
Classical music: The Apollo Chamber Players perform Croatian-inspired music this Saturday night in Edgerton. Plus you can now sign up for piano day at the Wisconsin Union Theater
1 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.
ALERT: The sign-up site for Open Piano Day – to be held this coming Sunday, Sept. 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Wisconsin Union Theater — is now available. Slots are for 15 minutes. Here is a link: https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsignup.com%2Fgo%2FfpUcsfW&data=02%7C01%7C%7C8ca06003be8b432ab9b408d73ba390d3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637043445996735650&sdata=3qwBf6GVLZK6iN0UUywLtlKEfUnIPLfssaug5b3XTl0%3D&reserved=0
Memorial Union members and their guests are invited to attend to play the piano and to listen to the music. Here is a link to a story with more details and background: https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2019/09/07/classical-music-the-wisconsin-union-theater-will-hold-an-exercising-or-playing-session-for-the-public-on-its-steinway-piano-on-sunday-sept-22-details-are-pending/
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement about a special concert of Croatian music that includes a world premiere and a Wisconsin premiere.
The Apollo Chamber Players (below) will perform this Saturday night, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Edgerton Performing Arts Center, 200 Elm High Drive, where they will give the Wisconsin premiere of Croatian Connections.
The program of chamber music is:
Medley of Croatian Folk Songs (2019, a world premiere), by Lorento Golofeev (b. 1976)
String Quartet Op. 33, No. 3 “The Bird” by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). You can hear the last movement of the “Bird” quartet in the YouTube video at the bottom.
Intermission/Prekid
Pannonia Boundless (1997) by Aleksandra Vrebalov (b. 1970)
String Quartet No. 4 “Obala” (No. 6 in the 20×2020 project and a Wisconsin premiere) by Alexandra du Bois (b. 1981)
Introduction: “Out of sea-mist, in medias res” (Aria: Adagio lugubre)
“Istria: Hrvatska Obala” (Croatian Coast) (Rondo: Allegro assai)
“Uspavankas” (Lullabies) (Waltz: Larghetto cantabile)
“Dalmatian Hinterland” (Scherzo: Allegro pesante con fuoco)
“Tempo di Gusle” (Finale: Presto all’ungherese)
Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased online at www.edgertonpac.comor by phone at (608) 561-6093.
Croatian Connections was underwritten by Frederic Attermeier, a native of Cudahy, Wis., and was first premiered in Houston, Texas in 2016. It explores the Croatian inspirations of the “Father of the String Quartet” Franz Joseph Haydn (below), and music celebrating Croatian cultural heritage.
The Wisconsin premiere of this new string quartet inspired by folk music from Croatia and Serbia by New York City-based composer Alexandra du Bois (below, in a photo by Nick Ruechel), adds a contemporary perspective – a bridge to common ground through ethnic folk music – between often-warring cultures.
The Houston-based Apollo Chamber Players “performs with rhythmic flair and virtuosity” (The Strad) and has “found fruitful territory” (Houston Chronicle) through innovative, globally-inspired programming and multicultural new music commissions.
A recent winner of the Chamber Music America’s prestigious Residency Partnership award, this quartet has performed for sold-out audiences at Carnegie Hall twice in the past five years, and holds the distinction of being the first American chamber ensemble to record and perform in Cuba since the embargo relaxation. The string quartet is featured frequently on American Public Media’s nationally-syndicated program “Performance Today.”
This concert is in honor of the late William J. Wartmann (below) whose parents immigrated to America from Croatia. This concert is partially funded by the William and Joyce Wartmann Endowment for the Performing Arts.
