The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: The Oakwood Chamber Players open their new “Vignettes” season with concerts on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon
Leave a Comment
A CORRECTION: The Ear wants to apologize for and correct an error he made in yesterday’s blog post. The correct time and address for the all-Schubert concert by the Mosaic Chamber Players is on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel of the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Avenue, near Camp Randall Stadium.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Oakwood Chamber Players (below) will begin their 2018-2019 season series “Vignettes” with concerts on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m.
The concerts will both be held at the Oakwood Center for Arts and Education, 6209 Mineral Point Road, on Madison’s far west side near West Towne Mall.
Tickets can be purchased with cash or personal checks at the door: $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors 62 and over; and $5 students. Visit www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com or call (608) 230-4316 for more information for individual and season tickets.
Once again, the group will explore largely new or unknown composers and neglected music.
Each program of the 2018-19 series will focus on how composers create specific themes to tell stories, and represent emotions, places or characteristics to enhance the listening experience.
Central to the program is poetry and narration paired with music that will feature Boston-based guest soprano Mary Mackenzie (below). She has been described by The New York Times as “a soprano of extraordinary agility and concentration,” and the Boston Globe as “sensational.”
Mackenzie is a passionate performer of contemporary vocal music, and has appeared with the Chameleon Arts Ensemble of Boston, Collage New Music, the Da Capo Chamber Players, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, and The Knights.
American composer Byron Adams (below) was commissioned by renowned American clarinetist Yehuda Weiner to set Nightingales, a poem by British Victorian poet Robert Bridges, as a memorial to his brother. The composer chose a quartet of soprano, clarinet, cello and piano to evoke the breathtaking beauty of the natural world that is overlaid with a sense of loss and longing.
By contrast, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Jennifer Higdon (below, in a photo by Candace DiCarlo) set four poems that have titles that reference roses by James Whitcomb Riley for the combination of flute, soprano and piano.
Bentley Roses was written as a surprise tribute for the retirement of her former music teacher, Judith Bentley. The settings are sunny and accessible, the music weaves around the words with swirling energy, coy interactions, and graceful interplay.
The yearning Vocalise by conductor, composer and pianist Andre Previn conveys emotion using the voice without words as a chamber instrument. The combination of soprano, cello and piano carries the shifting harmonies and sinuous melodic line through a series of subtle yet powerful transformations. (You can hear Previn’s beautiful “Vocalise,” with soprano Barbara Bonney and the the composer at the piano, in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
A second piece by Previn (below) piece puts the cello and soprano in conversation with his setting of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Toni Morrison’s poem Stones.
American film composer and bassoonist Charles Fernandez (below) wrote Quatuor Parisienne (Parisian Quartet) for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon. It consists of three movements: a tongue-in-cheek march; a gracefully flowing reflection: and a farcical musical conversation with a dash of merriment.
Budapest-based clarinetist and composer Endre Szervanszky (below) wrote his Quintet No. 1 in 1953. Audiences will hear some characteristics similar to the writing of Kodaly and Bartok. It is a pleasing four-movement work that shows his strong understanding of each of the instruments, demanding both melodic expressiveness and technical panache.
The program concludes with poetry by British writer Roald Dahl, known for his darkly humorous children’s stories. Composer Martin Butler (below, in a photo by Katie Vandyck) incorporated The Pig, The Tummy Beast, and The Crocodile into his piece Dirty Beasts for narrator, piano and woodwind quintet. Butler mirrors the acerbic wit of the text with clever effects, closing out the program with some unexpected twists and turns.
Guest performers are soprano Mary Mackenzie, pianist Joseph Ross (below top) and oboist Laura Medisky (below bottom).
They join Oakwood Chamber Players members Marilyn Chohaney, flute; Nancy Mackenzie, clarinet; Amanda Szczys, bassoon; Anne Aley, horn; and Maggie Darby Townsend, cello.
This is the first of five concerts in the Oakwood Chamber Players’ 2018-19 season series entitled Vignettes. Remaining concerts will take place on Nov. 24 and 25; Jan. 12 and 13; March 2 and 3; and May 18 and 19. For more information about the Oakwood Chamber Players and their new season, go to: https://www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a group of Madison-area professional musicians who play with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and have rehearsed and performed at Oakwood Village for over 30 years.
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a professional music ensemble proudly supported by Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries and the Oakwood Foundation.
