The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: A busy week at the UW-Madison brings FREE concerts in new halls with an emphasis on new music for winds, chamber ensembles, orchestra and band
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.
ALERT: Tonight’s performance by the a cappella vocal group Chanticleer is SOLD OUT.
By Jacob Stockinger
It’s going to be a busy week at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mead Witter School of Music and especially in its new Hamel Music Center (below), 740 University Ave., next to the new wing of the Chazen Museum of Art.
On tap is a variety of FREE concerts, with an emphasis on new music, including compositions for winds, chamber ensembles, orchestra and band.
Earlier mistakes on dates and time have been corrected. To double check dates, times and venues as well programs, go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/events/
Here is a schedule:
TUESDAY, OCT. 8
At 7:30 p.m. in the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall, the UW Wind Ensemble (below), conducted by director Scott Teeple and guest conductor Ross Wolf, will perform a FREE program of contemporary wind music.
The program includes works by Augusta Read Thomas (below top), Jake Runestad, Larry Tuttle, Xi Wang (below bottom) and Carlos Simon.
There will be one world premiere and two Wisconsin premieres.
For more information and the complete program, go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/event/uw-wind-ensemble-5/
THURSDAY, OCT. 10
At 8 p.m. in Collins Recital Hall of the new Hamel Music Center, the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble will perform a FREE recital of new music, including two works — “Wet Ink” and ” Treetop Studio” — by the critically acclaimed UW-Madison composer Laura Schwendinger (below).
Also on the “Fall Notes” program are “Wing and Prayer” by Melinda Wagner (below top) and “Pentacle” by Irish composer Raymond Deane (below bottom) who will make his UW-Madison debut.
Performers for “Fall Notes” will feature UW-Madison musicians, including clarinetist Alicia Lee, cellist James Waldo, violist Sally Chisholm, pianist Christopher Taylor and student performers.
FRIDAY, OCT. 11
At 8 p.m. in the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall, the UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra (below) will open its season with a FREE concert under its new conductor Oriol Sans, a native of Catalonia, Spain, who studied at the Barcelona Conservatory and who came to Madison from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
The program is: “aequilibria” by contemporary Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir (heard in the YouTube video at the bottom); “Death and Transfiguration; by Richard Strauss; and “Symphonic Dances” by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
For more information about conductor Oriol Sans (below), go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/oriol-sans/
For more information, from Wikipedia, about composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir (below), go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_S._Þorvaldsdóttir
SUNDAY, OCT. 13
At 2 p.m., in the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall, the University Bands will perform a FREE concert under conductor Darin Olson (below), the assistant director of bands at the UW-Madison.
No program is available.
Tags: #ACapella, #AliciaLee, #AmericanComposer, #AnnaThorvaldsdottir, #AsianComposer, #AugustaReadThomas, #BandConcert, #BandMusic, #BarcelonaSpain, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CarlosSimon, #ChamberMusic, #ChazenMuseumofArt, #Chinesecomposer, #ChineseMusic, #ChristopherTaylor, #ClarinetMusic, #ClassicalMusician, #CollinsRecitalHall, #ConcertHall, #ConcertProgram, #ContemporaryChamberEnsemble, #ContemporaryComposers, #ContemporaryMusic, #CriticallyAcclaimed, #DarinOlson, #DeathandTransfiguration, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FacultyConcert, #GuestConductor, #HamelMusicCenter, #IcelandicComposer, #IrishComposers, #JacobStockinger, #JakeRunestad, #James