The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: Sonata à Quattro does justice to the spiritual piety and beautiful music in Haydn’s “Seven Last Words of Christ”
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
Here is a special posting, a review written by frequent guest critic and writer for this blog, John W. Barker. Barker (below) is an emeritus professor of Medieval history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also is a well-known classical music critic who writes for Isthmus and the American Record Guide, and who hosts an early music show once a month on Sunday morning on WORT 89.9 FM. For years, he served on the Board of Advisors for the Madison Early Music Festival and frequently gives pre-concert lectures in Madison. He also took the performance photos.
By John W. Barker
Marika Fischer Hoyt’s newest ensemble is called Sonata à Quattro (below), using the Italian Baroque expression for instrumental works scored for three upper parts and basso continuo. That idiom was the background to the more integrated balance of the string quartet.
It was Franz Joseph Haydn (below) who really consolidated that transformation, and so it was appropriate that the new group should at this early point in its development pay a major tribute to that composer.
Responding to a commission from a Spanish prelate, in 1786-87 Haydn composed a set of seven orchestral adagios — plus opening and closing pieces — to be played in a Good Friday ceremony celebrating the seven final statements by Christ from the cross (below, in a painting by Diego Velazquez) that are cumulatively reported by the Gospel writers.
At the same time, Haydn made a reduction of those orchestral movements into the string quartet format. That version he published outside his regular sets of string quartets, which had opus numbers.
Especially in the quartet form, this music achieved wide circulation, so much so that several attempts were made by others to create an oratorio out of this music, prompting Haydn himself to make his own oratorio version in 1795-96. Along the way, someone else made a keyboard transcription of the music that Haydn sanctioned.
It was, of course, the string quartet version — The Seven Last Words of Christ — that the Sonata à Quattro performed. It did so, first as part of a Good Friday church service in Milwaukee on April 19, and then as an independent one-hour free and public concert at the Oakwood Village West auditorium last Thursday night.
Fischer Hoyt (below), the group’s founder and violist, gave an introductory talk about the group’s name and about its decisions as to instrumentation. (It usually plays on period instruments, but chose this time to use modern ones with period bows.) Cellist Charlie Rasmussen added some comments about the music and its history. Violinists Kangwon Kim and Nathan Giglierano were happy just to play.
Haydn’s music was written in the deepest piety and sincerity, and that comes through in the individual components, which cost him much effort. (You can hear the second half of the work in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The seven Sonatas are framed by a solemn Introduction and a furious evocation of the “earthquake” that we are told followed the death of Jesus. Each successive Sonata is cast in very tight and concentrated sonata form. Haydn makes the Latin form of each statement or “word” the theme of each sonata. In all, the cycle makes the most deeply absorbing combination of spirituality and ingenuity.
The players brought out both those dimensions in a performance of rapt beauty. This score has quite a few recordings, but it is not heard in concert all that often, so it was a treasure to be given this wonderful presentation.
And now we know that Sonata à Quattro has great possibilities to develop.
