Token Creek CMF: It Is Necessarily So

A Schubert program inspires anew   Most everyone gets excited about “kickoffs” this time of year—but before footballs fly across the land, a traditional farewell to summer is kicked off in a lovingly adapted barn on a cherished piece of land just south of Highway 19 and adjacent to one edge of Token Creek County…

New CD “44 Waltzes (on 88 Keys)” a Real Treasure

Pianist Peter Schaaf should be encouraged to bring us “Act 3”   First things first: File this review under “better late than never.” I received this new and intriguing recording in the fall, with every intention of reviewing it well before the holidays. Here’s hoping some readers will buy this for themselves—and find a good…

Token Creek Restored—and at Flood Stage, Musically Speaking

27th season of the Token Creek Chamber Music Festival overflows (artistically) in opening concert One of Madison’s sweetest farewells to summer always occurs at the Festival Barn, the former residence of Rose Mary Harbison’s family dating back to the 1930s. During that decade the ecological gem known as Token Creek was ruined by short-sighted commercial…

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society Shows Off Its Age

25th anniversary season of BDDS features a world premiere by Kevin Puts   The Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society is showing its age; despite more than two decades of golden memories from the fluid forces marshaled by co-founders Stephanie Jutt and Jeffrey Sykes, some silver has crept in. And that’s something to celebrate. Even if…

Rhapsodie Quartet Leaves the Toys at Home

The ensemble best known for its HeartStrings work melts a Promenade Hall crowd The Rhapsodie Quartet can most often be found at places like an Agrace hospice facility, Central Wisconsin Center, or a local school, not just performing, but viscerally impacting people of all ages who are dealing with some profound physical challenges. (You can…

Ancora Quartet: If the Name Doesn’t Mean “Encore,” It Should

In a month that rains quartet performances, Ancora makes their mark yet again   The arrival of the Lion King to the Overture Center this month may have pushed the larger, more flashy ensembles into an earlier than usual summer break (more or less!—none of them really stop completely of course), but May has brought…

Trevor’s Magical Musical Tour

Trevor Stephenson’s restored 1855 Bösendorfer piano is a time-travel gateway that reveals forgotten secrets   Having finally fallen under the spell of Trevor Stephenson’s beguiling preconcert lectures and the compelling results of his musicianship in the recent Messiah performance by his Madison Bach Musicians, there was no way I was going to miss his lecture/recital…

Madison Opera Stands Tall for “Little Women”

(Eric Neuville as Laurie and Courtney Miller as Meg in Mark Adamo’s Little Women. Photo by James Gill). In presenting Mark Adamo’s 1998 operatic treatment of Little Women, Madison Opera continued a strong and welcome tradition of presenting worthy recent works, particularly by American composers, and effectively utilizing the more intimate Capitol Theater. When a…

“Schubertiade” at Mills Hall a True Time-warp Party

One can hardly help but read about “Schubertiades”—those evenings when friends of Franz Schubert would gather at his place and sing and play through the night—and not fervently wish for some sort of a musical time machine to whisk us back a couple of centuries. Thanks to Bill Lutes and Martha Fischer, we’ve got the…

Another Birthday To Which Honor (And Another “Top 10” List) Must Be Given

Yes, just as I did with Mozart a few days ago, I indulge myself (and hopefully entertain more than irk) my readers. I really was going to forego this exercise in innocent futility, but last night’s “Schubertiade” at Mills Hall thoroughly inspired me. Which reminds me: Look tomorrow for my review of Friday night’s “Final…