It’s hard to believe, but we have only a little over a week to go until our summer season comes to a dynamic conclusion. However, there are two programs and eight performances still to be enjoyed. This coming week, a very colorful program titled “Splendid Stories,” will feature strings (including double bass), horn, flute, and clarinet. Each of these works has a unique story behind it—some touching, some thrilling, some humorous, but all exhilarating.
This program, which can be heard at five different venues, features Dvořák’s String Quintet, Opus 77, for String Quartet and Double Bass. It represents an important point in Dvořák’s development when he turned away from his preoccupation with Wagner, Liszt, and German models and decided to make Bohemian elements an important part of his musical language. He realized he might be pigeonholing himself as a “local” Czech composer rather than an international one, but he couldn’t avoid the music that ran in his blood. It is no coincidence, therefore, that he wrote a dedication on the title page that says, “To My Nation.” As it turns out, the heartfelt Czech idiom he developed in this work and used going forth was what made him appealing to other nations, near and far, including America, and guaranteed his fame. Works from this period also drew the attention of Johannes Brahms who recommended Dvořák to Brahms’s publisher, Simrock, who, as a result, first published this work in 1888. The double bass adds an orchestral richness to this work that will be especially appealing in the Mutchler’s spacious “Concert Salle.”
The program begins with two even more specific story tellers. En Saga, by Sibelius eventually became one of his great orchestral tone poems, recalling the vast expanse of Sibelius’s Finnish homeland. It is very colorful and evocative. I can even hear the troika (a Russian or Finnish style carriage drawn by three horses) cantering across the frozen winter landscape. The program begins with a delightful work for Flute and Horn that has four short movements, each somewhat comically depicting various outdated “contraptions.” Hence its title, Four, Two-Bit, Contraptions. Jan Bach, the composer (and distant relative of J.S. Bach), has an amazing knack for using the instruments very creatively. My favorite is No. 3, “Gramophone.” Picture the old RCA Victrola with the little dog in front of it listening with his head cocked. It’s jazzy, and full of fun and foibles. You’ll never guess how Jan depicts the stylus getting stuck in the record’s groove, merrily repeating a short phrase over and over.
You can hear “Splendid Stories” in four locations (other than the sold-out concert at the Mutchlers):
- Sunday, August 27, 5:00 pm., Woodwalk Gallery, Egg Harbor
- Tuesday, August 29, 7:00 pm., Bjorklunden, Baileys Harbor
- Thursday, August 31, 7:00 pm., Donald and Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
- Sunday, September 3, 3:00 pm., The Clearing Folk School, Ellison Bay
Only one other program remains, “Celebratory Fireworks,” in this Labor Day period. Get your tickets right away, and don’t forget our special Labor Day Gala at Björklunden. It is such a special way to celebrate the end of the season, and tickets for that are selling quickly as well, so act soon. And while you’re at it, don’t forget the big Eric Lewis/Griffon String Quartet concert event and reception celebrating the release of their new album, Beneath the Waves, on September 9th in Gould Theater at Northern Sky Theater. It will be a hoot and a great way to ease into the Fall.
Call 920-854-7088 or visit www.midsummersmusic.com for tickets or more details. The summer’s not over (yet) so let’s make the most of it. See you soon!
Jim Berkenstock,
Artistic Director