Thursday, July 18 7 pm at Rennebohm Park, Madison
The Capitol City Band in concert.
Friday July 19 7:30 pm at UW Music Hall, 925 Bascom Mall, Madison. Repeated Saturday, 7/20 at 7:30 pm, Sunday 7/21 at 3 pm, Thursday 7/25, Friday 7/26 and Saturday 7/27 at 7 pm, Sunday, 7/28 at 3 pm).
The Madison Savoyards present their production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Iolanthe”.
The Madison Savoyards first production in 1963 was Iolanthe so it is fitting that the second fifty years of Gilbert & Sullivan in Madison also begins with Iolanthe in 2013. All performances will be in Music Hall on the UW-Madison campus (on Park Street near State at the foot of Bascom Hill) There will be seven performances:
Iolanthe was last performed by the Madison Savoyards in 2001 (program cover from that performance, right) and previously in 1988, 1979, 1971 and 1963.
The Gilbert & Sullivan archive says about Iolanthe:
Iolanthe, or “The Peer and the Peri”, opened at the Savoy Theatre on November 25, 1882, three nights after the final performance of Patience at the same theatre, and ran for 398 performances.
Gilbert had taken pot shots at the aristocracy before, but in this “fairy opera,” the House of Lords is lampooned as a bastion of the ineffective, privileged and dim-witted. The political party system and other institutions also come in for a dose of satire. Yet, both author and composer managed to couch the criticism among such bouncy, amiable absurdities that it is all received as good fun.
Both Gilbert and Sullivan were at the height of their creative powers in 1882, and many people feel that Iolanthe, their seventh work together, is the most perfect of their collaborations.
Saturday July 20, 11 am at Overture Center-Overture Hall.
Free Farmers’ Market Organ Concert with organist Wyatt Smith.
Wyatt Smith has thrilled audiences at the Free Farmers’ Market Concerts for several seasons. Now he returns with a program that includes J. S. Bach’s Toccata in F, and an amazing selection of movements from from Kurt Knecht’s Missouri Sonat, and Louis Vierne’s best and most popular work, the Symphony in D. Everyone is welcome and no tickets are needed.
Sunday July 21 4 pm at Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 Highway M, Middleton.
Father Bob Koopman, OSB, presents a piano concert “Celebrating Benedict”.
Pieces by Sergei Rachmaninoff, W.A. Mozart, César Franck, Johannes Brahms, Maurice Ravel, and by Father Koopmann himself will be performed. Donations will be accepted at the door or online at www.benedictinewomen.org to support the mission of the Benedictine Women of Madison at Holy Wisdom Monastery. A light reception will follow the concert. Please RSVP to Mike at 608-836-1631, x124 or mikesb@benedictinewomen.org so that we have enough food and seating for all!
Father Bob Koopmann is a longtime friend of the sisters at Holy Wisdom Monastery, Professor of Music and President Emeritus, has been on the faculty of Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict (in Minnesota) since 1975, where he has taught piano, music literature, and courses on creativity and the creative process. He has performed as a piano soloist and accompanist, as well as in chamber ensembles and with orchestras throughout the USA and abroad, including 20 states, Europe, South Africa, Chile, Kenya, and Tanzania. He has released a number of recordings since 1994. His doctorate is from the University of Iowa, with other degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Saint John’s University, and post-doctoral work with faculty from The Royal Academy (London) and The Juilliard School (New York). Father Koopmann was president of Saint John’s University from 2009 until July 2012. He was on sabbatical for the 2012-2013 academic year, studying music, theology, and spirituality in Berkeley, California and New York City. He will present a concert tour in Japan in August.
Wednesday, July 24 7 pm, Capitol Square (King Street corner), Madison.
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s Concert in the Square..
Works by Debussy, Prior, David and Tschaikovsky
Guest artists David Cao & Bethany Moss, violin, Issac Bershady, cello, Rebecca Jin, piano
Ah Amour!
They say love is what makes the world go round, and so much music has been inspired by love stories of all kinds. For this concert, we offer the music of Ravel, Debussy, Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien, and Carl Davis’ film music, Waltz and Love Scene from Flesh and the Devil! British musical prodigy, Alexander Prior’s Horizons was written for the 2010 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition finalists. Four young soloists from Wisconsin will perform this exhilarating piece.
CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS
DEBUSSY | Clair de lune
PRIOR | Horizons
DAVIS | Waltz and Love Scene from Flesh & the Devil
TCHAIKOVSKY | Capriccio Italien