Tags: #AmericanComposer, #AndrePrevin, #BarbaraBonney, #BelaBartok, #BlogPost, #BostonGlobe, #BritishPoet, #BudapestHungary, #ByronAdams, #CampRandallStadium, #ChamberMusic, #ChameleonArtsEnsemble, #ChristianChurch, #ChristianReligion, #CollageNewMusic, #ContemporaryComposer, #ContemporaryMusic, #DaCapoChamberPlayers, #EndreServanszky, #FilmComposer, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #FranzSchubert, #FulcrumPointNewMusicProject, #JamesWhitcombRiley, #JenniferHigdon, #JesusChrist, #LivingComposer, #LutheranReligion, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MartinButler, #MaryMackenzie, #MosaicChamberPlayers, #MusicTeacher, #NaturalWorld, #NewMusic, #OakwoodCenterforArtsandEducation, #OakwoodChamberPlayers, #OakwoodVillage, #OakwoodVillageWest, #OperaMusic, #PianoQuintet, #PulitzerPrize, #RoaldDahl, #RobertBridges, #TheKnights, #TheNewYorkTImes, #ToniMorrison, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VictorianAge, #VictorianPoet, #WestTowneMall, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WoodwindQuintet, #YehudaWeiner, #YouTubevideo, #ZoltanKodaly, accessible, American, Andre Previn, Arts, audience, Barbara Bonney, Bartok, Bassoon, bassoonist, beast, beauty, blog, Boston, Boston Globe, British, Budapest, Byron Adams, Camp Randall Stadium, Cello, Chamber music, Chameleon Arts Ensemble, chapel, children, clarinet, clarinetist, Classical music, Collage New Music, composer, conductor, conversation, coy, crocodile, Da Capo Chamber Players, emotion, Endre Servanszky, energy, England, ensemble, experience, expression, expressive, film, film composer, First Congregational United Church of Christ, flute, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, harmony, Horn, Humor, Hungary, Jacob Stockinger, James Whitcomb Riley, Jennifer Higdon, Jesus Christ, Kodaly, listening, longing, loss, Lutheran, Lutheran religion, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, march, Martin Butler, melodic, melody, Mosaic Chamber Players, movement, movie, music teacher, Musician, narrator, natural world, nature, New Music, Oakwood Center for Arts and Education, Oakwood Chamber Players, Oakwood Village, Oakwood Village West, Oboe, opera, panache, Paris, Parisian, Passion, passionate, performer, Pianist, Piano, pig, poem, Poetry, post, professional, project, Pulitzer Prize, Quartet, quintet, reflection, Retirement, Roald Dahl, Robert Bridges, Schubert, singer, soprano, stories, story, Teacher, techique, technical, text, The Knights, UK, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Victorian, Violin, vocal music, vocalise, West Towne Mall, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, wit, woodwind, Writer, Yehuda Weiner, YouTube
Classical music: The Mosaic Chamber Players perform an all-Schubert concert on Saturday night. On Sunday afternoon, Opera Props presents singers in a benefit concert to support the opera program at the UW-Madison
5 Comments
ALERT: On this Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., in the Madison Christian Community Church at 7118 Old Sauk Road on Madison’s far west side, Opera Props will present a benefit concert to raise money for the UW-Madison’s opera program and University Opera.
Student singers and piano accompanist Daniel Fung will perform arias and songs. But the spotlight will shine on University of Wisconsin-Madison alumna soprano Julia Rottmayer, who is a new faculty member at the UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music. (Sorry, no specific program is given and no names of composers and works are mentioned.)
Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door with student tickets costing $10. Tickets include a reception with local Gail Ambrosius chocolate, fruit, cheese and wine. For more information, go to: https://www.uwoperaprops.org
By Jacob Stockinger
Why is The Ear increasingly drawn to the music of Franz Schubert (below) over, say, the music of his contemporary and idol Ludwig van Beethoven? It seems to be more than its sheer beauty and lyricism. It also seems to possess a certain warmth or human quality that he finds irresistible, poignant and restorative, especially if it is true, as the Buddha said, life is suffering.
In any case, The Ear is not alone.
The Madison-based Mosaic Chamber Players (below, in a photo by John W. Barker) will open their new and ambitious season this coming Saturday night with a concert of music by Franz Schubert.
The all-Schubert concert is at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel of the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Avenue, near Camp Randall Stadium — NOT at the First Unitarian Society of Madison, as was incorrectly stated earlier in this blog post.
The program includes two Sonatinas for Violin and Piano in D Major, D. 384, and A minor, D. 385; the famous “Arpeggione” Sonata, D. 821, performed on the cello with piano; and the lovely and songful Adagio or “Notturno” (Nocturne) for Piano Trio, D. 897, which you can hear with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Daniil Trifonov, in the YouTube video at the bottom.
Tickets cost $15 for adults; $10 for seniors; and $5 for students. Cash and checks only will be accepted; no credit cards.
Members of the Mosaic Chamber Players are: founder and pianist Jess Salek (below top); violinist Wes Luke (below second), who plays with the Ancora String Quartet and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra; violinist Laura Burns (below third), who also plays with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the MSO’s Rhapsodie String Quartet; and cellist Kyle Price (below bottom), who founded the Caroga Lake Music Festival in New York State and is pursuing his doctoral degree at the UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music with distinction and who was a member of the graduate student Hunt Quartet while he studied for his master’s.
A reception will follow the concert.
For more information about the Mosaic Chamber Players and about their new season, which includes some very varied composers but no specific titles of works, go to: http://www.mosaicchamberplayers.com
What do you find so appealing and so special about the music of Schubert?
What is your favorite Schubert work?
Leave your thoughts in the COMMENT section with a link, if possible, to a YouTube video performance.
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #AncoraStringQuartet, #Anne-SophieMutter, #ArpeggioneSonata, #BenefitConcert, #CampRandallStadium, #CarogaLakeMusicFestival, #ChamberMusic, #ChristianChurch, #Classicalera, #ConcertSeason, #DanielFung, #DaniilTrifonov, #DoctoralDegree, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #FirstUnitarianSocietyofMadison, #FranzSchubert, #GailAmbrosius, #HumanQuality, #HuntQuartet, #JessSalek, #JesusChrist, #JuliaRottmayer, #LauraBurns, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MadisonChristianCommunityChurch, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #Master'sDegree, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MosaicChamberPlayers, #MusicFestival, #NewSeason, #NewYork, #NewYorkState, #OperaArias, #OperaProps, #PianoAccompanist, #PianoTrio, #RhapsodieStringQuartet, #RomanticComposer, #SaturdayNight, #StringQuartet, #Sundayafternoon, #TheBuddha, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UniversityOpera, #UWAlumni, #ViolinMusic, #WesLuke, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #YouTubevideo, admission, alumna, alumni, Ancora String Quartet, Anne-Sophie Mutter, aria, Arpeggione, Arpeggione sonata, Arts, beauty, Beethoven, Buddha, Camp Randall Stadium, Caroga Lake Music Festival, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, chapel, cheese, chocolate, Christian, Classical music, community, Compact Disc, composer, Daniel Fung, Daniil Trifonov, doctoral, favorite, First Congregational United Church of Christ, First Unitarian Society of Madison, Franz Schubert, fruit, Gail Ambrosius, graduate student, human, Hunt Quartet, irresistible, Jacob Stockinger, Jess Salek, Julia Rottmayer, Laura Burns, life, Ludwig van Beethoven, lyricism, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, master's, Mead Witter School of Music, Mosaic Chamber Players, Music, Music festival, name, new season, New York, New York State, nocturne, Notturno, opera, Opera Props, Orchestra, Pianist, Piano, Piano Trio, poignant, program, reception, restorative, Romantic composer, Saturday night, Schubert, Season, singer, Sonata, sonatina, song, soprano, spotlight, String quartet, Student, suffering, Sunday afternoon, symphony, thought, ticket, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University Opera, Violin, violinist, Wes Luke, west side, Wine, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, YouTube
Classical music: The Madison Summer Choir celebrates its 10th anniversary with one of the best concerts of the year
3 Comments
By Jacob Stockinger
Here is a special posting, a review written by frequent guest critic and writer for this blog, John W. Barker. Barker (below) is an emeritus professor of Medieval history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also is a well-known classical music critic who writes for Isthmus and the American Record Guide, and who hosts an early music show once a month on Sunday morning on WORT-FM 89.9 FM. For years, he served on the Board of Advisors for the Madison Early Music Festival and frequently gives pre-concert lectures in Madison. He also took the performance photos.
