The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: Here is the corrected program for the Oakwood Chamber Players, who open the new year with music by Mozart and Stravinsky plus new music by living composers 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.
CORRECTION: By mistake, The Ear earlier posted the wrong program for the Oakwood Chamber Players this weekend. Here is the correct information. The Ear apologizes for the error and any inconvenience.
By Jacob Stockinger
The first concerts for the new year by the Oakwood Chamber Players (below) will be take place this Saturday night, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m., and Sunday afternoon, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m., at the Oakwood Village University Woods Center for Arts and Education at 6209 Mineral Point Road in Madison, on Madison far west side near West Towne Mall.
The program begins with a witty opener, “L’Heure de Berger” by French composer Jean Francaix (below) for woodwind quintet and piano. The piece’s three movements cleverly depict the quirky personalities of patrons observed at a Parisian restaurant.
“Y Deryn Pur” for oboe, violin, viola and cello — by the award-winning British composer Cecilia McDonald (below) is based on an expressive Welsh folk tune, “The Gentle Dove.”
Written early in his career, Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s “Pastorale” is a soothing song without words for a mixed quintet of winds and strings. It is a delicate piece originally written for voice and piano, then re-orchestrated for the sustained sonorities of a chamber ensemble.
“Silver Dagger” is a plaintive tale told through a traditional Appalachian folk song and re-envisioned emotionally and dramatically for violin, cello and piano by American composer Stacy Garrop (below).
The “Suite Belle Epoque in Sud-America” was written for the Berlin Woodwind Quintet by Brazilian composer and conductor Julio Medaglia (below). It bursts with vitality and expressive melodies while celebrating a variety of South American musical styles. (You can hear his suite in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The perennial simplicity, beauty and warmth of Mozart are showcased in his “Adagio in F,” performed by bassoon and string trio.
The program concludes with “Ralph’s Old Records” by Kenji Bunch (below) – a fresh and humorous composition for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano that takes listeners through a series of brief movements inspired by an old family record collection.
Tickets are available at the door and are priced at $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $5 for students, or at www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a professional music ensemble supported by Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries and the Oakwood Foundation
Tags: #BrazilianComposer, #BritishComposer, #CeciliaMcDonald, #ChamberMusic, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FolkMusic, #Frenchcomposer, #IgorStravinsky, #JacobStockinger, #JeanFrancaix, #JulioMedaglia, #KenjiBunch, #LivingComposers, #NewMusic, #NewYear, #OakwoodChamberPlayers, #OakwoodVillage, #RussianComposer, #SaturdayNight, #SouthAmerica, #SouthAmerican, #StacyGarrop, #StringTrio, #Sundayafternoon, #TheEar, #TheGentleDove, #VocalMusic, #WelshMusic, #WestTowneMall, #WindQuintet, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, Appalachian, Arts, blog, Brazil, Brazilian, British, career, Cecilia McDonald, Cello, Chamber music, clarinet, clever, composer, Concert, conductor, correction, dagger, depict, dove, drama, dramatic, Education, emotion, emotional, error, Facebook, Family, flute, folk song, folksong, forward, France, French composer, gentle, Humor, Igor Stravinsky, Jacob Stockinger, Jean Francaix, Julio Medaglia, Kenji Bunch, like, link, living composers, Madison, melody, movement, Mozart, New Music, New Year, Oakwood Chamber Players, Oakwood Village, Oboe, orchestration, Paris, Parisian, Pastorale, performer, Pianist, Piano, piece, post, posting, program, quintet, records, restaurant, Russia, Saturday night, share, silver, simplicity, song, sonority, South America, South American, Stacy Garrop, string trio, strings, Sunday afternoon, tag, The Ear, The Gentle Dove, trio, tune, university, Viola, Violin, vocal music, voice, warmth, Welsh, West Towne Mall, Wind, wit, witty, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, woodwind
Classical music: The Madison-based string quartet Quartessence will perform this Sunday afternoon at the Little Brown Church in Richland County
1 Comment
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
On this Sunday, Aug. 4, at 2 p.m. the Madison-based Quartessence string quartet (below, in a photo by Ralph Russo) will perform a rare public concert of classical music at the Little Brown Church in Richland County. (The group usually performs at private events.)
Performers (below, from left) are: violinist Suzanne Beia; cellist Sarah Schaffer; violinist Laura Burns; and violist Jennifer Clare Paulson. Beia, Burns and Paulson are members of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Pro Arte String Quartet. Schaffer has a career in arts management and organizes the annual summertime Token Creek Chamber Music Festival.
The location is 29864 Brown Church Road at the intersection of Highway 130 and Highway B, approximately five miles north of Highway 14.
Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students, and will be available at the door.
The program includes: music by baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi; the “Brook Green” Suite by Gustav Holst; the String Quartet in G Major, K. 156, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; “Household Music: Three Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes” by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (originally written for organ, one of the preludes can be heard in an orchestral arrangement in the YouTube video at the bottom); and “Painting the Floors Blue” and “Thanks, Victor” by the contemporary American composer John Harbison.
