The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: Barbara DeMain — wife of Madison Symphony Orchestra music director and Madison Opera artistic director John DeMain — has died
9 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.
By Jacob Stockinger
Barbara DeMain (below) — the wife of John DeMain, the music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the artistic director of the Madison Opera — died Thursday.
A member of the orchestra sent the following note:
“Earlier today, we received some very tragic news from the orchestra office.
“Barbara DeMain passed away earlier this morning after becoming ill late last evening.
“She was admitted to a hospital last evening while John was in rehearsal with the opera.
“Their daughter Jenny (below top on right, with her father) drove to Madison from Chicago and she and John (below bottom left, with Barbara) were with her all night until she passed.
“This is very tragic news, and we’re all wanting to reach out in any way we can to support the DeMain family. Once plans are made for a memorial or funeral, we’ll send the information out as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you all for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers.”
The Ear has heard that John DeMain plans on conducting the opera this weekend and the three MSO performances next weekend.
But he has not been able to verify that or other details about Barbara, who was born in Germany as Barbara Dittman, and met John in Houston, where he was the director of the Houston Grand Opera, in 1991. They married soon after meeting, and have been in Madison for 26 years. Barbara was a political activist and an arts consultant.
The Ear will pass along more details as he learns them.
Below — dedicated to Barbara DeMain — is a YouTube video of the “Pie Jesu” movement from the Requiem by Gabriel Faure.
Rest in peace, Barbara.
Tags: #ArtisticDirector, #BarbaraDeMain, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChoralMusic, #ClassicalMusician, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #Forward-Looking, #HoustonGrandOpera, #husband-and-wife, #JacobStockinger, #JenniferDeMain, #JohnDeMain, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MusicDirector, #OvertureCenter, #PassAway, #PieJesu, #ThankYou, #TheEar, #ThoughtsandPrayers, #Thursdaymorning, #VocalMusic, #Wife-and-Husband, #YouTubevideo, admitted, Artistic director, Arts, Barbara DeMain, become, blog, Chicago, choral music, Classical music, classicalmusic, composer, Concert, conduct, conductor, dead, death, dedicate, die, died, evening, Facebook, Family, father, forward, funeral, Germany, Hospital, Houston, Houston Grand Opera, husband, ill, Jacob Stockinger, Jennifer DeMain, John DeMain, like, link, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Orchestra, marry, meeting, memorial, morning, Mother, Music, Music director, news, night, office, opera, Orchestra, Overture Center, pass away, passed, peaceful, Pie Jesu, post, posting, prayer, prayers, rehearsal, Requiem, rest, share, support, symphony, tag, Texas, thank you, The Ear, thought, thoughts, Thursday, Tragic, United States, vocal music, wife, Wisconsin, years, YouTube
Classical music: Two noteworthy baroque concerts by Just Bach and the Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble are on tap this Wednesday afternoon and Saturday night
1 Comment
PLEASE HELP THE EAR. 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.
By Jacob Stockinger
Fans of Baroque music have two noteworthy events this week to look forward to.
Both concerts feature period instruments and historically informed performance practices.
WEDNESDAY AT NOON
This coming Wednesday, Oct. 16, from noon to 12:30 p.m. at Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Avenue, the second FREE Just Bach concert of the semester will take place.
The concerts by Just Bach (below, in a photo by John W. Barker) are now a regular feature of the Music at Midday at Luther Memorial Church.
Organist Mark Brampton Smith opens the program with a brief Fantasia on the melody of “Christ lag in Todesbanden” (Christ Lay in Death’s Bonds). That tune will reappear at the very end of the program, in the final chorale of Cantata 158.
The next piece on the program was also written for solo organ, but will be heard in an arrangement for violin, viola, cello and organ. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote six organ trio sonatas, apparently for his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann.
The C Minor Sonata, the second in the set, is full of fiery drama in the outer movements, framing a dreamy, peaceful Largo.
UW-Madison baritone Paul Rowe will lead the chorale sing-along, a beloved audience-participation feature of these programs.
The program closes with Cantata 158, “Der Friede sei mit dir” (Peace Be with You), with solo bass-baritone Jake Elfner. Elisheva Pront provides the luminous “cantus firmus” (an existing melody used in a polyphonic composition) in the second movement, which also features a beautiful violin solo played by Kangwon Kim. The Cantata ends with a chorale on the tune of “Christ lag in Todesbanden.”
You may bring your lunch and beverage.
The concert is FREE and open to the public, with a goodwill offering collected.
Other Just Bach concerts this fall, all Wednesdays at Noon, are: Nov. 20 and Dec. 18.
Performers this week are: Jake Elfner, bass-baritone; Elisheva Pront, soprano; Kangwon Kim, violin; Leanne League, violin; Marika Fischer Hoyt, viola; James Waldo, cello; and Mark Brampton Smith, organ.