By John W. Barker
The Madison Summer Choir (below) celebrated its 10th anniversary on Wednesday night at the First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Each year’s program has had a theme, and for this one it was “Old Wine in New Bottles”— though it might as well have been the other way ‘round.
The idea, though, was that the selections showed their composers looking back to the techniques and tastes of earlier generations while writing new music. Conductor Ben Luedcke (below) introduced each work to explain how such approaches worked out.
The first half of the program was devoted to four works, dating from three different centuries.
Two were by contemporary composers. A setting in English of the Psalm text “By the Waters of Babylon” by Sarah Riskind (below top) was followed by Amor de mi Ami, a tribute to his wife, in Spanish, by Randall Stroope (below bottom).
Each work had instrumental additions — in the first, piano with cello, in the second, just piano) which personally I found unnecessary. Riskind’s choral writing is attractively full and quite idiomatic, while Stroope achieves a natural lyricism. I would be interested to hear just the choral parts alone for each work. (Editor’s Note: You can hear the work by Randall Stroope in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
These two items were framed by music of earlier epochs. The Geistliches Lied (Spiritual Song) by Johannes Brahms showed his ability to create his own version of both pre- and post-Baroque polyphony. And Mozart’s Psalm setting Laudate pueri, from one of his Vespers collections (K. 339), showed his assimilation of Baroque counterpoint.
Bruce Bengtson played the part Brahms included for organ (or piano), and he also played the organ reduction of the orchestral part for the Mozart.
It was partly the acoustics, but also a weakness in diction that made the words in those four pieces all but indistinguishable, in whatever language was being sung—my one serious criticism of the performances.
The second part of the program was devoted to the first of the numbered Mass settings by Anton Bruckner. In some ways, such large-scale sacred works were studies for his majestic symphonies yet to come.
In this Mass No. 1 in D minor, Bruckner saw himself in the line of earlier Austrian church music, but anyone expecting bald imitations of Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven would be disappointed.
In his dense and highly chromatic writing — something like a step beyond Schubert — Bruckner created some very fascinating music. It reached really exciting power in the Credo, and the words “dona nobis pacem” at the conclusion had a deeply moving sense of serenity.
The choir, of 68 mixed voices, was joined for the Bruckner by four soloists — Chelsie Propst, Jessica Lee Timman, Peter Gruett, Christian Bester (below on the left) — who sang their parts handsomely, and by an orchestra of 30 players, who provided strong and sturdy support.
Luedcke deserves particular praise for giving a chance to hear the Bruckner Mass, which was thought to be its Madison premiere. It climaxed a really enterprising event, one that I think will stand as among the Best Concerts of the Year.
Tags: #AmericanRecordGuide, #AntonBruckner, #BaroqueEra, #BaroqueMusic, #BenLuedcke, #BlogPosting, #BruceBengtson, #CelloMusic, #ChelsiePropst, #ChristianBester, #ChristianChurch, #ChurchMusic, #ContemporaryComposer, #EnglishLanguage, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #FranzJosephHaydn, #FranzSchubert, #IsthmusNewspaper, #JessicaLeeTimman, #JohannesBrahms, #JohnW.Barker, #LivingComposer, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MadisonEarlyMusicFestival, #MadisonSummerChoir, #MedievalHistory, #MusicalPerformance, #NewMusic, #OrchestralAccompaniment, #PeterGruett, #RandallStroope, #SacredMusic, #SarahRiskind, #SpanishLanguage, #SpiritualMusic, #TheBible, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #WORT-FM89.9, #YouTubevideo, American Record Guide, amor, anniversary, Anton Bruckner, Arts, attractive, Austria, Austrian, Babylon, Baroque, Beethoven, Ben Luedcke, best, Bible, bottle, Bruce Bengtson, Cello, Chelsie Propst, choral music, Christian Bester, Classical music, classicalmusic, composer, conclusion, conductor, counterpoint, Credo, critic, Early music, epoch, event, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Franz Schubert, Haydn, History, idea, idiomatic, introduce, Isthmus, Jacob Stockinger, Jessica Lee Timman, Johannes Brahms, John W. Barker, language, lecture, Love, Ludwig van Beethoven, lyricism, Madison, Madison Early Music Festival, Madison Summer Choir, mass, Medieval, natural, new, old, orchestral, organ, organist, part, performance, Peter Gruett, Piano, player, polyphony, posting, praise, professor, program, psalm, Psalms, Randall Stroope, review, sacred music, Sarah Riskind, serenity, singer, soloist, song, Spanish, spiritual, taste, technique, text, theme, tribute, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, vesper, Viola, Violin, vocal music, wife, Wine, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, work, writing, year, YouTube
Classical music: Rehearsals for the Madison Summer Choir’s 10th anniversary concert, featuring the Mass in D minor by Bruckner on July 18, start this Monday and Tuesday nights
Leave a Comment
By Jacob Stockinger
Each year since 2008, founder Ben Luedcke (below top) directs and rehearses the annual Madison Summer Choir (below bottom), which took the place of a summer choral concert dropped and defunded by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The choir sings a cappella as well as accompanied by piano and orchestra.
