The Oakwood Chamber Players bring a hint of mystery and macabre to Arts + Literature Laboratory on Sunday, October 26, at 2:00pm. Their swath of strings, winds, and piano will present an array of impish and dramatic musical delights, true to the ensemble’s signature playful energy. Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 seniors, and $5 for students. Advance ticket sales are available at oakwoodchamberplayers.com.
The spirited and mischievous “Polka” by Alfred Schnittke provides a common thread between two other distinct composers to be featured: fellow Russian Dmitri Shostakovich, whose musical influence is evident in Shnittke’s early works, and Gustav Mahler, most widely known for his lush and robust symphonic works. A profound, yet unfinished work, Mahler’s Piano Quartet in A minor was written during the composer’s teen years at the Vienna Conservatory, and included musical sketches that Schnittke attempted to complete and quoted in his own later work.
Written in 1946 amidst the climate of Stalinist cultural oppression, String Quartet No. 3 by Dmitri Shostakovich was dubbed a “war quartet”. Oakwood will present the first two movements of this work, which the composer subtitled “Calm unawareness of the future cataclysm” and “Rumblings of unrest and anticipation.”
Two living composers add further dimension to this lineup of 20th century heavy hitters, GRAMMY-nominated Miguel del Aguila and Korine Fujiwara of the Carpe Diem String Quartet. Del Aguila’s “Tango Trio” abstracts the Argentine-Uruguayan tango and Brazilian samba idioms, while Fujiwara’s “Out of the Depths” draws inspiration from sacred music of the Renaissance and Baroque.
PERSONNEL
Valree Casey, oboe
Amanda Szczys, bassoon
Marie Pauls, viola
Maggie Darby Townsend, cello
Stacy Regehr, piano
Special Guests:
Leanne Kelso, violin
Holly Wagner, violin
ABOUT:
The Oakwood Chamber Players are a dynamic group of Madison-based professional musicians who present concerts of historically and stylistically diverse chamber music animated by engaging verbal program notes. Their delightful, curated mix of wind and string instruments lends itself to introducing culturally significant works by living and lesser-known composers and shedding a new light on standard repertoire. These vibrant individual artists can be seen performing with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Madison Opera.