The Well-Tempered Ear
What made Beethoven sick and deaf?
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By Jacob Stockinger
What made Beethoven (below) deaf and sick his entire adult life?
Scientists think they have an answer, although their opinion is not unanimous.
Here is a news story from Classic FM about the latest research:
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/beethoven/scientists-hair-analysis-deaf-mystery/
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Classical music: The Wisconsin Union Theater will hold an on-stage “exercising” – or playing — session for the public with its Steinway piano on Sunday, Sept. 22. Details are pending
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By Jacob Stockinger
Attention area pianists – students and teachers, amateurs and professionals!
It may be time to start some serious practicing if you have ever wanted a chance to play on the stage at the venerable Wisconsin Union Theater.
A public session will take place in Shannon Hall (below) on Sunday, Sept. 22, although no specific hours or details of the sign-up process have been announced yet. That is when the Wisconsin Union Theater will allow selected members of the public to play on its Steinway.
If you didn’t already know, instruments – both new Steinway pianos and old Stradivarius violins – work better and sound better when they are warmed up and played regularly. That is, they are at peak performance when they are “exercised,” as it is called.
Kind of like human bodies!
The piano in question is the same piano used by world-famous guest artists on the Wisconsin Union Theater’s Concert Series, most of whom have also signed the gold-painted metal harp or frame inside the piano.
For example, in the photo below you can see Misha Dichter – renowned for his dazzling technique and his interpretations of Franz Liszt’s virtuoso works — becoming the first pianist to sign the third of the Union’s four Steinways, which span a century, in 1970. (You can hear Dichter play two Hungarian Rhapsodies, with incredible repeated notes and impressively fast octaves in both hands, by Liszt in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Here is a link to the announcement, which has some fascinating background about the previous pianos at the Wisconsin Union Theater: https://union.wisc.edu/visit/wisconsin-union-theater/the-green-room/open-piano-day-puts-a-twist-on-tradition/
The Ear still hasn’t’ heard about specific hours; about the sign-up process; if music other than classical, such as jazz or pop or rock, will be allowed; or if the public can attend and listen.
But stay tuned.
As details become available, The Ear will share them.
Or you can go to website unionwisc.edu or the above web address and check for yourself.
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Classical music: Violinist Axel Strauss and pianist Trevor Stephenson will recreate a historic concert of Beethoven, Debussy and Bartok this Friday night
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By Jacob Stockinger
On this coming Friday night, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at West Middleton Lutheran Church, the prize-winning and internationally acclaimed violinist Axel Strauss (below) — a Madison favorite through his many wonderful concerts with the San Francisco Trio for the Bach, Dancing and Dynamite Society — and pianist Trevor Stephenson, artistic director of the Madison Bach Musicians, will collaborate on a program of masterpieces by Beethoven, Bartok and Debussy.
The event is something of a re-creation of a legendary concert given by famed violinist Joseph Szigeti (below top) and pianist-composer Bela Bartok (below bottom) at the Library of Congress on April 13, 1940 when Bartok, fleeing Europe and World War II, had been in the U.S. only a couple of days.
You can hear a recording of their historic performance of the Rhapsody by Bartok in the YouTube video at the bottom.
At the Sept. 14 concert, Strauss — who now teaches at McGill University in Montreal, Canada — and Stephenson will perform three major works that Szigeti and Bartok also played that April evening in 1940: Beethoven’s Sonata in A major Op. 47 (“Kreutzer”), Bartok’s Rhapsody No. 1 and Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, the last completed major work by Debussy (below) finished less than a year before his death in 1918. (You can find more about the impressive biography of Axel Strauss at http://www.axelstrauss.com and at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel_Strauss on Wikipedia.)
Stephenson will bring his 1855 Boesendorfer concert grand piano (both are below in a photo by Kent Sweitzer). Although heavily strung like a modern piano, this mid 19th-century Boesendorfer piano has no metal plate to alleviate the tension of the strings, but relies instead upon an ingenious wooden frame design.
The resonance of the sound is thus carried entirely by the wood, resulting in a complex and dark tone wonderfully suited to the sensibility of 19th- and early 20th-century music.
The West Middleton Lutheran Church (below top and bottom) is at 3763 Pioneer Road — the intersection of Mineral Point Road and Pioneer Road, just 10 minutes west of West Towne Mall.
It has superb acoustics for chamber music. The seating is very comfortable. The sight-lines are terrific. And there is plenty of parking.
Concert tickets are $25 available at the door (credit card, check and cash) or in advance (check only). Seating is limited to 225.
To reserve tickets, email trevor@trevorstephenson.com
Find more information at www.trevorstephenson.com.
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Classical music: More chamber music should be performed at the Goodman Community Center on the east side. Are there other underused venues?
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By Jacob Stockinger
Last Saturday morning, The Ear headed off to the Goodman Community Center (below), on the near east side just off Atwood Avenue.
The reason was to hear a noontime concert by one of his favorite chamber music groups: The Willy Street Chamber Players.
