The Well-Tempered Ear
Just Bach concludes its season this Wednesday morning with highlights of the past season
1 Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement to post about this season’s final Just Bach online concert this Wednesday:
Greetings from Just Bach!
We hope this finds you all well, enjoying the spring, and ready to experience more of the timeless beauty of Bach’s music.
Our May concert features musical highlights from this extraordinary past season.
The complete program listing is below. It is organized in two parts, corresponding to the two semesters.
Indoor singing was risky during the pandemic, so the bulk of our programming was instrumental, with strings and keyboard for the most part (below in a photo by Barry Lewis).
The Sinfonia from the Christmas Oratorio was recorded at St. Matthias Episcopal Church in Waukesha, because of the Dane County Emergency Order prohibiting indoor gatherings in November and December during the pandemic.
We were back at Luther Memorial Church for the January concert, and by April we were able to include woodwinds (below, in a photo by Barry Lewis)
You can view the May concert here, starting at 8 a.m. this Wednesday, May 19, and then staying available indefinitely: https://justbach.org/concerts/
Please join us for a half-hour live Zoom post-concert reception on Wednesday night, May 19, at 7 p.m. Chat with the performers by following the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85144014343?pwd=RmVURXBBU1hMcloyalJhbUdCQ1NmQT09
Viewing the concerts is FREE, but we ask those who are able, to help us pay our musicians by making a tax-deductible donation at: https://justbach.org/donate
Just Bach will take a break for the summer, and concerts will resume in September.
Here is the May program:
• Welcome
Part I – Fall Semester
• Cantata 146: Sinfonia
• Violin Sonata, BWV 1001: movement 4 Presto
• Double Violin Concerto: movement 3 Allegro (in the YouTube video, with an animated graphic, at the bottom)
• Christmas Oratorio, Part II: Sinfonia
• Christmas Oratorio: Chorale “Ich steh’ an deiner Krippen hier” (I stand here by your crib)
Part II – Spring Semester
• Cantata 35: Sinfonia
• Trio Sonata, BWV 526: movement 2 Largo
• Violin Sonata, BWV 1019: movement 5 Allegro
• Flute Sonata BWV 1034: movement 1 Adagio ma non tanto
• Cantata 42: Sinfonia
• Cantata 149: Chorale “Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein” (O Lord, let your dear little angel)
Performers are: Kangwon Kim, Christine Hauptly Annin, Leanne League, Xavier Pleindoux, Nathan Giglierano and Aaron Yarmel, violin; Marika Fischer Hoyt, viola; Charlie Rasmussen and Lindsey Crabb, cello; Linda Pereksta and Monica Steger, traverse flute; Marc Vallon, bassoon; Grammy-winner Sarah Brailey, soprano; John Chappell Stowe and Jason Moy, harpsichord; Mark Brampton Smith, organ; and Bruce Bengston, organ.
Dave Parminter is the videographer and Barry Lewis is the photographer.
For more information, go to:
youtube.com/channel/UCcyVFEVsJwklHAx9riqSkXQ
Tags: #AaronYarmel, #AppalachianSpring, #BachCantata, #BaroqueMusic, #BarryLewis, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BruceBengston, #ChamberMusic, #CharlieRasmussen, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ChristineHauptlyAnnin, #ChristmasOratorio, #ClassicalMusician, #CoronavirusPandemic, #DaneCounty, #DaveParminter, #DoubleConcerto, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #Grammy-winning, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #InstrumentalMusic, #JacobStockinger, #Jason Moy, #JesusChrist, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnChappellStowe, #JustBach, #KangwonKim, #LeanneLeague, #LindaPereksta, #LindseyCrabb, #Lord'sPrayer, #LutherMemorialChurch, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MarcVallon, #MarikaFischerHoyt, #MarkBramptonSmith, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MonicaSteger, #MusicFacukty, #NathanGiglierano, #NonprofitOrganization, #OnlineConcert, #OrganMusic, #PeriodInstruments, #SarahBrailey, #SopranoSinger, #St.MatthiasEpiscopalChurch, #StringMusic, #TheEar, #TheLord, #TheUW, #TraversoFlute, #TrioSonata, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VirtualConcert, #VocalMusic, #WaukeshaWisconsin, #WindMusic, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #XavierPleindoux, #YouTubeChannel, #YouTubevideo, #ZoomMeeting, Aaron Yarmel, able, adagio, allegro, angel, animated, animation, Arts, audience, available, Bach, Baroque, Baroque music, Barry Lewis, Bassoon, bassoonist, blog, break, Bruce Bengston, BWV, Cantata, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, Charlie Rasmussen, chat, choral music, Chorale, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Christine Hauptly Annin, Christmas, Christmas Oratorio, church, Classical music, classicalmusic, composer, Concert, concerto, coronavirus, Dane County, Dave Parminter, December, donate, double concerto, Early music, emergency, Episcopal, extraordinary, Facebook, Facebook post, Facebook posting, fall, flauto traverso, flute, free, gathering, Grammy, graphic, harpsichord, harpsichordist, highlights, historically informed performance practices, indefinite, indefinitely, indoor, instrumental, Jacob Stockinger, January, Jesus Christ, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Chappell Stowe, Just Bach, Kangwon Kim, Keyboard, Kim, Largo, league, Leanne League, like, Linda Pereksta, Lindsey Crabb, link, live, Lord, Love, Luther Memorial Church, Lutheran, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marc Vallon, Marika Fischer Hoyt, Mark Brampton Smith, Mead Witter School of Music, meauty, Monica Steger, morning, most, movement, Music, music faculty, Nathan Giglierano, nonprofit, November, nulk, online, online concert, Orchestra, order, organ, organist, organize, pandemic, part, past, pay, performers, period instruments, photographer, post, post-concert, posting, presto, program, programming, prohibit, Protestant, reception, recorded, Religion, resume, risky, Sarah Brailey, Season, semester, September, share, sinfonia, singer, Singing, Smith, Sonata, soprano, soprano singer, St. Matthias Episcopal Church, string music, strings, summer, tag, tax-deductible, The Ear, timeless, traverso, trio sonata, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, UW-Madison, Vallon, videographer, view, Viola, Violin, violinist, violist, virtual, virtual concert, vocal music, Waukasha, Wednesday, welcome, wind music, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, woodwinds, Xavier Pleindoux, YouTube, Zoom
The Madison Bach Musicians host a virtual online Baroque Tour starting this Saturday, April 24, and lasting through May 8
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following notice from Trevor Stephenson, the founder and artistic director of the Madison Bach Musicians (MBM), who will debut their season-closing concert live and online this coming Saturday night, April 24:
Stephenson (below) writes:
Since travel has been so very limited during the pandemic, Madison Bach Musicians is elated to conclude its 2020-21 season with a musical journey through both space and time, and invites you to join us from the intimacy and safety of your own home.