Membership and rehearsals start TOMORROW, June 11.
The choir rehearses on Monday and Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Mills Hall at the UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music. The rehearsals last for six weeks.
Then on Wednesday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Avenue, across from Camp Randall Stadium, the Madison Summer Choir plus a pick-up orchestra will perform the Mass in D Minor by Anton Bruckner. (You can hear the opening Kyrie movement in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Sorry, no word has been received about ticket prices and availability, or about other possible works on the program.
For information about auditions, rehearsals and membership fees, go to:
http://www.madisonsummerchoir.org/join-us.html
Here is a link with more information about concerts this summer and in past summers:
http://www.madisonsummerchoir.org/concerts.html
Here is a link to the home website, where under “People” you can find background and a biography of Ben Luedcke and the names of the members in last summer’s choir:
http://www.madisonsummerchoir.org
Tags: #ACappellaMusic, #AntonBruckner, #BenLuedcke, #CampRandallStadium, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #JesusChrist, #MadisonSummerChoir, #OrchestralAccompaniment, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, anniversary, Arts, Choir, choral music, chorus, Christ, church, Classical music, composer, Concert, Jacob Stockinger, Kyrie, Madison, mass, membership, Monday, Music, night, Orchestra, Piano, rehearsals, summer, Tuesday, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wednesday, Wisconsin, YouTube
Classical music: The second annual Mineral Point Chamber Festival – with both free and ticketed performances — takes place this coming weekend
1 Comment
By Jacob Stockinger
The summer music season in the Madison area — which kicks off big-time this weekend – just seems to get busier and busier.
The second annual Mineral Point Chamber Music Festival will take place this coming Friday through Sunday, June 8-10.
All the information — including ensembles, complete repertoire and concerts times and venues — is available at artsmp.org under “Chamber Music Festival.” You will also find there some extensive audio samples of the performers.
There are three ticketed concerts that will take place at the refurbished Mineral Point Opera House (below top, by Michael J. Smith, and bottom):
Tickets are $20, and a package pass for all three concerts is $49.
The schedule for ticketed events is:
On Friday night at 7:30 p.m., the cello-and-piano Artu Duo (below) from the University of Minnesota will perform music by Robert Schumann, Bohuslav Martinu and Ludwig van Beethoven.
On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. the Volante Winds (below) from Indiana University will perform music by Samuel Barber, Karl Pilss, Gyorgy Orban and Giulio Briccialdi.
On Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., the Altino Duo (below), from Madison, will perform music by Zoltan Kodaly, Maurice Ravel and Johan Halvorsen.
There are also two FREE concerts. They feature many other works by many other composers including George Frideric Handel, Johann Pachelbel, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss, Jacques Ibert and Samuel Barber.
The first FREE concert is on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the Congregational United Church of Christ, 300 Maiden St., and features Q&A sessions after each ensemble’s performance.
The second FREE concert — weather permitting — is on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. in Library Park (below) and features the Festival Brass.
The festival’s director Peter Schmalz explains the philosophy of the festival, which strikes The Ear as a savvy way to host a festival of fine performers and great music for very reasonable ticket prices:
“We are a festival devoted to providing opportunity to emerging talent,” says Schmalz. “At least 50 percent of the membership of each ensemble must be currently enrolled students.
“This year we ran into an insoluble problem, when one member of the Zima Piano Trio from Indiana University could not be approved for employment because of her current status as an international student.
“Hence we have the last-minute substitution of the Altino Duo from Madison – cellist Leonardo Altino and violinist Soh-Hyun Park Altino – who are both college professors and obviously not a student ensemble. (She teaches at the UW-Madison, and he teaches privately in Madison and at the Wheaton College Conservatory near Chicago.)
(Editor’s note: You can read more background about the Altinos, and about playing together as spouses, here: https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2018/01/22/classical-music-what-is-it-like-to-play-music-with-a-spouse-local-wife-and-husband-violinist-and-cellist-open-the-winter-masterworks-season-of-the-wisconsin-chamber-orchestra-with-the-brahms-double/
“The Altinos were very gracious about helping us in this situation, and will present a concert Sunday, June 10, of music that is included on their recently released CD “En voyage.”” (You can hear them perform the Duo for Violin and Cello by Zoltan Kodaly, which is on the recording, in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
If you want to see the sponsors of the festival or become a sponsor, go to the bottom of the page at: http://www.artsmp.org/chamber-music-fest/
Tags: #BaroqueMusic, #BohuslavMartinu, #BrassMusic, #FelixMendelssohn, #FestivalBrass, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #ForeignStudent, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GiulioBriccialdi, #GyorgyOrban, #IndianaUniversity, #InternationalStudent, #JacquesIbert, #JohanHalvorsen, #JohannesBrahms, #JohannPachelbel, #KarlPilss, #LeonardoAltino, #LibraryPark, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MauriceRavel, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MineralPoint, #MineralPointChamberMusicFestival, #MineralPointOperaHouse, #PianoTrio, #RichardStrauss, #RobertSchumann, #SamuelBarber, #Soh-HyunParkAltino, #SummerMusic, #SummerSeason, #UniversityofMInnesota, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VolanteWinds, #WheatonCollege, #WheatonCollegeConservatory, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WisconsinTourism, #ZoltanKodaly, afternoon, Art Duo, Arts, Barber, Baroque, Beethoven, Brahms, brass, Cello, Chamber music, Chicago, Classical music, Compact Disc, composer, employment, Festival Brass, Friday, George Orban, Giulio Briccialdi, immigration, Indiana University, Johan Halvorsen, Martinu, Mead Witter School of Music, membership, Mendelssohn, night, Orban, Orchestra, Pachelbel, Piano, Richard Strauss, Saturday, Schumann, Season, Sonata, Student, summer, Sunday, tourism, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, Volante Winds, weekend, Wheaton College, Wheaton College Conservatory, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, YouTube
Classical music: Con Vivo closes its chamber music season with satisfying performances of string duos, violin romances and a clarinet quintet in a new, more intimate space
Leave a Comment
By Jacob Stockinger
Here is a special posting, a review written by frequent guest critic and writer for this blog, John W. Barker. Barker (below) is an emeritus professor of Medieval history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also is a well-known classical music critic who writes for Isthmus and the American Record Guide, and who hosts an early music show once a month on Sunday morning on WORT 89.9 FM. For years, he served on the Board of Advisors for the Madison Early Music Festival and frequently gives pre-concert lectures in Madison. He also took the performance photos.
