The Well-Tempered Ear
Should the 1812 Overture be played this Fourth of July?
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By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear recently noticed that the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra has once again scheduled the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky (below) as part of the finale of its Fourth of July concert on the evening of July 6, 2022.
The performance is part of this summer’s FREE Concerts on the Square (COS) by the WCO that run on six consecutive Wednesday nights from June 29 through Aug. 3. Concerts start at 7 p.m. on the King Street corner of the Capitol Square in downtown Madison, and will be conducted by Andrew Sewell.
For more information about the series and individual performers and programs, go to: https://wcoconcerts.org/concerts-tickets/concerts-on-the-square
An asterisk says programs are subject to change.
Which got The Ear to thinking: Should Tchaikovsky’s perennial favorite, the flashy and loud 1812 Overture, be played again this year?
It is a tradition that was started on Independence Day in 1974 by Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops, according to reputable sources.
But this year might be a very different case because of a quandary that might cause organizers, including PBS’ “A Capitol Fourth,” to rethink the program.
It is a choice that will confront many musical groups across the U.S., given the current unprovoked brutality and and war crimes being committed by Russia against Ukraine.
After all, many music groups, including the Metropolitan Opera, have already banned Russian performers who support Russian President Vladimir Putin and his unjustified war in Ukraine (below).
So here’s the question: Is it appropriate to play a favorite work celebrating a Russian military victory while Ukraine, the United States and Western allies, including NATO, are desperately trying to defeat Russian forces?
As you may recall, the overture was inspired by Russia’s victory over the invading forces of Napoleon who was attempting go conquer Russia. Like Hitler and the Nazis, Napoleon failed and the Russians prevailed. That is why, in the work, you hear the French national anthem “La Marseillaise” overcome by the chimes and cannons of the Russian victory hymn. (There was no Russian national anthem until 1815.)
Here is a link to more background in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_Overture
Will the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra or other orchestras as well as radio and TV stations around the U.S. find a substitute piece? Perhaps it could be the Ukrainian national anthem that is performed (as in the BBC Proms concert in the YouTube video at the bottom and as many other orchestras around the world, including the Madison Symphony Orchestra and John DeMain, have done).
What else could the WCO and other groups play — especially since Sousa marches are already usually featured on The Fourth?
Do you have a suggestion?
The Ear will be interested to see how the quandary is solved — with explanations and excuses, or with alternative music?
Meanwhile, as comedian Stephen Colbert likes to say: What do you think?
Should the “1812 Overture” be played on this Fourth of July?
Why?
Or why not?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Wisconsin Ensemble Project’s string quartet program to benefit the United Way of Dane County debuts online this Friday night
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By Jacob Stockinger
This Friday night, May 14, the Wisconsin Ensemble Project will present a recorded concert (below, in an image by Katrin Talbot) in partnership with United Way of Dane County (UWDC).
This is their second in a series of performances to benefit local and international organizations.
This production offers viewers a meaningful program that leads to direct impact with a focus on housing stability and family well-being. You will hear the story and see the face of UWDC woven throughout a chamber music performance.
The program of works for string quartet includes “Park” by Daniel Bernard Roumain (below top); the “Heiliger Dankgesang” (Sacred Hymn of Thanksgiving, which you can hear played by the Alban Berg Quartet in the YouTube video at the bottom) from Beethoven’s Opus 132; and selections from Five Folksongs in Counterpoint by Florence Price (below bottom).
WE Project members and performers are local, professional musicians who work together in the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra: violinists Leanne League and Mary Theodore; violist Jen Paulson; and cellist Karl Lavine.
“The WE Project is rooted in the quartet’s desire not only to delve deeply into chamber music repertoire, but also to address some of the many pressing social justice issues of our time,” says member Mary Theodore.
When exploring organizations to partner with for their second project, the quartet was inspired by the work of United Way of Dane County. The WE Project approached United Way out of their concern over housing security, with the understanding that one of UWDC’s key goals is to help more individuals and families find pathways out of poverty through housing and employment initiatives.
The recorded production will be available by registering at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wisconsin-ensemble-project-spring-benefit-concert-registration-151923670789 from 6 p.m. this Friday, May 14, for 72 hours. Admission is free and contributions are strongly encouraged.
Contributions can be made through the website and will help to cover basic production costs and get funds directly into the hands of this very worthy organization which, most importantly, brings aid to the people they serve.
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Classical music: UW-Madison cellist Parry Karp and his longtime collaborator pianist Eli Kalman perform a FREE mostly French recital this Thursday night
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By Jacob Stockinger
The new Hamel Music Center, located at 740 University Avenue next to the newer wing of the Chazen Museum of Art, hasn’t even officially opened yet at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead Witter School of Music, but already it is beginning to feel like the new normal.