A Baroque Tour is a musical travelogue of instrumental masterworks from 17th- and 18th-century Europe. Luminaries like Handel, Vivaldi, Purcell and Buxtehude are in the mix on this program with their brilliant though lesser-known contemporaries such as Louis-Gabriel Guillemain (below top), Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Andrea Falconieri (below bottom) and Francisco Jose de Castro.
A Baroque Tour will explore the glorious sonic landscapes of Italy, Spain, France, England and Germany.
Our ensemble for this program consists of five strings plus harpsichord, and we are thrilled that baroque bassoon virtuoso Marc Vallon (below, in a photo by James Gill), who teaches at the UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music, will join us for Vivaldi’s exuberant Bassoon Concerto in B-Flat Major. (You can hear the opening movement in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
A Baroque Tour will be broadcast via live-streaming from the acoustically spectacular sanctuary of Grace Episcopal Church on this Saturday evening, April 24. (Rebroadcasts will be available on demand through May 8.)
Tickets are $15 and available online at: https://madison-bach-musicians.square.site/product/a-baroque-tour-april-24-2021-livestream-on-demand-until-may-8/57?cs=true&cst=custom
If you wish to purchase tickets through the mail, use this downloadable form: https://madisonbachmusicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MBM-2020-21-Live-Stream-Ticket-Form-A-Baroque-Tour.pdf
Here is the schedule for the concert and related events:
From 7:30-8 p.m., in a pre-concert lecture, MBM artistic director Trevor Stephenson will discuss the composers, the repertoire and the historical instruments.
The performance will run from 8 p.m. until approximately 9:15 p.m.
The evening will then conclude with a live Question-and-Answer session with the musicians who will be socially distanced on the concert platform.
Listeners should submit their questions—in advance or during the broadcast—via email to Karen Rebholz at madisonbachmusicians.manager@gmail.com.
THE MUSICIANS are:
Marc Vallon – baroque bassoon soloist
Kangwon Kim (below) – baroque violin
Emily Dupere – baroque violin
Micah Behr – baroque viola and baroque guitar
Martha Vallon – baroque cello and viola da gamba
James Waldo – baroque cello (and tambourine)
Trevor Stephenson – harpsichord
THE PROGRAM is:
HANDEL – Sonata in A major for Violin and Continuo, HWV 361
CHARPENTIER – Concerto for Four Viols, H 545
PURCELL – Trio Sonata in C major, Z 795
VIVALDI – Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major, RV 503
GUILLEMAIN – Sonata in A minor for Two Violins, Op. 5, No.1
BUXTEHUDE – Trio Sonata in G major, BuxWV 271
DE CASTRO – Trio Sonata in C major, Op. 1, No. 6
FALCONIERI – La Folia (Folías de España)
Here is a link to some brief biographies and interesting facts about these remarkable composers: https://madisonbachmusicians.org/april-24-a-baroque-tour-a-livestream-event/
Tags: #AndreaFalconieri, #AntonioVivaldi, #ArtisticDirector, #BaroqueBassoon, #BaroqueContinuo, #BaroqueMusic, #BassoonConcerto, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChamberMusic, #ChristianChurch, #CoronavirusPandemic, #DietrichBuxtehude, #EmailAddress, #EmilyDupere, #EnglishComposer, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FranciscoJosedeCastro, #Frenchcomposer, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GermanComposer, #GermanComposers, #GraceEpiscopalChurch, #HarpsichordContinuo, #HenryPurcell, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #HomeWebsite, #InstrumentalMusic, #italianComposer, #JacobStockinger, #JamesWaldo, #JohannSebastaianBach, #KangwonKim, #KeyboardMusic, #LaFolia, #LiveStreaming, #Louis-GabrielGuillemain, #MadisonBachMusicians, #Marc-AntoineCharpentier, #MarcVallon, #MarthaVallon, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MicahBehr, #Musicfaculty, #OnlineConcert, #PeriodInstruments, #Pre-concertLecture, #RelatedEvent, #SaturdayNight, #SocialDistance, #SpanishComposer, #StringMusic, #TheEar, #TheUW, #TrevorStephenson, #TrioSonata, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VioladaGamba, #VirtualConcert, #WoodwindInstruments, #YouTubevideo, acoustics, Andrea Falconieri, Antonio Vivaldi, April, April Fool, Artistic director, Arts, audience, Bach, Baroque, bassoon concerto, biography, blog, brief, brilliant, Britain, Broadcast, Buxtehude, Castro, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, Charpentier, Christian, church, Classical music, composer, Concert, concerto, conclude, contemporary, continuo, coronavirus, cost, demand, Dietrich Buxtehude, downloadable, Dupere, Early music, elate, email, Emily Dupere, England, English, evening, event, exuberant, Facebook, Facebook post, Facebook posting, fact, Falconieri, form, forward, founder, Francisco Jose de Castro, French, George Frideric Handel, German, Germany, glorious, Grace Episcopal Church, Guillemain, guitar, Handel, harpsichord, help, Henry Purcell, historically informed performance practices, Home, home website, instrumental, intimacy, invite, Italian, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, James Walso, Johann Sebastian Bach, journey, Kangwon Kim, Keyboard, keyboard music, La Folia, landscape, like, limited, link, livestream, Louis-Gabriel Guillemain, luminary, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, mail, Marc Vallon, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Martha Vallon, masterpiece, MBM, Mead Witter School of Music, Micah Behr, mix, Music, music faculty, musical, Musician, notice, online, pandemic, performer, period instruments, post, posting, pre-concert lecture, professor, Purcell, Q&A, question-and-answer, related, remarkable, repertoire, repertory, safety, sanctuary, Saturday, Season, session, share, social distance, Sonata, sonic, space, Spain, Spanish, spectacular, string, string music, tag, tambourine, The Ear, thrill, ticket, time, tour, travel, travelogue, Trevor Stephenson, trio, trio sonata, UK, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, video, Viol, Viola, viola da gamba, Violin, violinist, virtual, virtuoso, Vivaldi, Website, Wisconsin, woodwind, write, YouTube
Just Bach will release its FREE online concert for this month on this Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 8 a.m. The program features a virtuosic violin and harpsichord sonata and a sing-along cantata chorale
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement to post from violist Marika Fischer Hoyt of the group Just Bach:
February greetings from Just Bach!
We hope this finds you all well, keeping warm and ready to experience more of the timeless beauty of Bach’s music.
As regular performers on Luther Memorial Church’s weekly “Music at Midday” concert series (below, in a photo by Barry Lewis), Just Bach presents half-hour programs on the third Wednesday of each month. This semester’s dates: Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 17, April 21 and May 19.
Our concerts are FREE and online indefinitely once they are released at 8 a.m. They are posted on the Just Bach and Luther Memorial YouTube Channels.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyVFEVsJwklHAx9riqSkXQ
Concert viewers are invited to a 30-minute live Zoom Post-concert reception on this Wednesday, Feb. 17,at 7:30 p.m. Those who would like to join us and chat with the performers can follow this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84516271617?pwd=THR5bTFwRkh0VTBIWDlzR2VxSGIrUT09
Viewing the concerts is free, but we ask those who are able, to help us pay our musicians with a tax-deductible donation. https://justbach.org/donate/
Our February concert opens with Just Bach co-founder, Grammy-nominated soprano and UW-Madison graduate student Sarah Brailey (below), providing welcoming remarks.
