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CORRECTION: By mistake, The Ear earlier posted the wrong program for the Oakwood Chamber Players this weekend. Here is the correct information. The Ear apologizes for the error and any inconvenience.
By Jacob Stockinger
The first concerts for the new year by the Oakwood Chamber Players (below) will be take place this Saturday night, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m., and Sunday afternoon, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m., at the Oakwood Village University Woods Center for Arts and Education at 6209 Mineral Point Road in Madison, on Madison far west side near West Towne Mall.
The program begins with a witty opener, “L’Heure de Berger” by French composer Jean Francaix (below) for woodwind quintet and piano. The piece’s three movements cleverly depict the quirky personalities of patrons observed at a Parisian restaurant.
“Y Deryn Pur” for oboe, violin, viola and cello — by the award-winning British composer Cecilia McDonald (below) is based on an expressive Welsh folk tune, “The Gentle Dove.”
Written early in his career, Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s “Pastorale” is a soothing song without words for a mixed quintet of winds and strings. It is a delicate piece originally written for voice and piano, then re-orchestrated for the sustained sonorities of a chamber ensemble.
“Silver Dagger” is a plaintive tale told through a traditional Appalachian folk song and re-envisioned emotionally and dramatically for violin, cello and piano by American composer Stacy Garrop (below).
The “Suite Belle Epoque in Sud-America” was written for the Berlin Woodwind Quintet by Brazilian composer and conductor Julio Medaglia (below). It bursts with vitality and expressive melodies while celebrating a variety of South American musical styles. (You can hear his suite in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The perennial simplicity, beauty and warmth of Mozart are showcased in his “Adagio in F,” performed by bassoon and string trio.
The program concludes with “Ralph’s Old Records” by Kenji Bunch (below) – a fresh and humorous composition for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano that takes listeners through a series of brief movements inspired by an old family record collection.
Tickets are available at the door and are priced at $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $5 for students, or at www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a professional music ensemble supported by Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries and the Oakwood Foundation
By Jacob Stockinger
The Oakwood Chamber Players will kick off their 2016-2017 season with a concert entitled “Looking Across the Table: Can We Find Common Ground?” on this coming Saturday night, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon, Sept. 11, at 2 p.m.
The concerts will both be held in the Oakwood Village University Woods Center for Arts and Education, 6209 Mineral Point Road, on Madison’s far west side.
Tickets can be purchased with cash or personal checks at the door: $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors and $5 for students.
Visit www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com or call (608) 230-4316 for more information.
The season’s theme of “Perspective” is full of interesting viewpoints on life and relationships; the blended use of diverse musical styles with film and theater will help the audience see things from another’s point of view.
Here is a link to a preview of the entire season:
This weekend’s program concert will begin Cafe Music for piano trio by the Michigan-based composer Paul Schoenfield. The work draws inspiration from a range of styles including 20th-century American, Viennese, gypsy and Broadway. (You can hear the catchy music in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Cuban composer Paul Colina’s “Stairway to Midnight Café” has a delightful current of dance influence and is dedicated to his friends in the First Coast Chamber Ensemble.
The Oakwood Chamber Players will welcome guests to the stage for the charming Dixtuor by French composer Jean Françaix (below). The engaging interplay of strings and winds creates an atmosphere of instrumental commentary parallel to an upbeat social gathering.
Guest musicians include Maureen McCarty, violin; Katrin Talbot, viola; Brad Townsend, string bass; Jennifer Morgan, oboe; and Juliana Mesa-Jaramillo, bassoon.
Famed British composer Sir Edward Elgar (below) wrote Elegy, a poignant adagio, when processing the untimely loss of a friend and colleague. He created a piece that tugs at the heartstrings of both listeners and performers.
This is the first of five concerts in the Oakwood Chamber Players’ 2016-2017 concert season. Remaining concerts include “Looking Back and Forward” on Nov. 27; “Looking Within” on Jan. 21 and 22”: “Looking Through the Lens” on March 18 and 19; and “Looking Closely at the Score” on May 13 and 14.
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a group of Madison-area professional musicians who have rehearsed and performed at Oakwood Village for over 30 years. They have experience with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music and other groups and institutions.
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a professional music ensemble proudly supported by Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries and the Oakwood Foundation.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear’s friends at the Madison-based woodwind quintet Black Marigold (below) -– founded in 2012 — write with the following information:
The Marigolds are in bloom!
Join us for our fourth annual Summer Concert Series, featuring 20th- and 21st-century pieces by French, Czech and American composers.
The program includes: “Calder’s Circus” by Robert Cohen; Diversions for Wind Quintet by Lee Hoiby (below), who studied at the UW-Madison School of Music; Wind Quintet, Op. 10, by Pavel Haas; and Quintet No. 1 by Jean Francaix.
All concerts are free and open to the public.
Here is a schedule:
MONDAY, August 24, 2015 – 7 p.m.
1705 Monroe St – Madison, WI
SATURDAY, August 29, 2015 – 7 p.m.
CapitolLakes Retirement Community – Grand Hall
333 West Main Street, Madison, WI
FRIDAY, September 4, 2015 – 7 p.m.
OakwoodVillage University Woods
6201 Mineral Point Rd – Madison, WI
SundayAfternoon Live at the Chazen
Sunday, September 6, 2015 – 12:30 p.m.
750 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706
This performance will also be live streamed on the Chazen website.
For more information, contact or visit blackmarigoldwinds@gmail.com
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