Tags: #AmericanRecordGuide, #BaroqueMusic, #BassoContinuo, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BlogReview, #BooksoftheBIble, #ChamberMusic, #ChamberMusician, #CharlieRasmussen, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #CommissionedMusic, #ConcertHall, #DiegoVelazquez, #EmeritusProfessor, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FranzJosephHaydn, #GoodFriday, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #InstrumentalMusic, #IsthmusNewspaper, #ItalianBaroque, #JesusChrist, #JohnW.Barker, #KangwonKim, #MadisonEarlyMusicFestival, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MarikaFischerHoyt, #MedievalHistory, #MilwaukeeWisconsin, #MusicCritic, #MusicReview, #NathanGiglierano, #OakwoodVillageWest, #OrchestralMusic, #PeriodInstrument, #PianoTranscription, #RadioHost, #SevenLastWordsofChrist, #SonataaQuattro, #StringQuartet, #WORT-FM89.9, absorbing, adagio, American Record Guide, Arts, audience, background, basso continuo, beauty, Bible, blog, bow, celebrate, cellist, Cello, ceremony, Chamber music, Charlie Rasmussen, choral music, Christ, Christian, church, circulation, Classical music, classicalmusic, closing, comments, commission, Compact Disc, component, composer, concentrated, concentration, Concert, concert hall, consolidate, cross, crucifixion, cumulative, cycle, death, deep, develop, development, Diego Velazquez, dimension, Early music, earthquake, Easter, effort, emeritus professor, ensemble, evocation, expression, Facebook, final, form, forward, founder, Franz Joseph Haydn, furious, Good Friday, gospel, historically informed performance practices, History, host, hour, idiom, independent, individual, ingenuity, introductory, Isthus, Italian, Jacob Stockinger, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John W. Barker, Kangwon Kim, Keyboard, Latin, lecture, like, link, Madison, Madison Early Music Festival, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marika Fischer Hoyt, Medieval, Milwaukee, modern, movement, Music, music review, name, Nathan Giglierano, new, number, Oakwood Village West, opening, opus, oratorio, painting, performance, performer, period instruments, photo, piety, player, possibilities, possibility, prelate, presentation, professor, Radio, rapt, recording, reduction, reported, review, service, Seven Last Words of Christ, share, sincerity, socre, solemn, Sonata, Sonata à Quattro, Spanish, spirituality, statement, String quartet, Sunday, tag, talk, tight, transcription, transformation, treasure, tribute, upper, Viola, Violin, violinist, violist, wonderful, word, WORT-FM 89.9, Writer
Classical music: This week brings three period-instrument concerts — two of them FREE — of early music from the Baroque and Classical eras including works by Bach, Telemann and Haydn
3 Comments
CORRECTION: The concert listed below by Sonata à Quattro on Thursday night at Oakwood Village West, near West Towne Mall, is at 7 p.m. — NOT at 8 as erroneously first listed here. The Ear regrets the error.
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
This week features three concerts of music from the Baroque and early Classical eras that should attract the attention of early music enthusiasts.
WEDNESDAY
This Wednesday, April 24, is the penultimate FREE Just Bach concert of the semester. It takes place at 1 p.m. in Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Avenue.
This month’s program, featuring the baroque flute, presents the program that was canceled because of the blizzard in January.
First on the program is the Trio Sonata in G Major, BWV 1038, for flute, violin and continuo, a gorgeous example of baroque chamber music.
Following that comes the Orchestral Suite No. 2, BWV 1067, for flute, strings and harpsichord, really a mini flute concerto.
The program ends with Cantata 173 “Erhoehtes Fleisch und Blut” (Exalted Flesh and Blood), scored for two flutes, strings and continuo, joined by a quartet of vocal soloists: UW-Madison soprano Julia Rottmayer; mezzo-soprano Cheryl Bensman-Rowe; tenor Wesley Dunnagan; and UW-Madison bass-baritone Paul Rowe.
The orchestra of baroque period-instrument specialists, led by concertmaster Kangwon Kim, will include traverse flutists Linda Pereksta and Monica Steger.
The last Just Bach concert of this semester is May 29. For more information, go to: https://justbach.org
THURSDAY
On Thursday night, April 25, at 7 p.m. — NOT 8 as mistakenly listed here at first –at Oakwood Village West, 6209 Mineral Point Road, the Madison group Sonata à Quattro (below) will repeat the Good Friday program it performed last week at a church in Waukesha.
The one-hour concert – featuring “The Seven Last Words of Christ” by Franz Joseph Haydn — is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. (You can sample the first part of the Haydn work in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Commissioned by the southern Spanish episcopal city of Cadiz, this piece was originally scored for orchestra, but it enjoyed such an immediate, widespread acclaim, that the publication in 1787 also included arrangements for string quartet, and for piano. In nine movements beginning with an Introduction, Haydn sets the phrases, from “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” to “Into Thy hands I commend my spirit,” concluding with one final movement depicting an earthquake.