Waldo, #JamesWaldo, #LarryTuttle, #LauraSchwendinger, #LivingComposers, #MeadWitterFoundationConcertHall, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MelindaWagner, #Musicfaculty, #MusicProfessors, #MusicSchool, #NewMusic, #OrchestralMusic, #OriolSans, #PaulCollins, #RaymondDeane, #RichardStrauss, #RossWolf, #SallyChisholm, #SchoolofMusic, #ScottTeeple, #SergeiRachmaninoff, #SergeiRachmaninov, #SoldOut, #SymphonicDances, #SymphonyOrchestra, #UniversityBands, #UniversityOfMichigan, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UW-MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #UWContemporaryChamberEnsemble, #UWSymphonyOrchestra, #UWWindEnsemble, #ViolaMusic, #VocalMusic, #Wikipediabiography, #Wikipediaentry, #WindEnsemble, #WindMusic, #WisconsinPremiere, #WorldPremiere, #XiWang, #YouTubevideo, a cappella, Alicia Lee, American, Ann Arbor, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Arts, Asia, asian, Augusta Read Thomas, band, Barcelona, blog, busy, Carlos Simon, Catalonia, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, Chanticleer, Chazen Museum of Art, China, Christopher Taylor, clarinet, clarinetist, Classical music, classicalmusic, Collins Recital Hall, composer, Concert, concert hall, conductor, conservatory, critically acclaimed, dance, dances, Darin Olson, death, Death and Transfiguration, debut, director, emphasis, Facebook, faculty, fall, follow, forward, free, group, guest, hall, Hamel Music Center, Iceland, Icelandic composer, information, Irish, Jacob Stockinger, Jake Runestad, Larry Tuttle, Laura Schwendinger, like, link, living composers, Madison, Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall, Mead Witter School of Music, Melinda Wagner, Music, music faculty, music school, native, new, New Music, notes, Orchestra, orchestral music, Oriol Sans, Paul Collins, performance, Pianist, Piano, post, posting, premiere, professor, program, Raymond Deane, recital, Richard Strauss, Ross Wolf, Sally Chisholm, schedule, School of Music, Scott Teeple, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei Rachmaninov, share, sold-out, Spain, Spanish, Student, symphonic, Symphonic Dances, symphony orchestra, tag, tonight, transfiguration, United States, University Bands, University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, UW Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, UW Symphony Orchestra, UW Wind Ensemble, UW-Madison, UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra, variety, Viola, violist, vocal music, week, Wikipedia, wind ensemble, wind music, wing, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Premiere, work, world premiere, Xi Wang, YouTube
Classical music: Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra music director and conductor Andrew Sewell launches his own website
5 Comments
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event.
By Jacob Stockinger
Just two weeks before he mounts the podium on Friday, Jan. 25, for the first Masterworks Concert by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra this season, maestro Andrew Sewell (below) has launched his own website.
Sewell, who was born in New Zealand and became a naturalized American citizen, is the music director and conductor of the WCO, and is also now in his second season as music director and conductor of the San Luis Obispo Symphony in California. Plus, he has many guest appearances, from London to Hong Kong, and numerous awards to his credit. (You can hear an interview with Sewell in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The homepage of his new website, which features becoming black-and-white photos of Sewell, looks deceptively simple to navigate.
But there is much more than is apparent at first to learn there.
Under BIO you can read about his life in detail and also listen and watch archival videos of him conducting the Wichita and the San Luis Obispo orchestras in major works by Haydn, Beethoven, Berlioz and Brahms, along with critical praise for his performances and programming.
Under SCHEDULE, you see concert dates and soloists but no programs — at first. But if you click on the yellow words for PURCHASE TICKETS and either MASTERWORKS or CONCERT, you will be directed to full information about all the concerts by both of the orchestras he heads.
And by clicking on GALLERY you will find a generous montage of color photos, both serious and playful, of the friendly and talented Sewell at work and at ease.
Here is a link to the website:
https://www.andrewsewell.net/?fbclid=IwAR3zaRVX5psZMfYQNBW2XKIj6AvgY5fiVMQXZw-yOALDQDmZTvBElX6U3us
The Ear finds this a useful and appealing tool to learn more about a Madison maestro whose achievements have consistently stood out for almost 20 years and have altered the landscape of local music-making for the better.
The handsome new website is a job well done, and is well worth your time to check out, bookmark and use regularly.
Bravo, maestro!