Tags: #AleksandraVrebalov, #AlexandraduBois, #ApolloChamberPlayers, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CarnegieHall, #ChamberMusic, #ChamberMusicAmerica, #CommissionedMusic, #CommonGround, #ContemporaryComposers, #ContemporaryMusic, #CroatianConections, #Cudahy, #CulturalHeritage, #EdgertonPerformingArtsCenter, #EdgertonWisconsin, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FolkMusic, #folksongs, #FranzJosephHaydn, #HoustonChronicle, #JoyceWartmann, #LivingComposers, #LorentoGolofeev, #MemorialUnion, #NationalPublicRadio, #NewMusic, #NewYorkCity, #PerformanceToday, #PerformingArts, #StringQuartet, #Sundayafternoon, #TheBird, #TheCello, #TheEar, #TheStrad, #TheViola, #TheViolin, #WilliamWartmann, #WisconsinUnionTheater, #WorldPremiere, #YouTubevideo, Aleksandra Vrebalov, Alexandra du Bois, America, American, AmericanPublicMedia, annoucement, Apollo Chamber Players, Arts, attend, audience, award, background, blog, bridge, Carnegie Hall, celebrate, Cello, Chamber music, Chamber Music America, Classical music, classicalmusic, coast, commission, Common Ground, composer, Concert, connection, contemporary, Croatia, Croatian Connections, Croation, Cuba, cultural, cultural heritage, culture, Dalmatian, day, details, distinction, Edgerton, embargo, endowment, ethnic, event, Facebook, father, finale, flair, folk, Folk music, folk songs, forward, Franz Joseph Haydn, funding, global, guest, heritage, hinterland, honor, Houston, Houston Chronicle, immigrate, immigrated, immigration, innovative, inspiration, introduction, Jacob Stockinger, Joyce Wartmann, last, like, link, listen, living composers, Lorenzo Golofeev, lullabies, Madison, medley, members, Memorial Union, minutes, mist, movement, multicultural, Music, national, National Public Radio, native, New Music, New York City, NPR, often, online, open, Parent, parents, partner, partnership, perform, Performance Today, performer, Performing arts, perspective, phone, Pianist, Piano, play, post, posting, premiere, prestigious, program, programming, Radio, record, relaxation, residency, rhythmic, Scherzo, sea, Serbia, Serbian, share, sign-up, site, slot, sold-out, song, special, story, String quartet, subscriber, Sunday, support, syndicated, tag, temp, Texas, The Bird, The Ear, The Strad, ticket, underwritten, union, United States, Viola, Violin, virtuosity, Waltz, war, Website, William Wortmann, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Union Theater, word, world premiere, YouTube
Classical music: The Karp family turns in a memorable and moving 40th annual Labor Day concert that also took listeners back in time
4 Comments
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.
By Jacob Stockinger
If you missed the free 40th annual Karp Family Labor Day Concert on Tuesday night in Mills Hall, you missed more than music. You missed the kind of event that makes for long and precious memories.
Sure, you can nitpick the program and the performers, who also included daughter-in-law violist Katrin Talbot (below right) and guest violinist Suzanne Beia (below left), who performs with the Pro Arte Quartet, the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.
You could ask, for example, which cello transcription worked better – the Violin Sonatina, Op. 100, by Dvorak or the Violin Sonata No. 10, Op. 96, by Beethoven. (The Ear votes for the Dvorak.)
And you could also ask which performer stood out the most. (The Ear thinks that is the great-grandmother and matriarch pianist Frances Karp playing in a Mozart piano quartet. At 90, Frances still possesses beautiful tone, the right volume and balance, and the necessary technical chops. They say there is nowhere to hide in Mozart, but Frances Karp did need any place to hide. Her Mozart was, simply, sublime.)
But, in the end, those kinds of questions and critiques really seem beside the bigger point.
What mattered most was the sheer enjoyment of hearing a family perform live some wonderful music by Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak and Schumann (the passionate Adagio and Allegro in A-flat Major, Op. 70, played by Lynn Harrell in the YouTube video at the bottom).
And what mattered more as The Ear thought about it was the kind of time travel the concert involved.
There were two kinds, really.
One had to do with having watched the various performing Karps – clearly Madison’s First Family of Music – over four decades. It was touching to realize that The Ear has seen cellist Parry Karp, to take one example, evolve from son to husband to father to grandfather. And through it all, the music remained.
In today’s culture of short attention spans, that kind of constancy and persistence — through the inevitable ups and downs of 40 years — is something to celebrate, admire and cherish.
Time travel happened in another way too.
