Madison Bach Musicians
First Unitarian Society 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53705
press release: A double feature! Purcell’s beautiful and tragic opera paired with one of Bach’s rare comic outings!
Madison Bach Musicians is pleased to offer this production of Henry Purcell’s vivid and eloquent operatic masterpiece, Dido & Aeneas–based upon the tragic love story told in Book IV of Virgil’s Aeneid. This Baroque gem will enchant you both audibly and visually! Spectacular vocal soloists and a full baroque orchestra, along with beautiful dancing sequences, all come together thanks to the collaboration of director David Ronis (UW-Madison Opera), Karen McShane-Hellenbrand (UW-Madison Dance Department), and Baroque-performance specialist conductor Marc Vallon (UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music).
J. S. Bach’s witty Coffee Cantata BWV 211 will add some mischievous fun to our program. This work suggests that perhaps J.S. Bach was a coffee enthusiast like many of us! “Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter than muscatel wine! I must have my coffee….” –Lieschen’s aria from BWV 211.
MBM Artistic Director Trevor Stephenson will offer his insightful and entertaining commentary on these two diverse masterworks in his lecture preceding each concert. Please join us!
Tickets $35-38. More information at madisonbachmusicians.org.
Soprano Chelsea Shephard, as Dido―“beautiful, lyric instrument” and “flawless legato” Opera News
Soprano Nola Richardson as Belinda―“astonishing balance and accuracy, lavishing crystalline diction on everything she touched…” The Washington Post