By John W. Barker
The season’s closing concert by the Con Vivo! chamber ensemble (below) took on an extra degree of novelty.
Usually the group has performed in the main sanctuary of the First Congregational United Church of Christ. But the acoustics there are variable and not always ideal for small ensembles.
This time, the performers moved to the chapel, a much smaller room in the building complex. With a high ceiling but modest space, this venue has a much more appropriate quality for chamber music. It’s a trifle hard, but not reverberant — a good place for intimacy and directness of sound. This should become one base of choice for the ensemble now.
The program was split interestingly between two different musical realms.
The first half consisted of duos. At the core was a set of six brief pieces drawn from the 44 Duos by Bela Bartok, published as his Op. 104. Written for two violins, but adaptable to other string instruments, they were delivered here by violist Janse Vincent and cellist Maggie Darby Townsend (below), in charming fashion.
Framing them were two violin romances, each written with orchestral accompaniment that was rendered on the piano by Dan Lyons. One was the Romance No. 2 in F Major, Op. 50, by Ludwig van Beethoven played by Kathryn Taylor (below).
The other — which in fact originally began life as a movement of a string quartet — was the Romance in F minor, Op. 11, by Antonin Dvorak. This was played by Olga Pomolova (below). It is no disrespect to the other players to note that her performance was outstanding for rich tone and strong feeling. (You can hear Dvorak’s lovely Romance in its orchestral version in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
A different world was drawn upon after the intermission, one for larger-scale chamber writing. This was the wonderful Quintet in B minor, Op. 115, for Clarinet and Strings. In this work, clarinetist Robert Taylor joined the four string players.
This is a mellow late work from Brahms, full of his artful denseness of textures, yet finely sensitive to balances. It is remarkable how the clarinet is constantly shifted between blending with the strings and standing apart from them. The performance was worthy of the challenges, full of spirit yet carefully controlled at all times — a performance that allowed the listener to ponder, and savor.
The sum total was a very satisfying concert, and one that suggested experiences with this chapel chamber should continue to be explored.
Tags: #AmericanRecordGuide, #AntoninDvorak, #BelaBartok, #CelloMusic, #ClarinetMusic, #ClarinetQuintet, #ConVivo, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #IsthmusNewspaper, #JohannesBrahms, #JohnW.Barker, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MadisonEarlyMusicFestival, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MedievalHistory, #OrchestralAccompaniment, #StringDuos, #StringInstruments, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #ViolaandCello, #ViolaMusic, #ViolinMusic, #ViolinRomance, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WORT-FM89.9, accompaniment, acoustics, American Record Guide, Arts, balance, Beethoven, blend, blog, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, clarinet, clarinetist, Classical music, composer, Con Vivo, critic, duo, Dvorak, Early music, earlymusic, feeling, First Congregational United Church of Christ, History, intermission, Isthmus, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, John W. Barker, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, morning, Music, orchestral, photo, Pianist, Piano, professor, Radio, review, Romance, scale, Sunday, tone, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, violinist, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, work, WORT-FM 89.9, YouTube
Classical music: Con Vivo ends its 16th season this Saturday night with chamber music by Bartok, Beethoven, Dvorak and Brahms
Leave a Comment
By Jacob Stockinger
This weekend, Con Vivo — or music with life (below) — concludes its 16th season with music of Bartok, Dvorak, Beethoven and Brahms.
The chamber music concert, entitled “Spring Romance,” includes Duets for Viola and Cello by Bela Bartok; the Romance for Violin and Piano, Op. 11, by Antonin Dvorak; the Romance, Op. 50, for violin and piano by Ludwig van Beethoven; and the supremely beautiful Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, Op. 115, by Johannes Brahms. (You can hear the opening movement of the Brahms, played by clarinetist David Shifrin and the Guarneri String Quartet, in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The concert takes place on this coming Saturday night, June 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Ave. across from Camp Randall Stadium.
Tickets can be purchased at the door for $18 for adults and $15 for seniors and students.
Audience members are invited to join the musicians after the concert for a free reception to discuss the concert.
New to this concert: Con Vivo will perform in the Chapel at First Congregational Church, creating a more intimate chamber music experience for the audience.
In remarking about the concert, artistic director Robert Taylor says: “We finish our 16th season with music evocative of spring romances. The wonderful Romances for violin and piano by Dvorak and Beethoven are contrasted by miniatures for viola and cello by Bartok that highlight our members in a soloist role. The evening is capped off with the beautiful Clarinet Quintet by Johannes Brahms. What could be a better way to spend a spring evening?”
Con Vivo is a professional chamber music ensemble comprised of Madison area musicians assembled from the ranks of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and various other performing groups familiar to Madison audiences.