The Ear first watched Frances Karp accompany her son Parry (below top), then watched son Christopher Karp accompany his older brother Parry (below bottom). And it called to mind the days when – before radio or recordings – families made music together in their homes.
Historically, that’s how many great composers and much great music got started. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn played piano duets with their gifted sisters, Nannerl and Fanny, respectively. Jean Sibelius played duets with his sister. And there were surely many more. Hausmusik, or “house music,” played a vital role.
And this is how it felt at the traditional Karp family concert. We felt invited into a loving, close and gifted musical family who were performing as much for each other as for the audience.
We could use more of that.
The musical and the familial mixed so beautifully, so convincingly, that all one can say after the event is “Thank you” with the ardent wish to hear them again next year.
Tags: #AntoninDvorak, #AttentionSpan, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BlogReview, #ChamberMusic, #ChristopherKarp, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FannyMendelssohn, #FelixMendelssohn, #FirstFamily, #FrancesKarp, #HouseMusic, #JeanSibelius, #KarpFamily, #KatrinTalbot, #LaborDay, #LiveMusic, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #LynnHarrell, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MillsHall, #MusicReview, #NannerlMozart, #ParryKarp, #PianoAccompaniment, #PianoAccompanist, #PianoQuartet, #ProArteQuartet, #RobertSchumann, #SuzanneBeia, #ThankYou, #TheEar, #TimeTravel, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UpsandDowns, #ViolinSonata, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #YouTubevideo, accompanist, accompany, adagio, admire, allegro, annual, Antonín Dvořák, ardent, ask, attention span, audience, balance, beautiful, Beethoven, blog, brother, celebrate, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, cherish, Christopher Karp, close, Concert, constancy, convincing, convincingly, critique, culture, daughter-in-law, decade, downs, duet, Dvorak, enjoyment, event, evolution, evolve, exposure, Facebook, familial, Family, Fanny Mendelssohn, father, Felix Mendelssohn, first family, forward, Frances Karp, free, gifted, grandfather, grandmother, Haus Musik, hausmusik, hide, historical, History, Holiday, Home, house music, husband, Jean Sibelius, Karp Family, Katrin Talbot, kind, Labor Day, like, link, listener, live, live music, long, Love, loving, Ludwig van Beethoven, Lynn Harrell, Madison Symphony Orchestra, matriarch, matter, memorable, memories, Mills Hall, miss, Mother, moving, Music, music review, musical, Nannerl Mozart, nitpick, nowhere, older, other, Parry Karp, Passion, passionate, performer, persistence, Pianist, Piano, Piano accompanist, Piano Quartet, place, play, Point, post, posting, precious, Pro Arte Quartet, program, Quartet, question, Radio, reader, recording, Recordings, Robert Schumann, share, short, sister, son, Sonata, sonatina, sublime, subscriber, Suzanne Beia, tag, technical, technique, thank you, The Ear, time, time travel, today, tone, tradition, traditional, transcription, travel, University of Wisconsin–Madison, ups, video, Viola, Violin, violinist, violist, volume, vote, watch, wish, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, wonderful, year, YouTube
Classical music: This Saturday and Sunday, the Token Creek Festival explores how an unrequited love for Clara Schumann helped make Brahms and his music autumnal
6 Comments
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.
By Jacob Stockinger
Johannes Brahms (below) remains the only composer whose complete catalogue of chamber music is still in constant use. This is due to his fastidiously high standards, and to his ideal temperament for music played by smaller groups of players.
His music is universally admired for its combination of sheer craft and deep emotional impact, ranging from the most muted private conversation to the most passionate and revealing passages he ever composed.
But putting aside his own personal temperament as well as his melancholy melodies, his bittersweet harmonies, and his masterful use of strings and woodwinds, what gives Brahms’ music that quality of sadness that so many listeners and critics describe as “autumnal”?
No discussion of Brahms can take place without engaging with the most important person in his life — Clara Schumann (below, in a Getty photo), who was born Clara Wieck and became a virtuoso pianist and a composer whose 200th birth anniversary is being celebrated this year.