Tags: #AmericanCitizen, #AndrewSewell, #BlogInterview, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChamberOrchestra, #ClassicalComposers, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FranzJosephHaydn, #GuestConductor, #HectorBerlioz, #HomeWebsite, #HongKong, #HongKongChina, #JohannesBrahms, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MusicCritic, #MusicReview, #NewZealand, #SanLuisObispo, #SanLuisObispoSymphony, #UnitedStates, #WichitaKansas, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, America, American, Andrew Sewell, Arts, audience, Audio, award, Baroque, Beethoven, Berlioz, biography, blog, Brahms, bravo, California, chamber orchestra, China, choral music, citizen, Classical era, Classical music, composer, conductor, date, Early music, Facebook, Franz Schubert, Friday, guest, Haydn, Hong Kong, interview, Jacob Stockinger, Japan, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Kansas, link, Ludwig van Beethoven, Ludwig van Bethoven, Madison, Maestro, masterwork, Mozart, Music, music critic, Music director, music review, New Zealand, Orchestra, performer, post, posting, program, programming, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo Symphony, schedule, Season, share, soloist, symphony, tag, talent, ticjet, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, video, Website, Wichita, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, word, YouTube
Classical music: The amateur Middleton Community Orchestra performs a non-traditional “holiday” concert of Mahler and Kodaly this Wednesday night
1 Comment
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event.
By Jacob Stockinger
During the holiday season, many — maybe even most — classical music groups program music that goes with the theme of the holidays from Christmas and Hanukkah to Kwanzaa and the New Year.
But some groups wisely give listeners a respite from holiday fare.
That happened one week ago when the University of Wisconsin-Madison Choral Union and the UW Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Beverly Taylor, performed a memorable program that featured the brassy “Te Deum” by Zoltan Kodaly and especially the calming Requiem by Maurice Duruflé.
Something similar will happen again this Wednesday night, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the comfortable Middleton Performing Arts Center, attached to Middleton High School, 2100 Bristol St.
That is when the mostly amateur but critically acclaimed Middleton Community Orchestra (below, in a photo by Brian Ruppert) will perform its “holiday” concert that is holiday-ish more as a matter of timing than of content or theme, since you won’t hear any carols or sing-alongs or the usual or traditional holiday fare. The Ear thinks it’s a smart approach and a welcome break.
The non-holiday “holiday” program includes “Songs of a Wayfarer” by Gustav Mahler, sung by UW-Madison baritone Paul Rowe (below).
Also on the program is “Le Boeuf sur le Toit” (The Steer on the Roof) by Darius Milhaud with violinist soloist Naha Greenholtz (below, in a photo by Greg Anderson), who is the concertmaster of the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
Matthew Coley (below top), a member of the acclaimed Madison-based percussion group “Clocks in Motion,” will perform two pieces of Hungarian music that use the rarely heard cimbalom (below bottom): the “Czardas” by Vittorio Monti and the “Hary Janos Suite” by Kodaly. (You can hear Monti’s familiar “Czardas” in a version for violin and piano in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Kyle Knox (below), who is the new music director of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras and the new associate conductor of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and who is also the husband of Naha Greenholtz, will once again be the guest conductor.
Admission is $15 for the general public with students and young people getting in for free. Tickets can be bought at the Willy Street Co-op West and at the door. The box office opens at 6:30 p.m. and doors to the hall open at 7 p.m.
As usual, there will be a meet-and-greet reception (below) – complete with Christmas cookies, you can be sure – at the end of the concert.
For more information about future MCO concerts, reviews of past concerts and details about how to join the orchestra or support it, go to: http://middletoncommunityorchestra.org/home
Tags: #AmateurMusician, #AssociateConductor, #BaritoneSinger, #BeverlyTaylor, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BoxOffice, #BrassMusic, #ChristmasCarol, #ChristmasCookies, #CimbalomMusic, #ClocksinMotion, #Czardas, #DariusMilhaud, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GuestConductor, #GustavMahler, #HaryJanosSuite, #HolidayCarol, #HolidayConcert, #HolidayMusic, #HolidaySeason, #HungarianComposer, #husband-and-wife, #KyleKnox, #LeBoeufsurleToit, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MatthewColey, #MauriceDuruflé, #Meet-and-Greet, #MiddletonCommunityOrchestra, #MiddletonHighSchool, #MiddletonPerformingArtsCenter, #MiddletonWisconsin, #MusicCritic, #MusicDirector, #MusicReview, #NahaGreenholtz, #NewYear, #PaulRowe, #PercussionEnsemble, #PercussionMusic, #SongsofaWayfarer, #TeDeum, #TraditionalMusic, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UWChoralUnion, #UWSymphonyOrchestra, #VittorioMonti, #WillySt.CoopWest, #WillyStreetCoopWest, #WisconsinYouthSymphonyOrchestras, #YoungListeners, #YoungPeople, #YouTubevideo, #ZoltanKodaly, acclaim, admission, amateur, approach, Arts, associate