Tags: #AntoninDvorak, #Beautifulmusic, #BelaBartok, #CampRandallStadium, #ClarinetMusic, #ClarinetQuintet, #ConVivo, #DavidShifrin, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #GuarneriStringQuartet, #JohannesBrahms, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #SpringRomance, #StringQuartet, #ViolaMusic, #ViolinMusic, Antonín Dvořák, Arts, audience, Beautiful music, Beethoven, Cello, Chamber music, clarinet, Classical music, composer, Con Vivo, Concert, duet, F major, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music, Piano, professional, reception, Romance, Spring, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, weekend, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, YouTube
Music education: Madison Youth Choirs perform their Spring Concert series “Seriously Funny” this Sunday
Leave a Comment
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement to post:
“This spring, the Madison Youth Choirs singers (below) are exploring the unexpected ways that elements of humor, from irony and incongruity to improvisation and timing, are reflected in a wide variety of classical and contemporary musical compositions.
“We’re learning that music, like humor, is a kind of language, operating with its own sense of logic, patterns, and conventions that composers can twist to surprise us and take our musical journey to new places.
“As we study the complexity of humor as a mode of creative expression, we are discovering the power of satire, wit, and misdirection to help us reexamine our assumptions, musical and otherwise.
“In our culminating concert series, our singers will present works including “No, di voi non vo’ fidarmi” by George Frideric Handel; Timothy Takach’s “I Will Howl” by Timothy Takach; the “Fugue for Tinhorns” from Guys and Dolls; and the second movement of Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein.”
The MYC Spring Concerts, “Seriously Funny: Musical Humor, Wit, and Whimsy” will take place this Sunday afternoon and evening, May 13, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Ave., across from Camp Randall Stadium.
Performance are: 1:30 p.m. for Girlchoirs; 4 p.m. for Boychoirs; and 7 p.m. for High School Ensembles.
Tickets will be available at the door: $10 for general admission; $5 for students 7-18; and free for children under 7. A separate ticket is required for each performance.
This concert is supported by American Girl’s Fund for Children, BMO Harris Bank, Dane Arts with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. This project is also supported by the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the state of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About the Madison Youth Choirs (MYC):
Recognized as an innovator in youth choral music education, Madison Youth Choirs (MYC) welcomes singers of all ability levels, annually serving more than 1,000 young people, ages 7-18, through a wide variety of choral programs in our community.
Cultivating a comprehensive music education philosophy that inspires self-confidence, personal responsibility, and a spirit of inquiry leading students to become “expert noticers,” MYC creates accessible, meaningful opportunities for youth to thrive in the arts and beyond.
For further information, go to www.madisonyouthchoirs.org or call (608) 238-7464.
Here is the Repertoire List for MYC 2018 Spring Concert Series, “Seriously Funny: Musical Humor, Wit and Whimsy”
1:30 P.M. CONCERT (FEATURING MYC GIRLCHOIRS)
Choraliers
“Bee! I’m expecting you!” by Emma Lou Diemer
“A Menagerie of Songs” by Carolyn Jennings
Con Gioia
“When V and I” by Henry Purcell
“The Fate of Gilbert Gim” by Margaret Drynan
“The Cabbage-Tree Hat,” traditional Australian folk song
Capriccio (below)
“Papageno-Papagena Duet” (from The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
“Ich jauchze, ich lache” (from BWV 15) by Johann Sebastian Bach
“J’entends le Moulin,” French folk song, arr. Donald Patriquin
Combined Choirs
“Funiculi, Funicula” by Luigi Denza
4 P.M. CONCERT (FEATURING MYC BOYCHOIRS)
Combined Boychoirs
“Sumer is icumen in,” Anonymous, 13th century Middle English piece
Purcell Boychoir
“When V and I” by Henry Purcell
“Modern Major-General” from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan
“Weevily Wheat,” arr. Dan Krunnfusz
Britten Boychoir (below)
“Gloria Tibi” by Leonard Bernstein
“The Plough Boy,” Traditional, arr. Benjamin Britten
Holst Boychoir
“Il est bel et bon” by Pierre Passereau
“Hopkinton” by William Billings
Ragazzi Boychoir
“I Will Howl” by Timothy Takach
“Rustics and Fishermen,” part V of Choral Dances from Gloriana by Benjamin Britten
“Fugue for Tinhorns” from Guys and Dolls by Frank Loesser
Combined Boychoirs
“Chichester Psalms” II. Adonai ro-i by Leonard Bernstein
7 P.M. CONCERT (FEATURING HIGH SCHOOL ENSEMBLES)
Cantilena
“A Girl’s Garden” from Frosting by Randall Thompson
“Love Learns by Laughing” by Thomas Morley
“Turn, Turn, Then Thine Eyes” from The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell
“My Funny Valentine” from Babes in Arms by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
“Etude 1 pour les cinq doigts d’après Monsieur Czerny” by Claude Debussy
Ragazzi
“I Will Howl” by Timothy Takach
“Fugue for Tinhorns” from Guys and Dolls by Frank Loesser
Cantabile
“sam was a man” by Vincent Persichetti, text by e.e. cummings
“No, di voi non vo’ fidarmi” by George Frideric Handel
“Cruel, You Pull Away Too Soon” by Thomas Morley
“This Sky Falls” by Jocelyn Hagen
“Svatba,” Traditional Bulgarian, arr. H.R. Todorov
Cantabile and Ragazzi
Choral Dances from Gloriana by Benjamin Britten