Brahms was deeply in love with Clara. But unfortunately she was married to Robert Schumann (below right with Clara), one of Brahms’ closest friends and most loyal promoters. Even after a mentally ill Robert Schumann died of suicide at 46, Clara remained loyal to his memory. For the rest of her long life, she performed, edited and promoted his music and rejected Brahms as a lover or second husband.
Almost overnight, Clara’s rejection seemed to cause Brahms to turn from a handsome young man (below top) to the more familiar figure of an overweight, cigar-smoking, bearded and prematurely old curmudgeon (below bottom).
Clara Schumann’s hidden presence is involved with all of the pieces on the Token Creek Festival program, which will be performed at 4 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24 and 25, in the festival’s refurbished barn (below) at 4037 Highway 19 in DeForest.
The program includes the Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, illustrated with a performance of Brahms’ “Regenlied” (the “Rain Song” that precedes it and introduces the theme of the sonata); the Sonata No. 1 for Cello and Piano in E minor; and the Piano Quartet No 3 in C minor, a piece that retains its distinctive charge of unresolvable emotion. (You can hear that unresolved emotion in the beautiful slow movement of the Piano Quartet No. 3 in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Performers are violinist Rose Mary Harbison, co-artistic director of the Token Creek Festival; violist Lila Brown; cellist Rhonda Rider; pianist Janice Weber; and Edgewood College mezzo-soprano Kathleen Otterson.
THE REST OF THE FEST
Upcoming programs include “Words & Music,” a belated 80th birthday tribute to artistic co-director John Harbison, on Wednesday night, Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. The intimate program will include readings by poet Lloyd Schwartz, the premiere of new Harbison songs, plus works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Arnold Schoenberg.
The festival closes with “The Piano” program on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, both at 4 p.m. The festival welcomes back pianists Robert Levin and Ya-Fei Chuang, playing together and as soloists.
Their program explores the question of the composer-performer, here composers who were also formidable pianists: Mozart, Maurice Ravel and Franz Liszt. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, arranged by the composer for chamber ensemble, and excerpts of John Harbison’s Sonata No. 2, written for Levin, complete the program.
For tickets ($32) and more information, go to www.tokencreekfestival.org or call (608) 241-2525.
Tags: #ArnoldSchoenberg, #ArtisticDirector, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CelloMusic, #ChamberMusic, #ChristmasSong, #ClaraSchumann, #ClaraWieck, #ClassicaMusic, #ConcertProgram, #EdgewoodCollege, #EmotionalImpact, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FranzLiszt, #husband-and-wife, #JaniceWeber, #JohannesBrahms, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnHarbison, #KathleenOtterson, #LilaBrown, #LloydSchwartz, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MauriceRavel, #MentalIllness, #Mezzo-sopranoSinger, #NewMusic, #PianoConcerto, #PianoQuartet, #RhondaRider, #RobertLevin, #RobertSchumann, #RoseMaryHarbison, #StringMusic, #TokenCreekChamberMusicFestival, #TokenCreekFestival, #UnrequitedLove, #ViolaMusic, #ViolinMusic, #ViolinSonata, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #Ya-FeiChuang, #YoungMan, #YouTubevideo, anniversary, Arnold Schoenberg, Artistic director, Arts, Autumn, autumnal, Bach, barn, Baroque, beard, bearded, became, Beethoven, bittersweet, blog, born, Brahms, catalogue, celebrate, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, cigar, Clara Schumann, Clara Wieck, Classical music, composer, Concert, concerto, conversation, craft\emotion, curmudgeon, death, DeForest, died, Early music, Edgewood College, emotional impact, Facebook, farm, fastidious, festival, figure, forward, Franz Liszt, friend, groups, handsome, harmonies, harmony, hidden, highway, husband, ideal, impact, introduce, Jacob Stockinger, Janice Weber, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, John Harbison, Kathleen Otterson, life, like, Lila Brown, link, Lloyd Schwartz, Love, lover, loyal, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, married, Maurice Ravel, melodies, melody, memory, mental illness, mentally ill, mezzo-sorprano, Mozart, Music, muted, New Music, overweight, passages, Passion, passionate, performer, person, Pianist, Piano, Piano concerto, Piano Quartet, player, playing, poem, poet, Poetry, post, posting, presence, private, program, promote, promoter, question, Ravel, reader, reading, refurbished, rejection, Rhonda Rider, Robert Levin, Robert Schumann, Rose Mary Harbison, sad, sadness, Saturday, Schoenberg, Schumann, share, solo, soloist, Sonata, song, spread, standards, strings, subscriber, suicide, Sunday, tag, temperament, theme, Token Creek Chamber Music Festival, Token Creek Festival, United States, unrequited, unrequited love, unresolved, use, Viola, Violin, Violin Sonata, violinist, violist, virtuoso, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, woodwinds, Ya-Fei Chuang, year, young man, YouTube
Classical music: Happy Bastille Day! But instead of militarism, let’s celebrate the holiday with revolutionary French music by a revolutionary French composer. What French music would you choose?