conductor, audience, baritone, Beverly Taylor, blog, box office, brass, break, Carol, choral music, Choral Union, Christmas, Christmas cookies, cimbalom, Classical music, Clocks in Motion, composer, concertmaster, conductor, content, cookies, critic, doors hall, Facebook, familiar, group, guest conductor, Gustav Mahler, Hanukkah, Hary Janos Suite, holiday concert, holiday music, holiday season, Hungarian, Hungary, husband, information, Jacob Stockinger, join, Kwanzaa, Kyle Knox, Le Boeuf sur le Toit, like, link, listener, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, married, marry, Matthew Coley, Maurice Durufle, Middleton, Middleton Community Orchestra, Middleton High School, Middleton Performing Arts Center, Music, Music director, music review, Naha Greenholtz, new, New Year, Orchestra, Paul Rowe, performer, Pianist, Piano, post, posting, public, reception, Requiem, share, sing, sing-along, singer, Singing, smart, soloist, song, Songs of a Wayfarer, Student, sung, support, tag, Te Deum, theme, tickets, traditional, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW Symphony Orchestra, UW-Madison, Viola, Violin, violinist, Vittorio Monti, vocal music, welcome, wife, Wisconsin Youth Symhony Orchestras, word, young people, YouTube, Zoltan Koldaly
Classical music: Madison Opera gives completely satisfying and nearly perfect performances of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci.” Here are four reviews
1 Comment
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR SHARE IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event.
By Jacob Stockinger
Larry Wells – who is The Opera Guy for The Well-Tempered Ear blog – went to the recent production of the Madison Opera and filed this review, with performance photos by James Gill:
By Larry Wells
I attended performances of Pietro Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” presented by the Madison Opera at Overture Hall last Sunday afternoon.
Each of the operas is an hour and a quarter long. At least for “Cavalleria” (below), the time flew by while I was captivated by the good singing, excellent playing and charming staging. The opera is tightly constructed and the production flowed effortlessly to its dramatic conclusion.
The feckless mama’s boy Turridu was ably portrayed by tenor Scott Piper (below top) who sang beautifully throughout. His nemesis, Alfio, was sung by baritone Michael Mayes (below bottom). Mayes has an excellent voice and terrific musicianship, but he tended to overact.
The star of the show was soprano Michelle Johnson (below) as Santuzza. Her big aria “Voi lo sapete” and her duets with Piper were rapturously dramatic. Her supple and nuanced performance had me uncharacteristically leaping to my feet and shouting “Brava!” as she took her curtain call. Hers is a voice I hope to hear again soon.
The Madison Symphony Orchestra shone throughout the performance, ably led by guest conductor Joseph Mechavich (below). I cannot recall hearing before such subtle control of its orchestral voices, and the ensemble glimmered in the well-known intermezzo. (You can hear that famous and beautiful Intermezzo, used in the film “The Godfather” and conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The set and costumes, the bravura singing by the chorus, and the lighting were all above expectations. It was a completely satisfying experience.
“Pagliacci” is a more troublesome work for me. It has moments of lyrical genius but also what to me seems like filler – the chorus going on too long about getting to vespers, for example.
Mayes (below) portrayed the villainous Tonio in this opera. Although his prologue was beautifully sung, his creepy overacting was a bit too much. For example, when Nedda spat at him in contempt, he wiped the spittle from his face and then licked his hand. His final utterance “La commedia e finita” was overly dramatic and lacking irony.
Piper sang the clown Canio (below), and by the time he got to the showpiece aria “Vesti la giubba” I was nervous that he would not be able to hit all the high notes. He did hit the notes, but it will take a couple more years for this role to fit his voice comfortably.
Nedda was portrayed by sensational Talise Trevigne (below bottom). Her big aria “Stridono lassù” was sung beautifully, and the orchestra shimmered in its accompaniment. Her duet with her lover Silvio, ably sung by baritone Benjamin Taylor (below top), was another highlight of the production.
Once again, the orchestral interlude was beautifully played.
Altogether, this was almost a perfect afternoon at Madison Opera. There appeared to be a gratifyingly large number of younger people attending, which I took as a good sign for the future. (Below is the tragic final scene of “Pagliacci” with Robert Goodrich, Michael Mayes and Scott Piper.)