For more information, go to: https://justbach.org or https://www.facebook.com/JustBachSeries/
SATURDAY NIGHT
This Saturday night, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1833 Regent Street in Madison, the Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble (below) will perform a concert of varied chamber music.
Performers include: Mimmi Fulmer, UW-Madison soprano; Nathan Giblierano, baroque violin; Eric Miller, viola da gamba and baroque cello; Chelsie Propst, soprano; Charlie Rasmussen, viola da gamba and baroque cello; Consuelo Sañudo, mezzo-soprano; Anton TenWolde, baroque cello; and Max Yount, harpsichord.
Tickets are at the door only: $20 for the public, $10 students. After the concert, a reception will be held at 2422 Kendall Ave, second floor.
The program is:
Henry Purcell: Three Fantasias
Giacomo Carissimi: “Scrivete, occhi dolente” (Write, Sore Eyes)
George Frideric Handel: Violin Sonata, HWV 372 (heard in an animated graphic depiction the YouTube video at the bottom)
Claudio Monteverdi: “Baci soave e cari” (Soft and Dear Kisses)
INTERMISSION
Luzzasco Luzzaschi: “O dolcezze amarissime” (O Bitter Sweetness)
Martin Berteau: Trio for violoncellos
Giulio Caccini: Excerpts from “La liberazione di Ruggiero” (The Liberation of Ruggiero)
For more information, go to: www.wisconsinbaroque.org
Tags: #AntonTenWolde, #BachCantata, #BaritoneSinger, #BaroqueMusic, #BassBaritone, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #CelloMusic, #ChamberMusic, #CharlieRasmussen, #ChelsiePropst, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ClaudioMonteverdi, #ConsueloSañudo, #ElishevaPront, #EricMiller, #FacebookPage, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GiacomoCarissimi, #GiulioCaccini, #HarpsichordMusic, #HenryPurcell, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #JakeElfner, #James Waldo, #JamesWaldo, #JesusChrist, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnW.Barker, #JustBach, #KangwonKim, #LeanneLeague, #LutherMemorialChurch, #LuzzascoLuzzaschi, #MarikaFischerHoyt, #MarkBramptonSmith, #MartinBerteau, #MaxYount, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #Mezzo-sopranoSinger, #MimmiFulmer, #MusicatMidday, #Musicfaculty, #NathanGiblierano, #OrganMusic, #PaulRowe, #PeriodInstruments, #PolyphonicMusic, #SaturdayNight, #SingAlong, #SopranoSinger, #St.Andrew'sEpiscopalChurch, #TheEar, #TrioSonata, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #VioladaGamba, #ViolaMusic, #ViolinMusic, #ViolinSonata, #VocalMusic, #WandererFantasy", #WilhelmFriedemannBach, #WisconsinBaroqueEnsemble, #YouTubevideo, afternoon, Anton TenWolde, arrangement, Arts, audience, Bach, baritone, Baroque, Baroque music, bass-baritone, beloved, beverage, blog, bonds, Caccini, Cantata, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, Charlie Rasmussen, Chelsie Propst, choral music, Chorale, Christ, Christian, church, Classical music, classicalmusic, Claudio Monteverdi, composer, Concert, conductor, Consuelo Sañudo, dear, death, depiction, door, drama, dream, dreamy, Early music, Elisheva Pront, ensemble, Episcopalian, Eric Miller, event, Facebook, Facebook page, fan, Fantasia, fantasy, father, forward, free, George Frideric Handel, Giacomo Carissimi, graphic, Handel, harpsichord, help, Henry Purcell, historically informed performance practices, Jacob Stockinger, Jake Elfner, Jesus, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johh W. Barker, Just Bach, kisses, Leanne League, liberation, like, link, lunch, Luther Memorial Church, Lutheran, Luzzasco Luzzaschi, Madison, Marika Fischer Hoyt, Mark Brampton Smith, Martin Berteau, Max Yount, Mead Witter School of Music, melody, Mezzo-soprano, Mimmi Fulmer, Monteverdi, movements, Music, Music at Midday, music faculty, Nathan Giblierano, night, noon, noteworthy, offering, organ, organist, Paul Rowe, peace, peaceful, performer, period instruments, polyphonic, polyphony, post, posting, program, public, Purcell, reception, Saturday, semester, share, sing, sing-along, soft, solo, son, Sonata, soprano, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, students, tag, The Ear, tickets, trio, trio sonata, tune, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW-Madison, Viola, viola da gamba, Violin, Violin Sonata, violinist, violist, vocal music, Wednesday, week, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble, YouTube
Recent Comments
The Well-Tempered Ear 