Performers for this program are: Kangwon Kim, Nathan Giglierano, Marika Fischer Hoyt and Charlie Rasmussen. Modern string instruments will be used, but played with period bows.
The period-instrument ensemble Sonata à Quattro was formed in 2017 as Ensemble-In-Residence for Bach Around The Clock, the annual music festival in Madison.
The ensemble’s name refers to baroque chamber music scored for three melody lines plus continuo. The more-familiar trio sonata format, which enjoyed great popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries, employs a continuo with only two melody instruments, typically treble instruments like violins or flutes.
In contrast, a typical sonata à quattro piece includes a middle voice, frequently a viola, in addition to the two treble instruments and continuo; this scoring has a fuller, richer sonority, and can be seen as a precursor to the string quartet. For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/sonataaquattro/
SATURDAY
On Saturday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1833 Regent Street, the veteran Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble (below) will perform a concert of baroque chamber music.
Tickets are at the door only: $20 for the public, $10 students.
Performers are: Brett Lipshutz, traverse flute; Sigrun Paust, recorder; Monica Steger, traverse; Anton TenWolde, baroque cello; and Max Yount, harpsichord.
The program is:
Johann Baptist Wendling – Trio for two flutes and bass
Johann Pachelbel – Variations on “Werde Munter, mein Gemuethe” (Be Happy, My Soul)
Friedrich Haftmann Graf – Sonata or Trio in D major for two German flutes and basso continuo
Daniel Purcell – Sonata in F Major for recorder
INTERMISSION
Georg Philipp Telemann – Trio for recorder, flute,and basso continuo TWV 42:e6
Franz Anton Hoffmeister – Duo for two flutes, Opus 20, No. 1
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier – Trio Sonata, Op. 37, No. 5
Telemann – Trietto Methodicho (Methodical Sonata) No 1. TWV 42: G2
After the concert, a reception will be held at 2422 Kendall Avenue, second floor.
For more information, go to: https://wisconsinbaroque.weebly.com
Tags: #17thCentury, #18thCentury, #AntonTenWolde, #BachAroundtheClock, #BachCantata, #BaroqueCello, #BaroqueChamberMusic, #BaroqueEra, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BrettLipshutz, #CadizSpain, #CharlieRasmussen, #CherylBensman-Rowe, #ChristianMusic, #ChristianReligion, #Classicalera, #CommissionedMusic, #CriticalAcclaim, #DanielPurcell, #DuetMusic, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FacultyMember, #FleshandBlood, #FluteConcerto, #FranzAntonHoffmeister, #FranzJosephHaydn, #FriedrichHartmannGraf, #GeorgPhilippTelemann, #GoodFriday, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #JesusChrist, #JohannBaptistWendling, #JohannPachelbel, #JohannSebastianBach, #JosephBodindeBoismortier, #JuliaRottmayer, #JustBach, #KangwonKim, #LindaPereksta, #LutherMemorialChurch, #MarikaFischerHoyt, #MaxYount, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #Mezzo-sopranoSinger, #MonicaSteger, #Musicfaculty, #NathanGiglierano, #OakwoodVillageWest, #OrchestralSuite, #PaulRowe, #PeriodInstrument, #PeriodInstruments, #PianoMusic, #ProtestantReligion, #SevenLastWordsofChrist, #SigrunPaust, #SonataaQuattro, #SopranoSinger, #St.Andrew'sEpiscopalChurch, #StringInstruments, #StringQuartet, #TenorSinger, #TheCrucifixion, #ThemeAndVariations, #TraverseFlute, #TrioSonata, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #ViolaMusic, #VocalMusic, #WaukeshaWisconsin, #WesleyDunnagan, #WestTowneMall, #WisconsinBaroqueEnsemble, #YouTubevideo, 17th century, 18th century, acclaim, Anton TenWolde, Arts, audience, Bach, Bach Around the Clock, Baroque, Baroque cello, baroque era, bass-baritone, blog, blood, bow, Brett Lipshutz, BWV, Cadiz, cancel, Cantata, Cello, Chamber music, Charlie Rasmussen, Cheryl Bensman Rowe, choral music, Christ, Christianity, church, Classical, Classical music, composer, Concert, concertmaster, concerto, continuo, correction, cross, crucifixion, Daniel Purcell, door, duo, Early music, earlymusic, employ, ensemble, era, error, exalted, Facebook, faculty, festival, flesh, flute, Franz Anton Hoffmeister, Franz Joseph Haydn, free, Friedrich Hartmann