The program offers the sonata for that belongs to a set of six that Bach wrote for violin and harpsichord.
Violinist Kangwon Kim (below left, in a photo by Dave Parminter) and harpsichordist Professor John Chappell Stowe (below right), of the UW-Madison, join forces for a performance of the Sonata No. 6 in G Major, BWV 1019.
This five-movement work includes an extraordinary middle movement for solo keyboard — a jaunty Allegro in E minor that has more attitude than any Allegro has a right to!
Sarah closes the program with the final chorale from Cantata 159, “Jesu, deine Passion ist mir lauter Freude” (Jesus, Your passion is pure joy to me), which you can hear in the YouTube video at the bottom.
We encourage viewers to sing along by following the chorale sheet music, which will be displayed on the computer screen as Sarah sings and Professor Stowe accompanies on the organ.
The videographer is Dave Parminter.
For more information, contact Marika Fischer Hoyt, a co-founder and performer, at the Just Bach Concert Series: justbach.marika@gmail.com
Here are more links, including a preview with the Allegro movement in the last one:
youtube.com/channel/UCcyVFEVsJwklHAx9riqSkXQ?
Tags: #BachCantata, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChamberMusic, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ClassicalMusician, #ComputerScreen, #ConcertSeries, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #DaveParminter, #FacebookPage, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GrammyAward, #GrammyNominations, #JacobStockinger, #JesusChrist, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnChappellStowe, #KangwonKim, #LutheranReligion, #LutherMemorialChurch, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MarikaFischerHoyt, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MusicatMidday, #Musicfaculty, #MusicProfessor, #OnlineConcert, #SacredHymnofThanksgiving, #SacredMusic, #SarahBrailey, #SingAlong, #SopranoSinger, #SpringSemester, #TheEar, #TheLord, #TheUW, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VirtualConcert, #VocalMusic, #YouTubeChannel, #YouTubevideo, accompany, allegro, Arts, attitude, audience, Bach, Bach cantata, Baroque, Baroque music, beauty, blog, Brailey, BWV, Cantata, Chamber music, choral music, Chorale, Christ, Christian, Christianity, church, Classical music, classicalmusic, composer, computer, Concert, concert series, coronavirus, Dave Parminter, display, Early music, email, encourage, experience, extraordinary, Facebook, Facebook post, Facebook posting, February, forward, free, Grammy, harpsichord, harpsichordist, help, indefinitely, information, Jacob Stockinger, jaunty, Jesus, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Chappell Stowe, join]forces, Joy, Just Bach, Kangwoo Kim, Keyboard, Kim, like, link, Lord, Luther, Luther Memorial Church, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marika Fischer Hoyt, Mead Witter School of Music, moivement, Music, Music at Midday, music faculty, online, organ, organist, pandemic, Passion, performance, performer, post, posted, posting, professor, pure, ready, remark, sacred, sacred music, Sarah Brailey, screen, semester, share, sing-along, singer, solo, Sonata, soprano, Stowe, tag, The Ear, timeless, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, UW-Madison, videographer, viewer, Viola, Violin, violinist, violist, virtual, virtuosic\monthly, vocal music, wearm, welcome, well, Wisconsin, work, YouTube
This Wednesday, Just Bach debuts its free 30-minute online concert of solo and chamber organ music with a sing-along cantata chorale
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement to post:
Happy New Year from Just Bach!
We hope this finds you all well, and ready to experience more of the timeless beauty of music by Johann Sebastian Bach (below, 1685-1750) in 2021, because we have a lovely new program ready to debut on this Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 8 a.m. (It will stay up indefinitely after the premiere, so you can listen to it before or after the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris.)
As regular performers on Luther Memorial Church’s weekly “Music at Midday” concert series, Just Bach presents half-hour programs on the third Wednesday of each month. The spring semester’s dates are: Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 17, April 21 and May 19.
Our online concerts — Dave Parminter is the videographer — are posted early Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. on the Just Bach and Luther Memorial YouTube Channels. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyVFEVsJwklHAx9riqSkXQ
Viewing the virtual concerts is free to the public, but we ask those who are able to help us pay our musicians with a tax-deductible donation at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick…
Our January concert opens with Just Bach co-founder and Grammy-nominated soprano Sarah Brailey (below) – a graduate student at the UW-Madison — providing welcoming remarks.
The program offers two trio sonatas from the set of six that Bach composed for solo organ. Bruce Bengston (below) will perform Sonata No. 4 in E Minor, BWV 528, on the big Austin organ up in the church’s balcony.
Then Bruce will switch to the small portative organ and join violinist Kangwon Kim (below top) and violist Marika Fischer Hoyt (below middle) in a performance of Sonata No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 526, arranged for violin, viola and organ continuo (a rehearsal photo is below bottom).
Sarah, who also recorded herself paying a cello part, closes the program with the final chorale from Cantata 149 —Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein (Ah, Lord, let your dear little angel) — a powerfully transcendent movement that Bach also used to close the St. John Passion. (You can hear it in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
We encourage viewers to sing along by following the chorale sheet music, which will be displayed on the computer screen as Sarah sings and Bruce accompanies on the organ.
The world needs this soul-centering music now more than ever. Please join us this Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Tags: #All-Bach, #AustinOrgan, #BachCantata, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BruceBengtson, #ChamberMusic, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ComputerScreen, #ConcertSeries, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #DaveParminter, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GraduateStudent, #GrammyAward, #HappyNewYear, #JacobStockinger, #JesusChrist, #JohannSebastianBach, #JustBach, #KamalaHarris, #KangwonKim, #LutherMemorialChurch, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MarikaFischerHoyt, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MusicatMidday, #OnlineConcert, #PayPal, #PortativeOrgan, #PresidentBiden, #ProtestantReligion, #SaintJohn, #SarahBrailey, #SheetMusic, #SopranoSinger, #SpringSemester, #St.JohnPassion, #TheEar, #TheInauguration, #TheUW, #TrioSonata, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #Vice-PresidentHarris, #VirtualConcert, #VocalMusic, #YouTubeChannel, #YouTubevideo, 2021, accompany, angel, Arts, audience, Austin, Bach, balcony, Baroque, Baroque music, beauty, Biden, blog, Bruce Bengtson, BWV, Cantata, cellist, Cello, center, Chamber music, choral music, Chorale, Christ, Christian, Christianity, church, Classical music, close, co-founder, compose, composer, computer, computer screen, Concert, concert series, continuo, coronavirus, Dave Parminter, debut, display, donate, donation, Early music, ever, Facebook, Facebook post, Facebook posting, final, forward, founder, free, graduate student, Grammy, half-hour, Happy New Year, hope, inauguration, Jacob Stockinger, Jesus, Johann Sebastian Bach, join, Joseph Biden, Just Bach, Kamala Harris, Kangwon Kim, like, link, Lord, lovely, Luther Memorial Church, Lutheranism, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marika Fischer Hoyt, Mead Witter School of Music, movement, Music, Music at Midday, need, new, nomination, now, online, open, organ, pandemic, part, Passion, performance, photo, portative organ, post, posting, POTUS, powerful, President, President Biden, program, Protestant, public, ready, rehearsal, Religion, remarks, Saint John, Sarah Brailey, screen, semester, series, share, sheet music, sing, sing-along, singer, solo, Sonata, soprano, soul, Spring, spring semester, St. John Passion, tag, tax-deductible, The Ear, timeless, transcendent, trio sonata, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, UW-Madison, vice president, Vice-President Harris, videographer, viewer, Viola, Violin, violinist, violist, virtual, virus, vocal music, Wednesday, week, weekly, welcome, well, Wisconsin, world, YouTube, YouTube channel, YouTube video
The 10th annual Baroque Holiday Concert by the Madison Bach Musicians is next Saturday night and will be virtual and online
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
On this coming Saturday night, Dec. 12, the Madison Bach Musicians will present their 10th annual Baroque Holiday Concert (below is a photo of a previous year’s holiday concert).