The concert is sponsored by a family, and proceeds will be used by the Friends of the Little Brown Church for maintenance of the building. The donors are happy to be able to provide this opportunity to music lovers in the community.
The refurbished building is air-conditioned, so you can take a break from the hot weather while you enjoy the music.
Here is some background from Harriet Statz (below, far right), who organizes the event because the Little Brown Church is special to her:
“Last year we started what is turning out to be an annual event (maybe) at the Brown Church (below) in Richland County. That’s up the road (Highway 131) from where I lived in the late 1970s.
“Since then Julie Jazicek and I have been in contact about fencing for this historic place, as she is sort of the manager and deserves much credit for keeping both the building and grounds beautiful. Over the years some concerts have been held in the church, but until 2018 nothing classical. So we fixed that!
“Last year’s concert by the Quartessence Quartet was a resounding success. An audience of about 60 people encouraged us to keep going, so we did, and hope for even a larger turnout to fill up the place. As it turns out the acoustics are outstanding!
“The location is west of Spring Green and north of Lone Rock. It’s a lovely drive. So I invite you to mark this Sunday Aug. 4, on your calendar and come out to the country for a lovely afternoon of music. Bring friends! Share rides!”
For information, call 608-356-8421 or send an email to: FriendsOfLittleBrownChurch@gmail.com
Tags: #AirConditioning, #AmericanComposer, #AntonioVivaldi, #BaroqueMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BritishComposer, #BrookGreenSuite, #ChamberMusic, #ClassicalMusician, #ContemporaryMusic, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GreatBritain, #HarrietStatz, #HistoricBuilding, #HotWeather, #JenniferClarePaulson, #JohnHarbison, #JulieJazicek, #LauraBurns, #LittleBrownChurch, #LivingComposer, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MusicLover, #OrchestralMusic, #PaintingtheFloorsBlue, #ProArteQuartet, #RalphRusso, #RalphVaughanWilliams, #RichlandCounty, #SarahSchaffer, #StringQuartet, #SuzanneBeia, #TokenCreekChamberMusicFestival, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, #YouTubevideo, AC, acoustics, adult, afternoon, air conditioning, air-conditioned, American, annual, Antonio Vivaldi, arrangement, Arts, audience, available, Baroque, beautiful, blog, British, brook, Brook Green Suite, building, call, career, cellist, Cello, Chamber music, Classical music, classicalmusic, community, composer, Concert, contemporary music, cost, country, credit, donor, door, Early music, email, encourage, English, event, Facebook, Family, fencing, festival, friends, Great Britain, green, grounds, Harriet Statz, highway, historic, hot, hot weather, hymn, intersection, Italian, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, Jennifer Clare Paulson, John Harbison, Julie Jazicek, Kochel, last year, Laura Burns, like, link, Little Brown Church, live, Living composer, lovely, lover, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, maintenance, management, manager, Mozart, Music, music lover, Orchestra, orchestral, organ, organize, outstanding, Painting the Floors Blue, People, performer, performers, place, Prelude, private, Pro Aret Quartet, proceeds, public, Quartessence, Ralph Vaughan Williams, rare, resounding, Richland County, ride, road, Sarah Schaffer, share, sponsor, String quartet, Student, success, Suite, summer, summertime, Suzanne Beia, tag, thanks, ticket, Token Creek Chamber Music Festival, tune, turnout, UK, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Victor, Viola, Violin, violinist, violist, Vivaldi, weather, Welsh, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, YouTube, YouTube video
Classical music: The Oakwood Chamber Players celebrate the holidays this weekend with two performances of seasonal music
2 Comments
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE 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 weekend the Oakwood Chamber Players (below) continue their 2018-2019 season series “Vignettes” with a holiday concert on this Saturday night, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon, Nov. 25, at 2 p.m.
On the program is a range of musical styles and a charming story set for chamber ensemble and narrator.
The cheery holiday-themed program will include familiar seasonal music, treasured classical composers, entertaining arrangements, and some delightful musical storytelling.
Both concerts will be held at the Oakwood Center for Arts and Education, 6209 Mineral Point Road, on Madison’s far west side near West Towne Mall.
Tickets can be purchased with cash or personal checks at the door: the cost is $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors, and $5 for students. For more information, go to: www.oakwoodchamberplayers.com or call (608) 230-4316.
The program includes music from two beloved classical composers: “Joseph, dearest, Joseph mine” from “Geistliches Wiegenlied” by Johannes Brahms; and Suite of Christmas Songs, Op. 72, by Felix Mendelssohn.
