Some stars shine more brightly than the surrounding firmament, as pianist Stephen Hough displayed radiantly last night in performance with the Madison Symphony Orchestra.The guest artist for this weekend’s concert series at Madison’s Overture Hall, Hough demonstrated his virtuosic talent once again, performing Camille Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 5 in F Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 1.... Read More
The mark of great theater piece is the show’s ability to take ordinary lives and make them extraordinary. Madison Opera’s production of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, unfortunately, leans a bit in the opposite direction.The 100-minute work by composer Daniel Schnyder and librettist Bridgette A. Wimberly chronicles 48 hours at the end of the life of jazz giant Charlie Parker (Joshua Stewart),.... Read More
Would an opera about a jazz performer still be considered an opera? Or is it more like an extended jazz riff on the performer’s life?According to composer and jazz saxophonist Daniel Schnyder, it can be a bit of both.The Swiss-born Schnyder explored this thesis with Opera Philadelphia in 2015 through his work Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, a fantasized look at 48 hours in the life of Parker, t.... Read More
Rachele Krivichi, Contributing writerThe four musicians first performed Ben Johnston’s Quartet No. 10 at a Present Music concert in Milwaukee in April 2002. At the end, the crowd let out a collective gasp of delight at the refreshing ingenuity of the music. Second violinist Eric Segnitz recalls that he had not witnessed such excitement over a piece in his entire career.It was at this moment.... Read More
Amid the autumn leaves’ changing colors comes the vivid musical colors of the notes, chords, cadenzas and crescendos of the local classical music sceneIt was Victor Hugo who said music expresses that which cannot be put into words and yet cannot remain silent. For many, life without music would be a life considerably less rich. That richness is what classical ensembles in both Milwaukee and Ma.... Read More
Blend the best of music and the best of theater and what do you get? Why, opera, of course. But that’s not to say appreciating opera is easy.“Opera is complex for those who perform it, but also for those who listen to it. It takes more time, more patience and more spirit of sacrifice,” operatic tenor Andrea Bocelli once said. “All this is well worth it because opera offers such deep sens.... Read More
It’s that time of the year again: The leaves are beginning to change and the cold mornings are upon us. This change augers a new start in the Milwaukee arts community, including the 13th season of Milwaukee-based chamber music group Frankly Music.“We’re very fortunate to still be going and able to perform such a wide variety of repertoire,” said artistic director Frank Almond in a recent.... Read More
By his own estimation, Andrew Sewell has conducted the 1812 Overture some 50 times — but he never tires of the famous work.His most recent performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s familiar overture was July 6 as part of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s Concerts on the Square series. Sewell, who has served as WCO’s maestro and music director since February 2000, conducted his 17th out.... Read More
In his life, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a trailblazing Russian composer. The first to make an impression on the international stage, Tchaikovsky was lauded both in Russia and abroad, leading to an appointment from Emperor Alexander III. His pieces, full of the lush rhythms and harmonies of the late Romantic era, continue to resound in concert halls across the world.So there's no better way .... Read More
Ah, summer! The time when concert organs get their pipes cleaned, tympani get their drumheads tarped, and maestros button up their batons until autumn’s first leaves signal the start of the new music season, right?Nothing could be further from the truth in Madison. Some classical music companies, like warm-weather vampires, only come out in summer. Others simply shed their stuffy tuxes and t.... Read More