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s one-hour concert will be a virtual web event.
The program features Baroque masterworks by Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, Arcangelo Corelli, Joseph Dall’Abaco, Jean Daniel Braun and Marc-Antoine Charpentier. It was recorded Dec. 1-6 in several acoustically superior venues.
Links to the MBM holiday program can be purchased at $15 per household at https://madisonbachmusicians.org. Patrons purchasing the link can view the program the evening of Dec. 12 and anytime afterward through Friday, Dec. 26.
Festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. with MBM director Trevor Stephenson’s 30-minute pre-concert lecture about the repertoire, the composers and the period instruments.
At 8 p.m., viewers will see the 60-minute, high-definition video of the concert portion of the program, followed by a 30-minute Zoom Q&A session with the musicians from their homes. Questions for the Zoom session should be submitted by email to MBM manager Karen Rebholz at madisonbachmusicians.manager@gmail.com.
The concert begins with a selection of nine pieces from the Schemelli Songbook. Georg Schemelli collaborated with Johann Sebastian Bach (below, 1685-1750) in assembling this magnificent collection of spiritual songs, published in Leipzig in 1736. Bach provided most of the bass lines and wonderful harmonizations.
Grammy Award-winning soprano Estelí Gomez and harpsichordist Trevor Stephenson (both below) perform this set in the beautiful chapel at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.
From the sanctuary of Grace Episcopal Church, on the Capitol Square in downtown Madison, baroque cellist James Waldo (below) will perform Bach’s magisterial Solo Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat major.
UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music bassoon faculty member Marc Vallon (below top, in a photo by James Gill) and esteemed baroque cellist Martha Vallon (below bottom) team up in the Collins Recital Hall of the UW”s Hamel Music Center for a Duo Sonata by Jean Daniel Braun (1703-1738).
Marc will also play a solo bassoon transcription of two Fantasias, originally for solo flute, by Telemann (1681-1767). Martha will perform the meditative Capriccio no. 4 in D minor by Dall’Abaco (1710-1805).
The program concludes at The Crossing in Madison with MBM concertmaster violinist Kangwon Kim (below top), violist Micah Behr (below bottom) and cellist James Waldo joining in a medley of holiday favorites.
They include Greensleeves variations over a ground (repeated bass line); three movements from Christmas Music for Instruments by Charpentier (1643-1704); the Adagio from the Christmas Concerto Op. 6, No. 8 by Corelli (1653-1713), which you can hear in the YouTube video at the bottom; and two beloved carols — Lo How a Rose and Sussex Carol – in arrangements by Micah Behr.
MBM wishes to thank Geneva Campus Church for their collaboration in filming this portion of the program as a contribution to their weekly services.
Tags: #AppletonWisconsin, #ArcangeloCorelli, #BaroqueBassoon, #BaroqueCello, #BaroqueFlute, #BaroqueMusic, #Baroquesinging, #BaroqueViola, #BaroqueViolin, #BassLines, #BassoonMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CapitolSquare, #ChamberMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ChristmasCarol, #ChristmasConcerto, #ChristmasMusic, #CityofMadison, #ClassicalMusician, #CollinsRecitalHall, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #DuoSonata, #EstelíGomez, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GenevaCampusChurch, #GeorgPhilippTelemann, #GeorgSchemelli, #GraceEpiscopalChurch, #GrammyAward, #HamelMusicCenter, #HighDefinition, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #HolidayConcert, #HolidayFavorites, #HomeWebsite, #JacobStockinger, #James Waldo, #JeanDanielBraun, #JesusChrist, #JohannSebastianBach, #JosephDell'Abaco, #KangwonKim, #KarenRebholz, #LawrenceUniversity, #LeipzigGermany, #LoHowaRose, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MadisonWisconsin, #Marc-AntoineCharpentier, #MarcVallon, #MarthaVallon, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MicahBehr, #Musicfaculty, #OnlineConcert, #PeriodInstruments, #Pre-concertLecture, #RecordedMusic, #SocialDistance, #SociallyDistanced, #SoloCelloSuite, #SpecialCollection, #SpiritualMusic, #SussexCarol, #TheCrossing, #TheEar, #ThemeAndVariations, #TheUW, #TrevorStephenson, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VirtualConcert, #VocalMusic, #YouTubevideo, #ZoomMeeting, acoustics, Appleton, Arcangelo Corelli, Arts, assemble, assembling, audience, Bach, Baroque, Baroque cello, Baroque music, bass, bass lines, Bassoon, blog, Braun, Campus, Capitol Square, Capriccio, Carol, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, chapel, Charpentier, Christ, Christian, Christian church, Christmas, church, Classical music, classical musician, classicalmusic, collaborate, collection, Collins Recital Hall, composer, Concert, concertmaster, concerto, conclude, contribution, Corelli, coronavirus, December, director, downtown, duo sonata, Early music, earlymusic, Estelí Gomez, evening, event, Facebook, Facebook post, Facebook posting, Fantasia, festivities, film, filming, flute, forward, Geneva Campus Church, Georg Philipp Telemann, George Schemelli, Grace Episcopal Church, Grammy Award, Greensleeves, ground, Hamel Music Center, harmonization, harpsichord, harpsichordist, High definition, historically informed performance practices, holiday concert, holiday favorites, Home, home website, hour, Jacob Stockinger, Jean Daniel Braun, Jesus, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Dall'Abaco, Kangwoo Kim, Karen Rebholz, Lawrence University, Leipzig, like, link, Lo How a Rose, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, magisterial, magnificent, Marc Vallon, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Martha Vallon, mask, Masterworks, Mead Witter School of Music, meditative, medley, Micah Behr, movement, Music, music faculty, online, pandemic, patrons, perform, period instruments, photo, piece, pieces, play, portion, post, posting, pre-concert, previous, professor, program, publish, published, purchase, Q&A, question-and-answer, questions, recorded, recorded music, sanctuary, services, set, share, Singing, social distance, socially distanced, solo, solo cello suite, Sonata, song, songbook, soprano, spiritual, submit, Superior, Sussex Carol, tag, technology, Telemann, The Crossing, The Ear, theme and variations, tickets, transcription, Trevor Stephenson, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW, UW-Madison, venues, view, viewer, Viola, Violin, violinist, virtual, vocal music, web, Website, weekly, Wisconsin, wonderful, year, YouTube, Zoom
The Madison Bach Musicians will open its new season with a virtual online concert of Haydn and Mozart this Saturday night and Sunday afternoon
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement, about a promising contrast-and-compare concert, from the Madison Bach Musicians:
The Madison Bach Musicians (MBM) will start its 17th season this Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, Oct. 3 and 4, with a virtual chamber music concert and livestream event featuring the irrepressibly joyous, witty and poised music of Classical-era masters Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).