I look forward to the next production: Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” on Feb. 8 and 10. I saw it recently at Des Moines Metropolitan Opera, so I am interested to see how it will compare.
When all is said and done, I enjoyed “Pagliacci” but feel it is inferior to “Cavalleria.” Although both operas are frequently performed together, I have attended other pairings for “Cavalleria” including one with Puccini’s comic short opera “Gianni Schicchi.” That combination worked well. I wonder: Do readers have other suggestions for pairings?
Editor’s note: Everyone has an opinion. How did you and other critics find the Madison Opera productions? Leave your opinion in the COMMENTS section. And here are links to some other reviews:
Here is the review John W. Barker wrote for Isthmus: https://isthmus.com/music/satisfying-double-bill/
Here is the review, with a historical bent, that Greg Hettmansberger wrote for his blog “What Greg Says”: https://whatgregsays.wordpress.com/2018/11/06/madison-opera-goes-old-school/
And here is what Lindsay Christians wrote for The Capital Times newspaper: https://madison.com/ct/entertainment/arts_and_theatre/theatre/love-revenge-passion-violence-open-the-season-at-madison-opera/article_1c27e195-cc2f-5826-9502-00544b88fae6.html
Tags: #ALittleNightMusic, #BenjaminTaylor, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BlogReview, #CapTimes, #CavalleriaRusticana, #ChoralMusic, #CircusClown, #ComicOpera, #CurtainCall, #DesMoines, #DesMoinesMetropolitanOpera, #FacebookPost, #FilmMusic, #FilmSoundtrack, #FinalScene, #GiacomoPuccini, #GianniSchicchi, #GregHettmansberger, #GuestConductor, #GustavoDudamel, #HighNotes, #IsthmusNewspaper, #JamesGill, #JohnW.Barker, #JosephMechavich, #LarryWells, #LindsayChristians, #LyricalMusic, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonOperaChorus, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #Mama'sBoy, #Mamma'sBoy, #MichaelMayes, #MIchelleJohnson, #MovieMusic, #MovieSoundtrack, #MusicReview, #OperaAria, #OperaMusic, #PietroMascagni, #RobertGoodrich, #RuggeroLeoncavallo, #ScottPiper, #StephenSondheim, #TaliseTrevigne, #TheCapitalTimes, #TheGodfather, #TheOperaGuy, #TheVespers, #TheWell-TemperedEar, #WhatGregSays, A Little Night Music, aria, Arts, baritone, Benjamin Taylor, blog, bravura, Cap Times, captivated, Cavalleria Rusticana, charming, choral music, chorus, Classical music, clown, comfort, comfortably, comic, comic opera, composer, conclusion, conductor, contempt, costumes, coupling, creepy, critic, curtain call, Des Moines, Des Moines Metropolitan Opera, drama, dramatic, duet, effortless, experience, face, Facebook, feckless, film, final scene, genius, Giacomo Puccini, Gianni Schicchi, Greg Hettmansberger, guest conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, hand, high notes, highlight, History, intermezzo, irony, Isthmus, Jacob Stockinger, James Gill, John W. Barker, Joseph Mechavich, lack, Larry Wells, licked, lighting, Lindsay Christians, lover, lyrical, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Opera Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Mama's boy, Michael Mayes, Michelle Johnson, movie, Music, music review, musicianship, nemesis, nervous, Newspaper, nuanced, opera, Orchestra, overact, Overture Center, Pagliacci, pairing, Pietro Mascagni, playing, portrayed, production, prologue, Pucchini, rapture, reader, review, Robert Goodrich, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Scott Piper, sensational, set, show, Singing, soprano, soundtrack, spittle, staging, star, Stephen Sondheim, supple, Talise Trevigne, The Capital Times, The Godfather, The Opera Guy, The Well-Tempered Ear, tight, time, tragedy, Tragic, troublesome, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, utterance, vespers, villain, vocal music, voice, What Greg Says, Wisconsin, YouTube
Classical music: The Madison Symphony Orchestra concerts this weekend feature three local debuts — by a woman conductor, a Grammy-winning cellist and an immigrant composer
2 Comments
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR SHARE IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event.
By Jacob Stockinger
Three local debuts will take place this weekend in the three “Epic Romance” concerts by the Madison Symphony Orchestra (below).
