Bach Dancing and Dynamite: The Devil Is in the Details

BDDS offers strong performances, but falls prey to temptation in Stravinsky   Now in its 27th memorable season, the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society has never played it safe; if anything, co-founders Stephanie Jutt and Jeffrey Sykes have thrived on adding all sorts of twists to their programs. Not every dart thrown hits the bullseye…but…

The Hits Keep on Coming for Bach Dancing and Dynamite

(But there are a few quibbles…)   I can’t shake the feeling that even if I attended all six of the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society programs some year, I’d still feel like it all went too quickly. Worst still, I only made two of them again this year, but at least they were the…

Madison Symphony Closes Its Season on Very Human Notes

Long-awaited hearings and a farewell mark the final weekend Madison Symphony Orchestra music director John DeMain has made it (or continued?) a tradition of closing each season with a major work for chorus and orchestra. He has said on occasion in recent years that he has long wanted to program Brahms’ A German Requiem—but waited…

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society: 25-Carat Gold

BDDS celebrates silver anniversary, but give them a gold medal The Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, that impish and excellent music festival created by Stephanie Jutt and Jeffrey Sykes, has now been spoiling us every June for a quarter-century. They have long proven that they bear comparison with many a better-known summer festival in our…

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…