The performances features period instruments and historically informed performance practices.
See details near the bottom about the schedules and how to buy tickets.
Performers are violinist Kangwon Kim and cellist James Waldo (on gut-strung period instruments), fortepianist Trevor Stephenson, and soprano soloist Morgan Balfour — winner of the 2019 Handel Aria Competition. (Below top is Kangwon Kim; below middle is James Waldo; and below bottom is Morgan Balfour.)
The broadcast will begin with a 30-minute pre-concert lecture by MBM artistic director Trevor Stephenson (below, in a photo by Kent Sweitzer) illuminating the program’s repertoire, the lives of Haydn and Mozart, and the aesthetic aims of the period instruments.
While most of the pieces on the program are buoyant and full of celebration, the concert will begin with a pensive and melancholy work commensurate with our current pandemic times.
Mozart composed the Sonata in E minor for violin and fortepiano in 1778 at the age of 22 while on tour in Paris. His mother, who was with him on the tour, became suddenly ill and died unexpectedly. This sonata is the only piece of instrumental music Mozart ever composed in the key of E minor, and its blend of gravitas, sparseness and tenderness is heartbreakingly poignant.
Mozart’s Piano Trio in G major, composed in 1788, shows him at his sunniest and most affable, with one brilliant and catchy tune after another suspended effortlessly — at least in Mozart’s hands! ― within the balance of Classical form.
The program’s first half ends with five of Mozart’s songs. Mozart truly loved the soprano voice, and he lavished some of his greatest writing upon it. The set includes perhaps his best-known song, Das Veilchen (The Violet)―which is also, oddly enough, Mozart’s only setting of a text by the German poet Goethe.
The second half of the concert is devoted to the music of Mozart’s near contemporary, Joseph Haydn, who was just 24 years older than Mozart.
Though the two composers came from very different musical and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Haydn (below) was lower working class, rural, and musical but not professionally trained.
Mozart (below) was urban, solid middle class, musically trained, sophisticated, and ambitious.
Both managed to carve out successful careers in the fertile musical culture of Vienna and its environs. They certainly knew each other and even made music together on occasion, playing in string quartets — with Haydn on violin and Mozart on viola.
Haydn composed two sets of English Canzonettas (songs) during his visits to England during the early 1790s.
The Mermaid, with its flirtatious beckoning, stretches the confines of the parlor setting (where this music was most likely performed) and suggests a cabaret environment. Fidelity, on the other hand, stays within the parlor style, emphasizing how the bond of devotion can overcome physical separation. Haydn brilliantly interweaves stormy, naturalistic episodes with declarations of unbending loyalty.
The concert will close with Haydn’s mercurial Piano Trio No. 27 in C major. Also composed during his London visits in the 1790s, this trio is the first of a set of three dedicated to the London-based virtuoso pianist Therese Bartolozzi. The Presto finale―with its unbridled high spirits―is a supreme example of Classical Era cheeky, theatrically conceived wit. (You can hear the finale in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
SCHEDULE AND TICKETS
As a result of public health guidelines in response to Covid-19 that do not allow for an in-person audience, we will livestream our concert from Grace Episcopal Church, downtown on Capitol Square, on Saturday evening for at-home viewing. (Below are Trevor Stephenson and Kangwon Kim rehearsing in masks at Stephenson’s home.)
The event will begin with a pre-concert talk by Trevor Stephenson at 7:30 p.m., and after the 8 p.m. concert, the musicians will remain on stage to answer questions submitted by our audience.
On Sunday, starting at 3 p.m. we will rebroadcast the Saturday evening recording and follow that with a live question-and-answer session with our musicians from their homes.
After purchasing tickets for $15 per household, you will be sent a link to access the performance. The recorded lecture and video will be available for up to 72 hours after they take place.
To purchase tickets, go to: https://madisonbachmusicians.org/oct-3-4-haydn-mozart/ or to: https://madison-bach-musicians.square.site/product/haydn-mozart-oct-3-4-livestream/54?cs=true
For information about the Madison Bach Musicians’ full season, go to: https://madisonbachmusicians.org/season-overview/
Tags: #ArtistcDirector, #BaroqueChamberMusic, #Baroquesinging, #BaroqueViolin, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CapitolSquare, #ChamberMusic, #ChristianChurch, #Classicalcomposer, #Classicalera, #Classicalform, #ClassicalStyle, #ConcertSeason, #Contrast-and-Compare, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FranzJosephHaydn, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GraceEpiscopalChurch, #GreatBritain, #GutStrings, #HandelAriaCompetition, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #InstrumentalMusic, #JacobStockinger, #James Waldo, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohannWolfgangvonGoethe, #KangwonKim, #LifeandDeath, #LiveStreaming, #LondonEngland, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MadisonWisconsin, #MajorKey, #MakeMusic, #Middle-Class, #MiddleClass, #MinorKey, #MusicalStyle, #OnlineConcert, #ParisFrance, #PeriodInstruments, #PianoTrio, #PianoVirtuoso, #Pre-concertLecture, #PublicHealth, #RecordedMusic, #SharonLynneWilsonCenterfortheArts, #SopranoSinger, #StringQuartet, #TheEar, #TheFortepiano, #TheMermaid, #TheViolet", #TrevorStephenson, #ViennaAustria, #ViolinSonata, #VirtualConcert, #VocalMusic, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #WorkingClass, #YouTubevideo, aesthetic, afternoon, ambitious, answer, aria, Artistic director, Arts, at home, audience, Austria, Austrian, available, Bach, background, Baroque, Baroque music, beckoning, begin, best-known, blog, bond, bouyant, brilliant, Broadcast, buy, cabaret, canzonetta, Capitol Square, career, carve, catachy, celebration, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, cheeky, Christian, church, Classical era, Classical form, Classical music, compare, composed, composer, conceived, Concert, contemporary, contrast, coronavirus, culture, death, deatils, declaration, dedicated, devoted, devotion, different, downtown, Early music, effortless, effortlessly, eit, emphasize, England, English, environment, environs, episode, esthetic, Facebook, fertile, fidelity, fie, finale, flirtatious, fortepiano, forward, Franz Joseph Haydn, George Frideric Handel, German, Germany, Goethe, grace, Grace Episcopal Church, gravitas, great, Great Britain, greatest, guidelines, gut, gut strings, gut-strung, half, Handel, Handel Aria Competition, hands, Haydn, Health, hear, heartbreaking, help, historically informed performance practices, Home, household, illuminate, in person, information, instrument, instrumental music, interweave, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Joy, joyous, Kangwon Kim, key, Kim, lavished, lecture, like, link, live, lives, livestream, London, Love, loved, lower, loyalty, lyric, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, major key, Make Music, manage, masks, Master, melancholy, mermaid, minor key, minute, Morgan Balfour, MorganBalfour, Mother, Mozart, Music, musica, musical, Musician, naturalistic, night, odd, oddly, older, on-stage, online, only, onstage, overcome, pandemic, Paris, parlor, pensive, performer, period instruments, physicsl, Piano, Piano Trio, piece, play, poet, Poetry, poignancy, poignant, poise, post, posting, pre-concert, pre-concert lecture, professional, professionally, program, public, Public health, Q&A, question, recorded, rehearsal, rehearse, remain, repertoire, repertory, response, result, rural, Saturday, schedule, Season, separation, session, set, setting, share, Singing, socio-economic, solid, Sonata, song, sophisticated, soprano, sparseness, stormy, String quartet, style, subscriber, suddenly, sun, Sunday, sunny, suspended, tag, talk, tenderly, tenderness, text, The Ear, The Violet, theatrical, ticket, together, tour, trained, Trevor Stephenson, trio, tune, UK, unbendng, unexpected, United States, urban, Vienna, viewing, Viola, violet, Violin, Violin Sonata, violinist, violist, virtual, virtuoso, visit, vocal music, voice, winner, Wisconsin, wit, witty, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, work, working class, writing, year, YouTube