Renowned Canadian guest conductor Tania Miller will lead the MSO while music director John DeMain makes his debut at the Liceu Theater in Barcelona, conducting the opera Candide in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth.
Grammy Award-winning American cellist Zuill Bailey will make his Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) solo debut in Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto.
And Canadian composer Michael Oesterle will be performed for the first time in Madison when his work “Home” opens each concert.
The second half of the program is Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
Performances will be held in Overture Hall of the Overture Center, 2912 State Street, on Friday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.; on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m.; and on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2:30 p.m.
Here are more details:
Canadian Conductor Tania Miller has distinguished herself as a dynamic interpreter, musician and innovator, on the podium and off. She has been praised for “energy, grace, precision and restraint.” She has appeared as a guest conductor in Canada, the United States and Europe with such orchestras as the Bern Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony, among others.
Over a 14-year tenure as the Music Director of the Victoria Symphony in Canada, Miller (below) gained national acclaim for her passion and commitment to the orchestra and community. Recipient of the 2017 Friends of Canadian Music award from the Canadian League of Composers for her acclaimed commitment to contemporary music in Canada, Miller has been an example of the impact of commitment and dedication to an orchestra and to the future of orchestral music through creative innovation and vision.
You can hear Tania Miller discuss women conductors in the informative YouTube video at the bottom.(But please be forewarned: YouTube was having major technical issues and glitches last night that affected all their videos on this blog, not just this one. If it doesn’t load when you try, wait and then try again.)
Zuill Bailey (below), described by Classical Net as “easily one of the finest cellists today,” has been featured with symphony orchestras worldwide, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Israel, Cape Town, and the Bruckner Orchestra in Linz, Austria. Bailey has also appeared at Disney Hall, the Kennedy Center, the United Nations, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
In 2017, Bailey won a best solo performance Grammy Award for his live recording of “Tales of Hemingway,” by composer Michael Daugherty. His celebrated “Bach Cello Suites” and recently released Britten Cello Symphony and Sonata CD with pianist Natasha Paremski immediately rose to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard magazine Classical Chart.
His Cello Concerto was the last notable work by Sir Edward Elgar (below), composed in 1919 in the aftermath of World Ear I. Upon regaining consciousness following a 1918 tonsillectomy, Elgar immediately asked for pencil and paper and wrote down the melody that would become the first theme in this concerto.
Despite today’s renown as a crowd favorite, the piece did not achieve wide popularity until the 1960s, when a recording by Jacqueline du Pré caught the public’s attention, and it became a classical favorite.
Michael Oesterle’s “Home” had its world premiere in November 2017 with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and conductor Tania Miller.
The piece is an homage to the great geographical ebb and flow of humanity, also known as the immigrant experience. Oesterle (below) notes, “I wrote it through the filter of my personal impressions as an immigrant, and with the realization that this subject is humbling in its breadth.”
Composed between May and August 1888, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 was first performed in St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky Theatre with Tchaikovsky below) conducting.
Unlike its two predecessors, there is no known program for the Fifth Symphony, save for a recurring main theme heard throughout all four movements. Over the years this theme has become known as the “fate” motive; its original ominous character undergoes various metamorphoses, emerging triumphant in the score’s concluding pages.
ABOUT ATTENDING
The lobby opens 90 minutes prior to each concert. One hour before each performance, Madison Symphony Chorus Director and UW-Madison director of choral activities Beverly Taylor (below) will lead a 30-minute Prelude Discussion in Overture Hall to enhance concertgoers’ understanding and listening experience. It is free to ticket holders.
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 so they can experience the Prelude Discussion.
Program notes for the concerts are available online: http://bitly.com/oct2018programnotes
Tickets can be purchased in the following ways:
- Single Tickets are $18-$93 each and are on sale now at: https://madisonsymphony.org/ax 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.
- Subscribers to 5 or more symphony subscription concerts can save up to 50% off single ticket prices. More information is available about the season at: https://madisonsymphony.org/18-19
- Flex-ticket booklets of 10 vouchers for 18-19 symphony subscription concerts are available. Learn more at: https://madisonsymphony.org/flex
Discounted seats are subject to availability, and discounts may not be combined.
