Catherine Capellaro
The Middleton Community Orchestra fetes longtime classical music critic John Barker, right, with a concert in his honor.
For once, John Barker is at a loss for words.
Due to health issues, the longtime classical music critic wrote his last review for Isthmus on July 3, capping off a 20-year career of reviewing orchestra, opera and chamber music concerts. His glowing review of the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society’s final concert of its summer chamber music festival had the fitting headline, “It’s a Wrap.”
When I tell John I’d like to write about his long tenure as a critic, he mentions, almost as an afterthought, that the Middleton Community Orchestra is dedicating its fall season to him and playing a concert in his honor at the Capitol Lakes retirement community, where he lives with his wife, Margaret.
When I arrive, the auditorium is already packed with concertgoers and residents, a number of them, like John, in wheelchairs and walkers. A volunteer hands me a program with excerpts from John’s reviews. (“This is exactly the kind of enterprise that makes the Madison area’s musical life so stimulating and joyous.... The players clearly were having a great frolic.”)
As luck would have it, there’s an empty seat next to the Barkers. We are just an arm’s length from the cellos — so close we can hear the breathing of the players, almost close enough to read the music.
The Middleton Community Orchestra started in 2010, and John has reviewed every single concert (either for Isthmus or for Jacob Stockinger’s classical music blog, The Well-Tempered Ear). “This concert became an idea this summer when I learned that John was not going to be doing reviewing anymore,” Mindy Taranto, a clarinetist, tells the audience. “But we invite you to change your mind. You’re welcome to come to our concerts anytime.”
The orchestra plays Johannes Brahms’ “Serenade No. 1 op. 11,” an intricate, richly textured piece from the composer’s early years. Kyle Knox conducts expressively, twisting, grimacing, closely tuned in to the 30-some players arranged in a semi-circle around him. Between movements, it’s so quiet, we can hear the pages turning.
John is a lifelong music lover who had a long career as a historian at UW-Madison where he pioneered a multimedia course that integrated arts and music; he is now a professor emeritus of medieval history. “History for me is part and parcel of my life,” he tells me before the concert. “I’m an outsider, and any good historian is an outsider who stands back and can be independent.”
Now in his twilight years, John is in the process of what he calls “throwing away my life.” He is sorting through prodigious amounts of books, and a record and CD collection that, at one time, exceeded 110,000 discs. He hands me a photocopy of a column he wrote for American Record Guide — where he has been a contributor for an astonishing 63 years — on the process of finding a home for the collection. In 2015, John donated much of it to a collector in Utah.
For the past five years, I served as John’s editor. He would, unfailingly, file reviews the night of concerts. They would be in my inbox when I woke up. We would engage in some back-and-forth emails, not always completely smooth — but always respectful and often entertaining. His knowledge of the historical context, composers and genres was deep and detailed. “I’ve been very happy being able to write these reviews,” he tells me. “I’m a teacher by instinct, and by definition that is someone who loves his subject so much he can’t bear to have people not know about it.”
After the concert, John wheels to the front of the auditorium, basking in the attention and talking about the value of the ensemble. “All of the players here are just wonderful in what they’re able to do. And what have they done? They’ve thrown a spotlight on Middleton,” he says. “Who’s ever heard of Middleton? They’ve not only added Middleton to the cultural scene, they’ve contributed more generally to the Madison scene. Madisonians still need to learn what a fine orchestra it is, what really quality performances it’s able to give out there on the west side.”
He shares a concise explanation of the role of the critic. “What I’m trying to do is to stimulate and encourage the performers to keep to their best standards. But also it’s for the readers, to give them some perspective on the music, some information about background and context. What this evening suggests is that I’ve had some success in that.”
He repeats an adage that no city has ever erected a monument to a critic, adding, “Well, maybe you created that monument in this concert and in the dedication of the season to me. I am still overwhelmed … and maybe I am, at last, at a loss for words. All I can say is I’m very moved, I’m very grateful. Thank you.”
Words Isthmus allowed John for each classical review: 400 (He would apologize every time he exceeded the count, even if by just a couple).
Estimated number of reviews he wrote for Isthmus: 330
For The Well-Tempered Ear: 135
Year John began to collect records: 1949
Number of classical discs donated to a collector in 2015: 110,000
Number he has accumulated since: 4,000
[Editor's note: This article was corrected to reflect the fact that John Barker donated his records and CDs to a collector in Utah; the collector did not purchase them.]