Season 3 of the free monthly Just Bach concerts begins at noon TODAY virtual and online. Each concert will be available for the following week. Here is the 2020-21 schedule
2 Comments
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement from the Just Bach monthly concert series – featuring singers as well as period instruments and historically informed performance practices — to post:
“We are thrilled to share the timeless beauty of Johann Sebastian Bach (below) with music lovers in Madison and beyond for another year.
“Our host venue, Luther Memorial Church at 1021 University Ave., has resumed their weekly ‘Music at Midday’ concert series: https://www.luthermem.org/music-at-midday/
“As part of this series, the one-hour Just Bach concerts will take place at noon on the third Wednesday of each month. Here are the dates for the new 2020-21 season: today Sept. 16; Oct. 21; Nov. 18; Dec. 16; Jan. 20; Feb. 17; March 17; April 21; and May 19.
“Because of the coronavirus pandemic, it is still too risky to have an in-person audience. So Music at Midday concerts will be virtual and online, posted on the Luther Memorial website.
“In addition, Just Bach concerts will be posted on the Just Bach website, the Just Bach Facebook page, and the Just Bach YouTube Channel.
“The concert footage should be available online for at least a week following the concert. At least that is the plan.
“Viewing the concerts is FREE, but we ask those who are able, to help us pay our musicians with a tax-deductible donation.
“Today’s concert program opens with the Pastorale in F, BWV 590, performed by organist Mark Brampton Smith (below).
“Violinist Kangwon Kim (below), concertmaster and assistant artistic director of the Madison Bach Musicians, will continue, with the Partita No. 2 in D Minor, with the famous Chaconne, for solo violin, BWV 1004 (see a brief preview in the YouTube video at the bottom).
“Co-founder and violist Marika Fischer Hoyt (below) will lead the final chorale sing-along, from Cantata 99, Was Gott tut, das isn wohlgetan (What God does, is well done).
“The chorale sheet music (below) will be displayed on the screen, and Mark Brampton Smith will accompany on the organ. Cantata 99 is a timely choice. It was composed for the 15th Sunday after Trinity, which is next Sunday, Sept. 20.
“We need this soul-centering music now more than ever. We invite the music community to join us today and other Wednesdays for a wonderful program of J.S. Bach.”
Sept. 16 program:
- Pastorale in F, BWV 590
- Partita in D Minor for solo violin, BWV 1004
- Chorale: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (What God does, is well done)
Performers: Kangwon Kim, violin 1; Mark Brampton Smith, organ
For more information go to: https://justbach.org and Facebook.org/JustBachSeries
Tags: #BachCantata, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChamberMusic, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ConcertSeries, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #HolyTrinity, #HomeWebsite, #InstrumentalMusic, #JacobStockinger, #JohannSebastianBach, #JustBach, #KangwonKim, #LutherMemorialChurch, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MarikaFischerHoyt, #MarkBramptonSmith, #MusicatMidday, #MusicLovers, #OrganMusic, #PeriodInstruments, #SheetMusic, #TheEar, #ViolinMusic, #VirtualConcert, #VocalMusic, #YouTubeChannel, #YouTubevideo, 12 p.m., 2020-21, accompany, announcement, another, Artistic director, Arts, audience, available, Bach, Baroque, beauty, begin, beyond, blog, BWV, Cantata, center, chaconne, challenging, Chamber music, channel, choice, choral music, Chorale, Christian, church, Classical music, community, compose, composer, Concert, concert series, concertmaster, coronavirus, dates, do, donate, donation, done, Early music, Facebook, famous, final, footage, forward, founder, free, God, historically informed performance practices, home website, hour, in person, information, instrument, instrumental music, invite, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Just Bach, Kangwon Kim, like, link, Luther Memorial Church, Lutheran, Lutheran religion, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, Marika Fischer Hoyt, Mark Brampton Smith, monthly, Music, Music at Midday, music lovers, musicians, need, new, noon, online, Orchestra, organ, pandemic, partita, Pastorale, pay, performance, performer, period instruments, plan, post, posted, posting, preview, program, Religion, resume, risky, sample, Season, series, share, sheet music, sing-along, singer, solo, soul, start, Sunday, support, tag, tax-deductible, The Ear, third, thrid, thrill, timeless, timely, today, Trinity, United States, video, view, viewing, Viola, Violin, violin music, violinist, violist, virtual, vocal music, Website, Wednesday, week, weekly, Wisconsin, wonderful, year, YouTube
Classical music: Madison Bach Musicians will hold their sixth annual summer workshops on baroque music online July 28-31. Registration ends July 26
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement to post from the Madison Bach Musicians – who are known for their authentic interpretations with period instruments and historically informed performance practices:
|
|
|
Here is a preview video on YouTube video:
Tags: #18thCentury, #BaroqueCello, #BaroqueContinuo, #BaroqueOrnamentation, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChamberMusic, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FacultyMember, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #HomeWebsite, #InPerson, #InstrumentalMusic, #JacobStockinger, #Jason Moy, #JasonMoy, #JohannSebastianBach, #KangwonKim, #LisetteKielson, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MarthaVallon, #MicahBehr, #MusicalInterpretation, #PeriodInstruments, #Pre-concertLecture, #SarahEdgar, #SignUp, #TheEar, #TrevorStephenson, #YouTubevideo, 18th century, announcement, annual, articulation, Arts, audience, authentic, Bach, Baroque, basics, blog, bow, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, class, Classical music, compare, composer, continuo, coronavirus, curiosity, dance, deadline, description, digital, early, Early music, Facebook, faculty, forward, fugue, Greensleeves, ground, group, help, historically informed performance practices, home website, in person, indulge, influence, instrumental music, instrumentalists, interaction, interpretation, J.S. Bach, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Kangwoo Kim, known, lessons, like, link, Lisette Kielson, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, Martha Vallon, MBM, Micah Behr, Music, number, online, ornamentation, pandemic, performance, period instruments, person, play, post, posting, pre-concert, preview, private, recording, registration, reinvent, response, safe, Sarah Edgar, share, sign-up, silence, Sonata, Sound, Student, summer, symphony, tag, talk, Teacher, The Ear, Trevor Stephenson, United States, use, Violin, violinist, virtual, Wisconsin, workshop, YouTube, Zoom
Classical music: Trevor Stephenson announces the new season of the Madison Bach Musicians on YouTube. It features smaller concerts and familiar comfort music
Leave a Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
At a time when so many concerts are being canceled, it is especially welcome when a local ensemble announces plans for the 2020-21 season.