Tags: #AmericanGirl, #AustralianMusic, #BenjaminBritten, #BMOHarrisBank, #BroadwayMusical, #Bulgarianmusic, #CampRandall, #CampRandallStadium, #CarlCzerny, #ChichesterPsalms, #ChoralMusic, #ClaudeDebussy, #ContemporaryComposer, #ContemporaryMusic, #DaneArts, #EndresManufacturing, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #FolkMusic, #FrankLoesser, #FrenchMusic, #FugueforTinhorns, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GilbertandSullivan, #GustavHolst, #GuysandDolls, #HenryPurcell, #HighSchool, #JohannSebastianBach, #LeonardBernstein, #LorenzHart, #MadisonYouthChoirs, #MiddleEnglish, #MiddleSchool, #ModernMajor-General, #MusicEducation, #NationalEndowmentfortheArts, #NewMusic, #PierrePassereau, #PiratesofPenzance, #PleasantT.Rowland, #RandallThompson, #RichardRodgers, #RodgersandHart, #SpringConcert, #StateOfWisconsin, #TheCapitalTimes, #TheEvjueFoundation, #TheMagicFlute, #ThomasMorley, #TimothyTakach, #VincentPersichetti, #W.JeromeFrautschi, #WilliamBillings, #WisconsinArtsBoard, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #YouthChoirs, admission, afternoon, American Girl, Arts, assumptions, Bach, Baroque, BMO Harris Bank, boy, boychoir, Broadway musical, Bulgaria, Carl Czerny, children, Choir, choral music, Classical music, community, composer, conventions, dance, duet, e.e. cummings, Early music, evening, folk song, folksong, foundation, free, fugue, Fugue for Tinhorns, G&S, George Frideric Handel, Gilbert and Sullivan, girl, girlchoir, girls, Gloriana, Gustav Holst, Guys and Dolls, high school, Holst, Humor, improvisation, incongruity, inquiry', irony, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, language, logic, Madison, Madison Youth Choirs, menagerie, Middle school, Modern Major-General, movement, Music, Music education, musical, National Endowment for the Arts, NEA, New Music, opera, Papagena, Papageno, patterns, performance, personal, Piano, poem, poet, Poetry, power, Purcell, responsibility, sature'wit, self-confidence, singer, singers, Singing, song, stadium, summer, Sunday, text, The Capital Times, The Evjue Foundation, ticket, timing, traditional, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Vincent Persichetti, voys, whimsy, William Billings, Wisconsin Arts Board, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, young people, Youth, YouTube
Classical music: It will be all-Mozart and all-winds when the local chamber music ensemble Con Vivo performs this Sunday afternoon. Plus, a FREE piano and saxophone concert is at noon on Friday
Leave a Comment
ALERT: This week’s FREE Friday Noon Musicale at the First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Drive, features pianist Joseph Ross and alto saxophonist Peterson Ross in music by Samuel Barber, Jacques Ibert, and by the performers Joseph and Peterson Ross. The concert runs from 12:15 to 1 p.m.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement to post:
Con Vivo … Music With Life (below) continues its 16th season with music of Mozart – with special touches.
The chamber music concert, entitled “No Strings Attached,” will include the Serenade in C minor for wind octet along with selections from the opera The Marriage of Figaro arranged for winds. (You can hear the opening of the Mozart Serenade in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Anders Yocom (below top) from Wisconsin Public Radio will narrate the opera selections and Maestro Kyle Knox (below bottom) will conduct the ensemble.
The concert takes place on Sunday, March 11, at 2:30 p.m. at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Ave. across from Camp Randall.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at Orange Tree Imports, 1721 Monroe St., or at the door for $18 for adults, and $15 for seniors and students.
Convenient parking is only 2 blocks west at University Foundation, 1848 University Ave. For more information, go to: www.convivomusicwithlife.org
NOTE: This weekend marks the start of Daylight Saving Time. Remember to move your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night!
Audience members are invited to join the musicians after the concert for a free reception to discuss the concert.
Con Vivo’s artistic director Robert Taylor, in remarking about the concert said, “We are delighted and thrilled to be joined by Maestro Knox and Anders Yocom from WPR to present a unique music experience. This will be a wonderful way to experience opera music in a whole new light. We are sure this will once again be a concert to remember.”
Con Vivo is a professional chamber music ensemble comprised of Madison area musicians assembled from the ranks of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and various other performing groups familiar to Madison audiences.
Tags: #CampRandall, #ChamberMusic, #ConVivo, #DaylightSaving, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #FirstUnitarianSocietyofMadison, #JacquesIbert, #JesusChrist, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #SamuelBarber, #UnitarianSociety, #UnitedChurchofChrist, #WindMusic, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WisconsinPublicRadio, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, alto, alto saxophone, Anders Yocom, arrangement, Arts, audience, Camp Randall, Chamber music, church, Classical music, composer, Con Vivo, Concert, conduct, conductor, Daylight Saving, ensemble, experience, First Unitarian Society of Madison, free, Friday, Jacob Stockinger, Kyle Knox, light, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Maestro, Mozart, Music, musical, Musical ensemble, musicale, narrator, noon, Octet, opera, Orange Tree Imports, parking, performer, Piano, professional, remember, Samuel Barber, Saxophone, Season, selection, Serenade, string, The Marriage of Figaro, ticket, time, unique, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, vocal music, weekend, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, wisconsin public radio, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, YouTube
Recent Comments
 | Mary Friedel-Hunt on What do you think of the… |
 | music88 on Yunchan Lim’s Chopin etudes ar… |
 | diacon2 on Who was the better pianist? Ma… |
 | welltemperedear on Classical music: Madison Opera… |
| welltemperedear on Classical music: Was Bernard H… |
The Well-Tempered Ear 
Classical music: The Madison Savoyards marks its 55th anniversary with six performances of “Die Fledermaus” starting this Friday night
Leave a Comment
ALERT: Tomorrow, on Wednesday night, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Avenue near Camp Randall Stadium, the Madison Summer Choir will mark its 10th anniversary with a performance of the choral and orchestral Mass in D Minor by Anton Bruckner and other works including one by Johannes Brahms. For more information, go to:
http://www.madisonsummerchoir.org
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/?s=Madison+summer+choir
By Jacob Stockinger
Starting this weekend, the Madison Savoyards presents Die Fledermaus, or The Bat, by Johann Strauss Jr. — sung in English with supertitles — at UW Music Hall at the base of Bascom Hill.
Evening performances are on Friday, July 20; Friday, July 27; and Saturday, July 28; matinees are at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 21; Sunday, July 22; and Sunday, July 29.
