Madison Bach Musicians

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Michael Haug

Kicking off their 16th season, MBM honors Georg Philipp Telemann, one of the most heralded German composers of the 18th century. The group will play three of Telemann’s story works based off Gulliver’s Travels, Don Quixote, and his tragic-comic lament on the death of a canary. For the final piece, the ensemble will be joined by mezzo soprano Clara Osowski (pictured). Each concert is preceded by a lecture by artistic director Trevor Stephenson 45 minutes before showtime.

press release: Our season opens with a tribute to one of the most celebrated German composers of the 18th century – Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767).  Born just four years before J.S. Bach, Telemann was astonishingly prolific, and his music – unlike Bach’s – was widely published and performed throughout Europe during the composers lifetime.

MBM will present three of Telemann’s programmatic, or story works, and three purely instrumental selections.  In 1728, when Telemann wrote his Suite for Two Violins based upon scenes from Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift’s masterpiece had only been in print for two years.  Now that’s some topical Telemann!  With narration and graphics, we’ll walk you through how Telemann depicts the tiny Lilliputians dancing a heavy chaconne and the Brobdingnagian giants doing their rendition of a light-footed gigue!  Telemann also must have enjoyed Cervantes’ Don Quixote; this marvelous Suite Burlesque for Strings portrays Quixote’s love for Dulcinea, his jousting with windmills, and the world-weariness of his faithful servant Sancho Panza. And guest artist bass-baritone Matthew Treviño will sing the droll and sweetly amusing cantata about the demise of a favorite canary.

The concert includes non-programmatic works for string band: the dramatic Sonata in F Minor for two violins, two violas, cello and continuo, and the elegant Sinfonia Spirituosa, and Trevor Stephenson will perform some fascinating Fantasy miniatures for solo harpsichord.

Matthew Treviño, bass-baritone

Trevor Stephenson, harpsichord

Kangwon Kim leads the MBM strings

Saturday, October 5, 2019: 7:15 pm lecture, 8 pm concert, First Unitarian Society of Madison – Atrium Auditorium

Sunday, October 6, 2019: 2:45 pm lecture, 3:30 pm concert, Holy Wisdom Monastery, Middleton