Graf, Georg Philipp Telemann, German, Good Friday, happy', harpsichord, historically informed performance practices, instrument, Jacob Stockinger, Jesus Christ, Johann Baptist Wendling, Johann Pachelbel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Julia Rottmayer, Just Bach, Kangwon Kim, like, Linda Pereksta, line, link, Luther Memorial Church, Lutheranism, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marika Fischer Hoyt, Max Yount, May, Mead Witter School of Music, melody, member, methodical, Mezzo-soprano, mistake, modern, Monica Steger, movement, Music, Nathan Giglierano, open, Orchestra, orchestral, Paul Rowe, performer, period instruments, phrase, Piano, piece, popularity, Protestant, public, publication, Quartet, reception, recorder, Retirement, Saturday, semester, Seven Last Words, share, Sigrun Paust, Sonata, Sonata à Quattro, soprano, soul, Spain, Spanish, specialist, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, String quartet, strings, Suite, tag, tenor, Thursday, ticket, traverse, treble, trio sonata, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wiscosnin, variations, Veteran, Viola, Violin, vocal music, voice, Waukesha, Wednesday, Wesley Dunnagan, West Towne Mall, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, word, You Tube, YouTube
Recent Comments
The Well-Tempered Ear 
Classical music: Joel Thompson’s “The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” is an eloquent and timely testament to Black victims of racism. It deserves to be performed in Madison and elsewhere
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
A reader recently wrote in and suggested that fellow blog fans should listen to “The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” by the Atlanta-based American composer Joel Thompson (below).
So The Ear did just that.
He was both impressed and moved by the prescient piece of choral and orchestral music. It proved both powerful and beautiful.
The title alludes to the Bible’s depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but also to the musical setting of it that was composed by Franz Joseph Hadyn in the 18th century. But it stands on its own as a much needed and very accomplished updating, especially with the “last word” or phrase “I can’t breathe.”
It is hard to believe the work was written five years ago, and not last week or last month. But it couldn’t be more relevant to today.
It shows how deeply artists have been engaging with the social and political issues of the day, particularly the role of personal and structural racism in national life, and the plight of young Black men and women who face discrimination, brutality and even death at the hands of the police and a bigoted public.
The work was premiered by the Men’s Glee Club at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2015. This performance comes from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
The SSO and featured guest University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Men’s Glee Club, led by conductor Eugene Rogers (below) – who directs choral music and teaches conducting at the UM — premiered a 2017 commissioned fully orchestrated version of “The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed.” You can hear it in the YouTube video below.
It is an eminently listenable and accessible, multi-movement work honoring the lives, deaths and personal experiences of seven Black men.
The seven last words used in the work’s text are: “Why do you have your guns out?” – Kenneth Chamberlain, 66; “What are you following me for?” – Trayvon Martin, 16; “Mom, I’m going to college.” – Amadou Diallo, 23; “I don’t have a gun. Stop shooting.” – Michael Brown, 18; “You shot me! You shot me!” – Oscar Grant, 22; “It’s not real.” – John Crawford, 22; “I can’t breathe.” – Eric Garner, 43.
The Ear thinks that once live concerts begin again after the coronavirus pandemic is contained, it should be programmed locally. It could and should be done by, among others, the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Choir; or the UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra and Choral Union; or the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra with the Festival Choir of Madison; or the Wisconsin Chamber Choir.