3 Comments
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.
By Jacob Stockinger
Today is July 14, known in the U.S. as Bastille Day.
That is the day in 1789 when the infamous Bastille Prison in Paris was stormed by the masses and political prisoners were freed – marking the beginning of the French Revolution.
The tradition is to play “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem that grew out of the revolution. Usually there is a military side to the arrangement of the anthem and the performance of it.
After all, it was a Bastille Day parade that even inspired President Trump to stage his egotistical “Salute to America” – satirically dubbed “Tanksgiving” — on the Fourth of July this year in Washington, D.C..
But The Ear has had quite enough of militarism and of the lying draft dodger who became commander-in-chief using patriotism to camouflage his un-American actions and ideas.
With no disrespect to those who served or are serving in the armed forces, there are many ways besides the military to be patriotic and even revolutionary.
So this year The Ear is choosing something subtle and less martial to mark the day.
It is a performance of “Feux d’artifice” (Fireworks), a prelude for solo piano by Claude Debussy (below), who described himself – in an age where German and Italian music ruled – simply as a “French musician.” But make no mistake: Debussy, who was rejected for admission to the Paris Conservatory, was indeed a revolutionary figure in music history for his innovations in harmony and form.
(Perhaps this past season, you heard Marc-André Hamelin give an astoundingly virtuosic performance of “Fireworks” as an encore after his Sunday afternoon concerto performances with the Madison Symphony Orchestra.)
Listen carefully and at the very end you will hear a subtle reference to the Marseillaise that adds the right touch to the pyrotechnical celebration of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”
Added to that, the fiery performance in the YouTube video at the bottom is by Robert Casadesus, a deservedly famous French pianist.
Finally, The Ear thinks you can celebrate Bastille Day with any number of French composers and French works, many of which remain neglected and underperformed. (The Ear is particularly partial to the music of Gabriel Faure, below, who taught Maurice Ravel.)
Who is your favorite French composer?
What is your favorite French piece of classical music?
Leave a comment with, if possible, a YouTube link.
Happy Bastille Day!!