To announce the 17th season of the Madison Bach Musicians — a period-instrument group that uses historically informed performance practices — the founder and artistic director Trevor Stephenson (below), who also plays the harpsichord, fortepiano and piano, has made and posted a 13-1/2 minute YouTube video.
The season will also be posted on the MBM website in early June, and will also be announced with more details about times and ticket prices via email and postal mailings.
In the video, Stephenson plays the harpsichord. He opens the video with the familiar Aria from the “Goldberg” Variations and closes with two contrasting Gavottes from the English Suite in G minor.
As usual, Stephenson offers insights in the programs that feature some very well-known and appealing works that are sure to attract audiences anxious to once again experience the comfort of hearing familiar music performed live.
One thing Stephenson does not say is that there seems to be fewer ambitious programs and fewer imported guest artists. It’s only a guess, but The Ear suspects that that is because it is less expensive to stage smaller concerts and it also allows for easier cancellation, should that be required by a continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
If the speculation proves true, such an adaptive move is smart and makes great sense artistically, financially and socially given the coronavirus public health crisis.
After all, this past spring the MBM had to cancel a much anticipated, expensive and very ambitious production, with many out-of-town guests artists, of the “Vespers of 1610” by Claudio Monteverdi. Nonetheless, MBM tried to pay as much as it could afford to the musicians, who are unsalaried “gig” workers who usually don’t qualify for unemployment payments.
“Hope and Joy” is a timely, welcome and much-needed theme of the new season.
The new season starts on Saturday night, Oct. 3, at Grace Episcopal Church downtown on the Capitol Square, and then Sunday afternoon, Oct. 4, at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton.
The program is Haydn and Mozart: songs composed in English and German by Haydn plus songs by Mozart; the great violin sonata in E minor by Mozart; and two keyboard trios, one in C major by Haydn and one in G major by Mozart.
Only four players will be required. They include: Stephenson on the fortepiano; concertmaster Kangwon Kim on baroque violin; James Waldo on a Classical-era cello; and soprano Morgan Balfour (below), who won the 2019 Handel Aria Competition in Madison.
On Saturday night, Dec. 12, in the First Congregational United Church of Christ, near Camp Randall Stadium, MBM will perform its 10th annual holiday concert of seasonal music.
The program includes several selections from the “Christmas Oratorio” by Johann Sebastian Bach; a Vivaldi concerto for bassoon with UW-Madison professor Marc Vallon (below, in a photo by James Gill) as soloist; and the popular “Christmas Concerto” by Arcangelo Corelli.
On Saturday night, April 24, at Grace Episcopal Church and Sunday afternoon, April 25, at Holy Wisdom Monastery, the MBM will perform a concert of German Baroque masterworks with the internationally renowned baroque violinist Marc Destrubé (below).
The program features Handel and Bach but also composers who are not often played today but who were well known to and respected by Bach and his contemporaries.
Specifically, there will be a suite by Christoph Graupner (below top) and a work by Carl Heinrich Graun (below bottom).
There will also be a concerto grosso by George Frideric Handel and two very well-known concertos by Bach – the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and the Concerto for Two Violins.
Here is the complete video:
What do you think of the Madison Bach Musicians’ new season?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: "Goldberg" Variations, #AntonioVivaldi, #ArcangeloCorelli, #ArtisticDirector, #BaroqueMusic, #BaroqueViolin, #BassoonConcerto, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BrandenburgConcerto, #CampRandall, #CampRandallStadium, #CapitolSquare, #CarlHeinrichGraun, #ChamberMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ChristmasConcerto, #ChristmasOratorio, #ChristophGraupner, #CityofMadison, #Classicalera, #ClaudioMonteverdi, #ConcertoGrosso, #COVID-19, #EnglishLanguage, #EnglishSuite, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FacultyMember, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #FranzJosephHaydn, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GermanLanguage, #Goldberg"Variations, #GraceEpiscopalChurch, #GuestArtist, #HandelAriaCompetition, #HealthCrisis, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #HolyWisdomMonastery, #HomeWebsite, #JacobStockinger, #James Waldo, #JamesWaldo, #JohannSebastianBach, #KangwonKim, #KeyboardMusic, #LiveMusic, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MarcDestrubé, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MiddletonWisconsin, #Musicfaculty, #MusicProfessors, #OrchestralMusic, #PandemicPlaylist, #PeriodInstrument, #PeriodInstruments, #PianoTrio, #PublicHealth, #SaturdayNight, #SeasonalMusic, #SopranoSinger, #Sundayafternoon, #TheEar, #TheFortepiano, #TicketPrice, #TrevorStephenson, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #Vespersof1610, #ViolinConcerto, #ViolinMusic, #ViolinSonata, #VocalMusic, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #World-Renowned, #YouTubevideo, 2019, 2020, 2021, 21, adaptive, afford, afternoon, ambition, ambitious, announcement, annual, Antonio Vivaldi, anxious, appealing, Arcangelo Corelli, aria, artist, artistic, Artistic director, Arts, attract \anxious, audience, Bach, Baroque, blog, Brandenburg Concerto, Camp Randall, Camp Randall Stadium, cancel, cancellation, Capitol Square, Carl Heinrich Graun, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, Christmas, Christmas Concerto, Christmas Oratorio, Christoph Graupner, church, Classical era, Classical music, Claudio Monteverdi, close, comfort, composer, Concert, concertmaster, concerto, Concerto Grosso, contemporaries, contrast, Corelli, coronavirus, crisis, dance, December, detail, downtown, draw, Early music, easier, email, English, English language, English Suite, ensemble, expensive, Facebook, faculty, familiar, fewer, financial, First Congregational United Church of Christ, fortepiano, forward, founder, Franz Joseph Haydn, Gavotte, George Frideric Handel, German, Germany, gig, Grace Episcopal Church, great, guest, Handel, Handel Aria Competition, harpsichord, Haydn, hear, hearing, historically informed performance practices, Holiday, Holy Wisdom Monastery, home website, hope, import, inisght, international, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joy, June, Kangwoo Kim, Keyboard, like, link, live music, local, long-distance, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, mail, mailing, Marc Destrubé, masterpiece, masterwork, MBM, Mead Witter School of Music, Middleton, Monteverdi, Morgan Balfour, MorganBalfour, move, Mozart, Music, Musician, new, night, offer, open, orchestral music, out-of-town, pandemic, pay, payment, performer, period instruments, period-instrument, Piano, Piano Trio, plans, play, popular, post, postal, posting, price, professor, program, public, Public health, renown, respect, salary, Saturday night, Season, seasonal, seasonal music, sense, share, singer, Singing, smart, social, Sonata, song, soprano, specific, speculation, Spring, stadium, start, Suite, Sunday afternoon, suspect, tag, The Ear, theme, ticket, time, timely, today, Trevor Stephenson, trio, unemployment, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, unsalaried, usual, UW, UW-Madison, vesper, video, Violin, Violin Sonata, violinist, Vivaldi, vocal music, Website, welcome, well-known, winner, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, worker, YouTube
Classical music: Madison Bach Musicians cancels its performances in late April of the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610. Here are details about ticket donations and refunds
1 Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE IT or TAG IT (not just “Like” it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event. And you might even attract new readers and subscribers to the blog.