Ticket prices are $30 for the public; $28 for seniors; $15 for students and youth under 17; and $5 for children under 5. Tickets can be purchased through UW Box Office at (608) 265-2787, www.arts.wisc.edu, or in person at the door. Group sales of 10 or more available by telephone only.
For more information, go to the website: www.madisonsavoyards.org
The production marks the 55th anniversary of the Madison Savoyards, best known for presenting the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan.
For this production, board director J. Adam Shelton makes his debut as stage director and Kyle Knox (below), a UW-Madison graduate, returns as music director and conductor. He is also the music director of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras and the new associate conductor of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. (You can hear the popular Overture to Die Fledermaus in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Die Fledermaus is the story of a romantically stale couple that learns to love again all the while playing the fools in this comedy of errors.
Eisenstein and his wife Rosalinda, fall prey to a cruel joke by their old pal Falke involving their chambermaid, a Russian prince, a prison warden and a tenor who can’t get the girl. Everyone works his or her way up and down the social ladder in this futuristic production set in 2021.
The famous second act masquerade ball is a menagerie theme featuring a ballet performance by Central Midwest Ballet Academy of Middleton.
The choreographer is Kristin Roling, with costumes by Rebecca Stanley and set design by Corey Helser.
The cast includes Tim Rebers (below top) as Eisenstein and Erica K. Bryan (below bottom) as Rosalinda.
Also featured are Michelle Buck (below top) as Adele; Ben Swanson (below second) as Falke; Kirsten Larson (below third) as Prince Orlofsky; and Tom Kastle (below bottom) as Frosch.
Grant funding supports the artists and underwrites the Children’s Pre-Show (1 p.m. on July 22 at UW-Madison’s Music Hall) where children will meet members of the cast and crew, and learn about the show and its music, tour the theater, and create a show-centric craft for free.
American Sign Language service is available, by request, for the July 21 performance.
ABOUT THE SAVOYARDS
It is the mission of the Madison Savoyards “to preserve the works of Gilbert and Sullivan (below) and other light opera by producing and promoting live performances; to develop the skills and talent of cast, crew and musicians of all ages; and to inspire, entertain, and educate the community through performances and other initiatives.”
More information can be found on the company’s Facebook page along with behind-the-scenes insights to the production.
J. ADAM SHELDON (below) ANSWERS TWO QUESTIONS FROM THE EAR:
Why does the anniversary production feature Johann Strauss Jr. rather than Gilbert and Sullivan?
“We decided to celebrate our 55th anniversary with Die Fledermaus to try something new as a company. Strauss Jr.’s Fledermaus is always a party and will elevate our audiences in the same ways as they have come to expect with G&S.
“We have actually continued our tie to G&S by choosing a libretto that is based upon Gilbert’s translation of the original Meilhac and Halevy play, Le Réveillon. Gilbert’s On Bail brandishes the same humor, socio-political commentary, and alliterative patters we expect from his pen. It only seemed logical to use a translation steeped in Gilbert’s.
“Additionally, our company has performed nearly every work in the G&S collaborative canon — the only exceptions being the reconstructed Thespis & Pineapple Poll — and we want to see how the community embraces us peppering in other light opera and operettas into our repertoire. Some celebrate 55 years with emeralds; we’re celebrating with love… and a twist!
“The story of Fledermaus really did not need a ton of punching up to meet the year. For fun we have included Wisconsin references like Spotted Cow beer, cheese curds (my personal favorite), and Old Fashioneds, which enliven the second act even more, but the core of the story is timeless.
“Whether told with Viennese costumes, or modern attire and cell phones, this story could happen anytime, anywhere. People still play practical jokes on one another, people escape to costume parties for fun, and lovers still fall in, and maybe out, of love.
“Furthermore, Rebecca Stanley (our costume designer) and I imagined a grand masquerade ball in the second act where high fashion meets “cosplay.” (EDITOR’S NOTE: For a definition of “cosplay,” here is a link to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay)
Why did you choose to do it in English?
“The Madison Savoyards is dedicated to continuing the tradition of performing in English. It offers accessibility to our audiences that larger operatic works sometimes cannot. Plus, light opera historically is offered in the vernacular of wherever it’s performed.
“Likewise, we are continuing to offer comedic works as the core of our repertoire.
“We recognize we have a powerful place in the community offering comedic works exclusively in English. But we will offer supertitles this summer for those who might not be familiar with the story.”
Share this:
Tags: #AntonBruckner, #BascomHill, #BoxOffice, #BrassMusic, #CampRandallStadium, #CentralMidwestBalletAcademy, #CheeseCurds, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ChristianReligion, #DieFledermaus, #EnglishTranslation, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #GilbertandSullivan, #JesusChrist, #JohannesBrahms, #JohannStrauss, #KyleKnox, #LightOpera, #LoveStory, #MadisonSavoyards, #MadisonSummerChoir, #MaskedBall, #MasqueradeBall, #MiddletonWisconsin, #MusicDirector, #MusicHall, #OperaComposer, #OperaMusic, #OperaOverture, #OperaSinger, #OrchestralMusic, #PercussionMusic, #PoliticalCommentary, #SocialCommentary, #SocialLadder, #StageDirector, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #WindMusic, #WisconsinYouthSymphonyOrchestras, #YoungChildren, #YoungPeople, #YouTubevideo, anniversary, Arts, ballet, Beer, Bruckner, Camp Randall Stadium, cast, Cello, Central Midwest Ballet Academy, children, choral music, choreography, Classical music, comedy, commentary, composer, conductor, costume, crew, design, evening, Friday, futuristic, girl, grant, Humor, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, live, Love, love story, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, masked ball, matinee, Music, opera, Operetta, Orchestra, orchestral, Overture, patter, performance, popular, prince, production, Romantic, Russian, Saturday, senior, sets, sing, singer, socio-political, Student, Sunday, supertitle, support, symphony, telephone, theater, ticket, translation, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Vienna, Viennese, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Website, Wisconsin, WYSO, Youth, YouTube