In 1927, “The Adoration of the Magi” (below) by Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli, who did many scenes of that subject, inspired Italian composer Ottorino Respighi to create an evocative composition that weaves traditional carols into his musical response to the famous painting. This version has been arranged for chamber ensemble of flute, harp and cello. (You can hear the orchestral version in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The group will be joined by special guest artist baritone Robert “Bobby” Goderich, who has appeared with the Madison Opera and the Four Seasons Theatre. He will sing an upbeat version of the traditional Welsh Gower Wassail as well as performing Silent Night set for the intimate combination of voice, clarinet and harp.
Central to the program, Goderich (below) will narrate Sweep Dreams, an enchanting tale about a lonely man who falls in love with an enchanted broom that dances in the moonlight.
The story by the late and prize-winning author Nancy Willard (below top) was set to music by the late and renowned American choral composer Stephen Paulus (below bottom), who lived in Minneapolis and created the piece while he was composer-in-residence for the Minnesota Orchestra.
Additional works on the concert are “A Winter’s Night” by American composer Kevin McKee (below) for flugelhorn and harp, Australian composer Percy Grainger’s warm-hearted setting of “Sussex Mummers’ Carol,” and two sunny woodwind quintet settings of beloved holiday songs.
The Oakwood Chamber Players will be joined by a significant array of guest artists: Margaret Mackenzie, harp; Wes Luke, violin; Ariel Garcia, viola; Brad Townsend, bass; Jennifer Morgan, oboe; John Aley trumpet and flugelhorn; Robert “Bobby” Goderich, singer/narrator; Nicholas Bonacio, percussion; and Carrie Backman, conductor.
Regular members, who play with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and other local groups, include: Maggie Darby Townsend, cello; Marilyn Chohaney, flute; Nancy Mackenzie, clarinet; Anne Aley, horn; and Amanda Szczys, bassoon.
This is the second of five concerts in the Oakwood Chamber Players’ 2018-2019 season series entitled Vignettes. Remaining concerts will take place in 2019 on Jan. 12 and 13; March 2 and 3; and May 18 and 19.
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a group of Madison-area professional musicians who have rehearsed and performed at Oakwood Village for over 30 years.
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a professional music ensemble proudly supported by Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries and the Oakwood Foundation.
Tags: #AdorationoftheMagi, #AmericanComposer, #AudienceMembers, #AustralianComposer, #BassoonMusic, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BrassMusic, #CelloMusic, #ChamberEnsemble, #ChamberMusic, #ChoralMusic, #ChristmasCarol, #ChristmasHoliday, #ChristmasSong, #ClarinetMusic, #ClassicalComposers, #Composer-in-Residence, #FacebookPost, #FelixMendelssohn, #FluteMusic, #FourSeasonsTheatre, #GuestArtist, #HarpMusic, #HolidayConcert, #italianComposer, #JohannesBrahms, #JohnAley, #KevinMcKee, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MinneapolisMinnesota, #MinnesotaOrchestra, #MusicalStyle, #NancyWillard, #OakwoodCenter, #OakwoodChamberPlayers, #OrchestralMusic, #OttorinoRespighi, #PercussionMusic, #PercyGrainger, #PersonalCheck, #Prize-Winning, #ProfessionalMusician, #RenaissanceArt, #RenaissanceArtist, #RenaissancePainter, #RobertGoderich, #SandroBotticelli, #SaturdayNight, #SeasonalMusic, #SilentNight, #StephenPaulus, #Sundayafternoon, #TheRenaissance, #ThreeKings, #VocalMusic, #WelshMusic, #WestSide, #WestTowneMall, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WoodwindQuintet, #YouTubevideo, admission, adoration, Adoration of the Magi, American, arrangement, Arts, audience, Australia, author, bass, Bassoon, Blog post, blog posting, Botticelli, broom, Carol, cash, Cello, cello music, Chamber music, charming, cheer, cheery, choral music, Christmas, Christmas Carol, clarinet, Classical music, classicalmusic, composer, Composition, conductor, dance, enchanted, Facebook, famous, flugelhorn, flute, guest artist, harp, Holiday, holiday concert, holiday music, Italian, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, John Aley, Kevin McKee, like, link, lonely, Love, Lutheran, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Orchestra, magi, ministry, Minneapolis, Minnesota Orchestra, moonlight, Music, musical, Musician, Nancy Willard, narrator, Oakwood, Oakwood Chamber Players, Oboe, orchestral, painter, painting, percussion, Percy Grainger, personal check, piece, player, professional, Renaissance, Robert Goderich, Saturday night, Season, seasonal music, senior, series, share, Silent Night, singer, song, Stephen Paulus, story, storytelling, Student, style, Suite, Sunday afternoon, tag, theater, theatre, three kings, ticket, traditional, treasure, Trumpet, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, version, vignette, Viola, Violin, vocal music, voice, web site, Website, Welsh, west side, West Towne Mall, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Woodwind quintet, YouTube
Recent Comments
 | Augustine on The new Apple Music Classical… |
 | samanthacrownoversbc… on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | Ronnie on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | welltemperedear on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
 | Polly Kuelbs on How do post-pandemic concert a… |
The Well-Tempered Ear 