The summer concert was part of the new and FREE Community Connect series by The Willys. And the terrific performances of works by Caroline Shaw, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Astor Piazzolla and Johannes Brahms seemed to draw in a good-sized crowd that was younger and even included some children.
Clearly, The Willys have indeed connected to the community in a different part of town than where they usually perform.
But another of the great things about The Willys is that they also explore new venues.
For the past two winters, they have performed a season preview concert in “A Place to Be” on Williamson Street.
What struck The Ear this time, however, was the Evjue Community Room (below) at the Goodman Center.
The handsomely rehabbed room sure seems an ideal venue for chamber music.
Why, The Ear wondered, was it the first time he was there for a concert?
The room seats about 100, making it ideal for intimate music.
It has lots of natural light, which the players (below) said they really like for reading music.
And the acoustics were superb, no doubt the result of the cream-colored brick, the dark wood, the glass windows and the metal ductwork – all hard surfaces that made for clarity and sufficient volume, even in the back rows. It is, as they say in the biz, a “live” space.
Take a look:
The Ear sure hopes the Goodman Center will see the return of The Willys.
More to the point, he also hopes that other chamber music groups will also use the center. It would be a wonderful spot for recitals and small groups of all kinds.
What do you think of the Goodman Center as a venue for classical music and other kinds of music?
Do you know of other underused performance spaces around the Madison area that you would recommend?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Classical music: This will be a busy week at the UW-Madison for students and faculty members who will give FREE recitals. But what will they play?
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By Jacob Stockinger
This will be a very busy week for student and faculty recitals at the UW-Madison.
The good news? All concerts will be FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
The bad news? Sorry, but in most cases The Ear has not received word about the program with specific composers and specific works.
That’s an annoyance that could cut into attendance, an issue that The Ear dealt with in another recent post:
WEDNESDAY
At 7:30 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall, the UW-Madison Guitar Ensemble, under its director Javier Calderon, will perform. No word on the program.
(Photo by Jeff Miller/UW-Madison)
At 7:30 p.m. in Music Hall, the brass ensemble Twisted Metal (below), under its director hornist Daniel Grabois – who is also a member of the Wisconsin Brass Quintet – will perform its annual concert of music inspired by rock music. Once again, no word on specific songs or composers.
THURSDAY
The UW-Madison Percussion Ensemble (below) will perform solo and chamber works under its director Anthony Di Sanza. No word on specific composers or works.
FRIDAY
At 8 p.m. in Mills Hall, the Women’s and University Chorus will perform a FREE concert under conductors Sara Guttenberg and Mark Lehnowsky. Sorry, no program specifics.
At 8 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall, bassoonist Marc Vallon (below) will perform a faculty recital using several bassoons.
The Ear has received no word on specific program. But in a Facebook posting, the congenial and charming, very talented and witty French native – who just won raves for his conducting of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” for the Madison Bach Musicians this past weekend — displays a great sense of humor. He says the concert will feature: “Some Baroque music, some pretty pieces and a couple of annoying modern ones.”
That’s brave talk from a musician who worked with the late Pierre Boulez.
Let’s hear it for Annoying Modern Music!
![Marc Vallon 2011 James Gill (baroque & modern)[2]](https://welltempered.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/marc-vallon-2011-james-gill-baroque-modern2.jpg)
SATURDAY
At 3:30 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall, flutist Ivana Urgcic will give a recital for her Doctor of Musical Arts degree. No program is listed.
At 6:30 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall. Soprano Yanzelalee Rivera will give a recital. There are no specific works, but at least she lists composers: “In this recital, Ms. Rivera will be presenting works by Robert Schumann, Joseph Marx and Claude Debussy with the collaboration of ChanMi Jean, first year doctoral student of Prof. Martha Fischer.”
At 7:30 p.m. in Mills Hall, the UW-Madison Contemporary Chamber Ensemble (below) will perform under its director, composition professor Laura Schwendinger. No program information has been given.
SUNDAY
From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall, there is a free recital by young student in the Community Music Lessons program. No program is listed, but a reception follows the performance.
For information about the program that serves “learners of all ages,” visit:
http://www.music.wisc.edu/cml/
Photo by: Bryce Richter
At 1:30 p.m. in Morphy Rectial Hall, trombone graduate student Matthew Bragstad will “collaborate with pianist Jason Kutz to provide an eclectic showcase of both standard and new repertoire for the trombone. The program will include works by composers Pryor, Scelsi, Jesse (a world premiere), L. Mozart and Castérède.”
Hmmm. How many of you recognize those non-Mozart names?
At 2 p.m. in Mills Hall, the UW Concert Choir, under UW-Madison Choral Director Beverly Taylor will perform a program of new music that was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 16. The Ear will post more about this concert later this week.
At 3:30 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall, the winning pianists in the annual Beethoven Sonata Competition will perform. The names of the winners and the selection of the sonatas to be performed have not been announced yet.
But The Ear has attended many of the winners’ recitals and has rarely been disappointed.
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