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following note from founder and artistic director Trevor Stephenson (below top) and associate artistic director Kangwon Kim (below bottom) of the Madison Bach Musicians regarding the cancellation of the April performances of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610.
Dear Friends of Madison Bach Musicians,
We hope everyone is staying well and hanging in there during this global health crisis and massive shutdown. We’re all monitoring the news and looking for any indication that things might improve soon.
Unfortunately, the chances of improvement coming soon enough for public concerts scheduled even near the end of April are overwhelmingly remote.
Madison Bach Musicians (MBM) is very sorry to have to cancel the Vespers of 1610 by Claudio Monteverdi (below) on April 25 and 26. We were all greatly looking forward to it, and of course the piercing irony of having to cancel is that the joy this music brings is what we now, as a culture, need more than ever.
The global economic impact of the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic is certainly catastrophic. And, in the music world we are feeling this directly. As a non-profit organization, cancelling a performance is one of the hardest decisions to make ― but the health and well-being of our audience, musicians and staff absolutely come first.
Madison Bach Musicians (below) has offered the Vespers musicians 40 percent of their fee ― we regret we are not a large enough organization to offer full payment.
Several of the players, however, in a show of great generosity, immediately requested that their portion be distributed among the other players. Considering the economic hardship that most freelance musicians will be facing in the coming months, every degree of financial support is deeply appreciated.
MBM is so very grateful to those of you who have purchased tickets to the Vespers. As MBM will feel the economic effects of the Vespers cancellation for a long time, we ask for your support and careful consideration as you decide what to do with your unused Vespers tickets.
If you have purchased tickets, please let us know by April 26, 2020 whether you would like to:
Make your Vespers tickets a tax-deductible donation to MBM. Thank you ― we appreciate it!
A. If you purchased tickets as part of a 2019-20 MBM season subscription or as individual tickets online, please email MBM manager Karen Rebholz at madisonbachmusicians.manager@gmail.com. She will email you your donation tax receipt.
B. If you purchased tickets at one of our outlet locations (Orange Tree Imports or Willy Street Co-op East and West), please mail your tickets to MBM by U.S. mail, provide us with your email address, and we will email you your donation tax receipt.
Request a refund. We’re happy to provide your money back, and look forward to seeing you again in 2020-21 season.
A. If you purchased tickets as part of a 2019-20 MBM season subscription or as individual tickets online, please email MBM manager Karen Rebholz at madisonbachmusicians.manager@gmail.com. MBM will mail you your refund check.
B. If you purchased tickets at one of our outlet locations (Orange Tree Imports or Willy Street Co-op East and West), please mail your tickets to MBM by the U.S. mail, provide us with your street address, and MBM will mail you your refund check.
Our mailing address is: Madison Bach Musicians, 5729 Forsythia Place, Madison WI 53705. If you have questions, please email Karen Rebholz, MBM manager, at madisonbachmusicians.manager@gmail.com or call us at (608) 238-6092
Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to seeing you in the 2020-21 season
Very best wishes―and please stay safe.
Tags: #ArtisticDirector, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChoralMusic, #ClassicalMusician, #ClaudioMonteverdi, #COVID-19, #EmailAddress, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FinancialSupport, #FullPayment, #GovernmentShutdown, #HealthCrisis, #JacobStockinger, #JohannSebastianBach, #KangwonKim, #MadisonBachMusicians, #MailingAddress, #MusicWorld, #OrangeTreeImports, #PostalService, #ProfessionalMusician, #RenaissanceMusic, #SeasonSubscription, #StreetAddress, #SubscriptionTicket, #TheEar, #TheU.S., #TheVespers, #TrevorStephenson, #U.S.PostalService, #Vespersof1610, #VocalMusic, #WillyStreetCo-op, #WillyStreetCoopEast, #WillyStreetCoopWest, 2020, 2021, address, appreciate, April, Artistic director, Arts, audience, Bach, Baroque, blog, cancel, cancellation, catastrophe, catastrophic, Cello, check, choral music, Classical, Classical music, Claudio Monteverdi, co-op, composer, Concert, conductor, coronavirus, crisis, cultural, culture, decision, degree, direct, distribute, donation, Early music, ecnomic, eco-friendly, economic, effect, email address, event, everyone, face, Facebook, fee, feel, feeling, financial, forward, founder, freelance, full, full payment, generosity, global, gmail, government shutdown, grateful, hard, hardship, Health, impact, improve, improvement, indication, individual, irony, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joy, Kangwoo Kim, Kim, large, like, link, location, look, Madison, Madison Bach Musicians, mail, mailing address, manager, massive, MBM, money, moning, monitor, Monteverdi, Music, music world, Musician, need, news, non-profit, note, online, Orange Tree Imports, Orchestra, outlet, overwhelming, pandemic, payment, performance, performer, pierce, players, portion, post, postal service, posting, provide, purchase, questions, receipt, refund, regret, remote, Renaissance, request, safe, Season, see, share, shutdown, sorry, staff\, street, subscription, support, tag, tax, tax-deductible, The Ear, ticket, time, Trevor Stephenson, U.S., U.S. Postal Service, understanding, unfortunately, United States, USPS, vespers, Vespers of 1610, Viola, Violin, vocal music, we, well, well-being, Willy Street Co-op, Willy Street Coop East, Willy Street Coop West, Wisconsin, wish, world
Recent Comments
The Well-Tempered Ear 