Find more information, go to madisonsymphony.org
Major funding for the October concert is provided by: Mirror 34 Productions and National Guardian Life Insurance Company. Additional funding is provided by John A. Johnson Foundation, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation, Barbara J. Merz, Selma Van Eyck, and the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tags: #AmericanImmigration, #AntonBruckner, #AsianImmigration, #BarcelonaSpain, #BenjaminBritten, #BillboardMagazine, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BoxOffice, #CanadianComposer, #CanadianConductor, #CanadianLeagueofComposers, #CanadianMusic, #CandideOpera, #CapeTown, #CarnegieHall, #CelloConcerto, #ChoralMusic, #ClassicalChart, #ClassicalNet, #CompactDisc, #ContemporaryComposers, #ContemporaryMusic, #DisneyHall, #EbbandFlow, #EdwardElgar, #ErnestHemingway, #EuropeanImmigration, #FacebookPost, #FemaleConductor, #GrammyAward, #GuestConductor, #HomeWebsite, #InsuranceCompany, #JacquelineduPré, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnDeMain, #KennedyCenter, #LeonardBernstein, #LincolnCenter, #LinzAustria, #LiveRecording, #MadisonCommunityFoundation, #MadisonSymphonyChorus, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MariinskyTheatre, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MichaelOesterle, #MusicalInterpretation, #MusicDirector, #NatashaParemski, #NationalEndowmentfortheArts, #NationalGuardianLife, #NewMusic, #OperaMusic, #OrchestralMusic, #OregonSymphony, #OvertureCenter, #OvertureHall, #PeterIlyichTchaikovsky, #PublicAttention, #RoyalConservatory, #RussianComposer, #SeattleSymphony, #SeattleWashington, #SoloCelloSuites, #SoloDebut, #SouthAfrica, #StateOfWisconsin, #TalesofHemingway, #TaniaMiller, #TechnicalGlitch, #TechnicalIssue, #The1960s, #The60s, #TorontoCanada, #UnitedNations, #UnitedStates, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VancouverCanada, #VancouverSymphony, #VictoriaSymphony, #WisconsinArtsBoard, #WomanConductor, #WorldPremiere, #WorldWarI, #YouTubevideo, #ZuillBailey, 1960s, acclaim, anniversary, Anton Bruckner, Arts, Austria, award, Bach, Barcelona, Benjamin Britten, Bern, BernSwitzerland, Billboard magazine, birth, Canadian, Candide, Cape Town, Carnegie Hall, cellist, Cello, centennial, character, Chicago, choral music, Classical chart, Classical music, Classical Net, commitment, community, Compact Disc, composer, concerto, conductor, debut, dedication, discount, discussion, Disney Hall, Edward Elgar, epic, Ernest Hemingway, Europe, example, Facebook, favorite, female, funding, geographical, geography, glitch, Grammy, Grammy Award, group, homage, Home, immigrant, immigration, impact, impression, innovation, innovator, insurance, interpretation, interpreter, Israel, issue, Jacob Stockinger, Jacqueline du Pré, Johann Sebastian Bach, John DeMain, Kennedy Center, Leonard Bernstein, Lincoln, LIncoln Center, Linz, Live Recording, Los Angeles, Madison, Madison Community Foundation, Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre, Mead Witter School of Music, melody, metamorphoses, Michael Oesterle, Music, Natasha Paremski, National Endowment for the Arts, NEA, New York City, ominous, online, opera, Oregon, Passion, personal, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Pianist, Piano, podium, popular, popularity, Prelude, public attention, Romance, Royal Conservatory, Russia, San Francisco, Seattle, security, senior, solo, Sonata, South Africa, Spain, St. Petersburg, State of Wisconsin, Student, subscriber, Switzerland, symphony, Tales of Hemingway, Tania Miller, technical, theme, ticket, Toronto, United Nations, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Victoria, Viola, Violin, vision, web site, Website, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Arts Board, women, YouTube, Zuill Bailey
Recent Comments
| MARTIN LUTHER LUTE |… on Classical music: Who was the e… | |
 | Brian Jefferies on Classical music: A major reass… |
 | welltemperedear on What made Beethoven sick and… |
 | rlhess5d5b7e5dff on What made Beethoven sick and… |
| welltemperedear on Beethoven’s Ninth turns 200… |
The Well-Tempered Ear 