Adding to that feeling is a FREE chamber music recital at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday night, Oct. 24, in Collins Recital Hall.
The always-reliable performers and longtime music partners are UW-Madison cellist Parry Karp (below left), who is an artist-in-residence and the longest-serving member of the Pro Arte Quartet in its more than a century-long history; and collaborative pianist Eli Kalman (below right), who received his doctorate from the UW-Madison and now teaches at the UW-Oshkosh.
The modern program from the first half of the 20th century features mostly French music with some rarely heard works:
Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937, below) – Sonata in One Movement in F-sharp Minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 46 (1922)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975, below) – Sonata in D Minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 40 (1934)
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921, below)) – Sonata No. 2 in F Major for Cello and Piano, Op. 123 (1905). You can hear the opening movement in the YouTube video at the bottom.
For more information and extensive biographies of the performers, go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/event/parry-karp-cello-with-eli-kalman-piano/
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Classical music: The Concert Band of Edgewood College performs TONIGHT. On Sunday afternoon, the Concert Choirs, Women’s Choir and Guitar Ensemble at Edgewood give FREE concerts
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By Jacob Stockinger
TONIGHT, Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in the renovated St. Joseph Chapel at Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, the Concert Band (below in a photo by Ann Boyer) will perform a FREE concert under the direction of Walter Rich.
The program includes Claude T. Smith’s Incidental Suite, and Beyond the Horizon by Rossano Galante.
Admission is FREE with a freewill offering to benefit the Luke House Community Meal Program.
On this Sunday afternoon, Oct., 21, the Edgewood College Choirs and Guitar Ensemble also perform at 2:30 p.m. in the St. Joseph Chapel.
Admission is FREE.
The Women’s Choir (below top), Chamber Singers (below bottom) and Chorale offer vocal works that celebrate fall.
The choral ensembles are conducted by Sergei Pavlov (below).
The Guitar Ensemble, conducted by Nathan Wysock (below), performs classical and other selections.
Sorry, no word on specific composers or titles of works on the program.
Tags: #BandMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CatholicCollege, #ChamberSingers, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianReligion, #ClaudeT.Smith, #ConcertBand, #EdgewoodChorale, #EdgewoodCollege, #EdgewoodCollegeChamberSingers, #EdgewoodWomen'sChoir, #FacebookPost, #FreeConcert, #FreewillOffering, #GuitarEnsemble, #GuitarMusic, #LukeHouse, #LukeHouseCommunityMealProgram, #NathanWysock, #RomanCatholic, #RomanCatholicism, #RossanoGalante, #SergeiPavlov, #St.JosephChapel, #VocalMusic, #WalterRich, #Women'sChoir, admission, Arts, audience, band music, benefit, blog, Catholic College, Chamber music, chamber singers, Choir, choral music, Chorale, Christian religion, Classical music, community, composer, Concert, Concert Band, conductor, Edgewood College, Edgewood College Chamber Singers, Facebook, free, free concert, guitar, guitar ensemble, Jacob Stockinger, Luke House, Madison, meal, Music, Nathan Wysock, post, posting, program, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Rossano Galante, Sonata, St. Joseph Chapel, Suite, title, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, vocal music, Walter Rich, Wisconsin, women, women;s choir, work
Classical music: The Mendota Consort gives a FREE performance of motets by Johann Schein in Madison this Saturday night. Performances in Eau Claire and Milwaukee are tonight and Friday night
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ALERT: The superb Willy Street Chamber Players are back from a week of free and Community Connect concerts. They resume their regular summer series this Friday at 6 p.m. in Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1021 Spaight Street. The guest artist is UW-Madison saxophonist Les Thimmig who will play six arias from the opera “Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin. A rarely heard String Quintet by Alexander Glazunov ends the program. Tickets are $15.
The last concert is next Friday, July 27, and features flute, clarinet and piano soloists in music by Luigi Boccherini, Sergei Prokofiev, Andrew Norman and Johann Strauss/Arnold Schoenberg. For more information, go to:
http://www.willystreetchamberplayers.org
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has been asked to post the following announcement:
The early music vocal ensemble The Mendota Consort (below) invites you to an evening of madrigals from Israelsbrünnlein, a collection by the 17th-century composer Johann Schein. (Editor’s note: You can hear an excerpt in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Vocalists who are dedicated to Renaissance polyphony, The Mendota Consort will present a story of ancient Israel though dramatic 1623 treatments by Schein (below) of sacred texts.
Admission is free with donations kindly accepted.
The Madison performance is this Saturday night, July 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Luther Memorial Church (below), 1021 University Ave.
Other performances are:
Tonight, Thursday, July 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Saint Edward’s Montessori School, 1129 Bellevue Ave., in Eau Claire.
Friday night, July 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Cathedral Church of All Saints, 818 East Juneau Ave., in Milwaukee.
You can learn more and follow the group on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheMendotaConsort/
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