Tags: #ArmedForces, #BastilleDay, #BastillePrison, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ClaudeDebussy, #DraftDodger, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #Feuxd'artifice, #FourthofJuly, #FrenchRevolution, #GabrielFaure, #GermanMusic, #HolidayTradition, #ItalianMusic, #July14, #LaMarseillaise, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #Marc-AndréHamelin, #MauriceRavel, #MusicHistory, #NationalAnthem, #NeglectedComposers, #NeglectedMusic, #NeglectedWorks, #ParisConservatory, #ParisFrance, #PatrioticMusic, #PianoConcerto, #PianoMusic, #PianoPrelude, #PresidentDonaldTrump, #PresidentTrump, #RedWhiteandBlue, #RobertCasadesus, #SalutetoAmerica, #SoloPiano, #SoloPianoMusic, #Tanksgiving, #UnitedStates, #WashingtonD.C., #YouTubevideo, action, admission, age, armed forces, Arts, audience, Bastille Day, Bastille prison, beginning, blog, blue, camouflage, celebrate, celebration, Claude Debussy, commander-in-chief, composer, Concert, concerto, day, describe, display, disrespect, Donald Trump, draft, ego, egotistical, equality, Facebook, famous, fiery, fight planes, Fireworks, form, forward, Fourth of July, France, fraternity, free, freed, French, French Revolution, Gabriel Fauré, German, happy', harmony, History, Holiday, idea, Independence Day, infamous, innovation, Italian, Jacob Stockinger, July 14, La Marseillaise, liberty, lies, like, link, lying, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marc-André Hamelin, mark, martial, masses, Maurice Ravel, military, Music, national, national anthem, nationalism, neglected, Orchestra, parade, Paris, Paris Conservatory, patriot, patriotic, patriotism, performer, Pianist, Piano, Piano concerto, piano prelude, political, political prisoners, President Trump, prison, prisoner, pyrotechnical, reader, red, reject, revolution, revolutionary, Robert Casadesus, Salute to America, serve, share, solo piano, storm, subscriber, Sunday, tag, tanks, tradition, tricolor, U.S., un-American, United States, US, virtuosic, viruosity, Washington D.C., white, Wisconsin, work, works, YouTube
Recent Comments
 | fflambeau on Classical music: A public memo… |
| fflambeau on Classical music: The Madison C… |
| fflambeau on Classical music: The Wisconsin… |
| fflambeau on Classical music: The Oakwood C… |
| fflambeau on Classical music: Thursday nigh… |
Classical music: Veterans Day is a good time to hear Bach’s musical prayer for peace
2 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, 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.
By Jacob Stockinger
Today – Nov. 11, 2019 – is Veterans Day.
There is a lot of classical music that can be used to honor the holiday and the men and women who serve in the military.
This is not the day to remember the dead. That is Memorial Day.
So it is worth recalling that Veterans Day started out as Armistice Day in 1918 when World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Here is a link to more about the holiday found on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day
One could celebrate by using brass bands and other military ensembles playing patriotic music and marches.
But there seems to be too much conflict in the world, and the dream of ending war and armed conflict seems as distant as ever, given certain political trends and unfortunately regressive and destructive forces at work right now.
Instead, The Ear wants to honor what should be the deeper purpose of the military: To secure peace.
For that reason, here is a YouTube video of a memorable performance of “Dona Nobis Pacem” (Grant Us Peace), the ending prayer from the Mass in B Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach.
The four-minute work is performed more slowly than usual, but also more movingly and soulfully, by the famed Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists, all under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner.
Do you agree that it is a wish that honors the true purpose of the military?
If you know of other appropriate music to mark the holiday, please leave the title of the work and the names of the composer and the performers along with, if possible, a YouTube link.
The Ear wants to hear.
Share this:
Like this:
Tags: #ArmedConflict, #ArmisticeDay, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BrassBand, #ChoralMusic, #DonaNobisPacem, #EnglishBaroqueSoloists, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GrantUsPeace, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnEliotGardiner, #MassinBMinor, #MemorialDay, #MonteverdiChoir, #MusicalInterpretation, #PatrioticMusic, #RightNow, #TheEar, #VeteransDay, #VocalMusic, #Wikipediaentry, #WorldWarI, #YouTubevideo, appropriate, armed conflict, Armistice Day, Arts, Bach, bands, Baroque, Baroque music, blog, brass band, celebrate, choral music, Classical music, classicalmusic, comment, composer, conductor, conflict, day, dead, destructive, distant, Dona Nobis Pacem, dream, Early music, earlymusic, English Baroque Soloists, Facebook, force, forward, Grant Us Peace, hear, Holiday, honor, hour, interpretation, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Eliot Gardiner, like, link, Madison, march, mass, Mass in B Minor, Memorial Day, men, military, month, moving, Music, name, Orchestra, patriotic, peace, performer, political, Politics, post, posting, prayer, purpose, regressive, remember, right now, secure, serve, share, sing, song, soul, soulful, tag, task, The Ear, title, today, trend, true, unfortunate, United States, Veteran, Veterans Day, vocal music, war, Website, Wikipedia, Wisconsin, wish, women, work, world, World War I, YouTube