They have all posted messages about standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the protesters against racism. But will words lead to commitment and action?
It will be interesting to see who responds first. In addition to being timely, such a performance certainly seems like a good way to draw in young people and to attract Black listeners and other minorities to classical music.
Here is a link if you also want to check out the almost 200 very pertinent comments about the work, the performance, the performers and of course the social and political circumstances that gave rise to the work — and continue to do so with the local, regional, national and international mass protests and demonstrations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdNXoqNuLRQ&app=desktop
And here is the performance itself:
What do you think of the work?
How did you react to it?
Would you like to see and hear it performed live where you are?
The Ear wants to hear.
Share this:
Like this:
Tags: #18thCentury, #African-AmericanComposer, #African-Americanmusician, #AmadouDiallo, #AmericanComposer, #Americanconductor, #BlackLivesMatter, #BlackMen, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #ChoralMusic, #ChoralUnion, #ChristianReligion, #CommissionedMusic, #CoronavirusPandemic, #COVID-19, #DeadlyForce, #EricGarner, #EugeneRogers, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FranzJosephHaydn, #GleeClub, #GuestArtist, #HolyBible, #ICan'tBreathe, #JacobStockinger, #JesusChrist, #JoelThompson, #JohnCrawford, #KennethChamberlain, #LastWord, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MassProtests, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MichaelBrown, #OrchestralMusic, #OscarGrant, #PersonalExperience, #PoliceBrutality, #PoliticalActivism, #PoliticallyRelevant, #PoliticalNews, #RacialDiscrimination, #SanFranciscoSymphony, #SevenLastWords, #SevenLastWordsofChrist, #SociallyRelevant, #TheBible, #TheCrucifixion, #TheEar, #TheSevenLastWordsoftheUnarmed, #TheUW, #TrayvonMartin, #UniversityOfMichigan, #UniversityofMichigan-AnnArbor, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UW-MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #UWChoralUnion, #VocalMusic, #WisconsinChamberChoir, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WisconsinChamberOrchestraChorus, #WorldPremiere, #YoungPeople, #YouTubevideo, 18th century, accessible, accomplish, action, African American, ago, allude, Amadou Diallo, American, Arts, Atlanta, attract, audience, be, beautiful, Bible, bigot, bigoted, black, Black Lives Matter, black men, blog, brutality, choral music, Choral Union, Christian, Christianity, circumstance, Classical music, college, comments, commission, commitment, compose, composer, Concert, Conducting, conductor, contain, coronavirus, crucifixion, deadly force, death, demonstration, depiction, direct, discrimination, Eric Garner, Eugene Rogers, experience, Facebook, fan, forward, Franz Joseph Haydn, Georgia, Glee Club, guest, guest artist, guns, gunshot, Hadyn, hear, honor, I can't breathe, impress, impressed, international, issue, Jacob Stockinger, Jesus Christ, Joel Thompson, John Crawford, Kenneth Chamberlain, last, last word, lead, life, like, link, listenable, listeners, lives, local, locally, Madison, Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, mass protests, Mead Witter School of Music, men, men's, message, Michael Brown, minorities, minority, month, move, moved, movement, Music, musical, must, national, need, Orchestra, orchestral music, orchestrated, Oscar Grant, pandemic, performer, pertinent, phrase, police, police brutality, political, Politics, post, posting, powerful, premiere, prescient, program, protest, protesters, public, racial discrimination, racism, racist, react, reaction, regional, relevant, Religion, religious, respond, rise, San Francisco Symphony, school, see, setting, seven, Seven Last Words, Seven Last Words of Christ, share, shoot, shooting, shot, singer, Singing, social, socially relevant, solidarity, stand, standing, suggest, symphony, tag, teach, testament, text, The Ear, The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, timely, title, today, Trayvon Martin, unarm, unarmed, United States, University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, update, updating, use, UW, UW Choral Union, UW-Madison, UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra, victim, vocal music, week, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Chorus, women, word, words, work, world premiere, wrote, year, young people, YouTube