Brooklyn Rider plays Golijov and Schubert

Osvaldo Golijov: Tenebrae (Version ll)

I wrote Tenebrae as a consequence of witnessing two contrasting realities in a short period of time in September 2000. I was in Israel at the start of the new wave of violence that is still continuing today, and a week later I took my son to the new planetarium in New York, where we could see the Earth as a beautiful blue dot in space. I wanted to write a piece that could be listened to from different perspectives. That is, if one chooses to listen to it “from afar”, the music would probably offer a “beautiful” surface but, from a metaphorically closer distance, one could hear that, beneath that surface, the music is full of pain. I lifted some of the haunting melismas from Couperin’s Troisieme Leçon de Tenebrae, using them as sources for loops, and wrote new interludes between them, always within a pulsating, vibrating, aerial texture. The compositional challenge was to write music that would sound as an orbiting spaceship that never touches ground. After finishing the composition, I realized that Tenebrae could be heard as the slow, quiet reading of an illuminated medieval manuscript in which the appearances of the voice singing the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet (from Yod to Nun, as in Couperin) signal the beginning of new chapters, leading to the ending section, built around a single, repeated word: Jerusalem.

Osvaldo Golijov (Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

 

Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in d minor, D. 810 – ‘Death and the Maiden’

Given Franz Schubert’s undeniable stature in the pantheon of musical luminaries, it is a challenging exercise more than two hundred years later to imagine him as greatly under appreciated within his own lifetime. There was much left to be published of his work upon his death, much of it spread out in the hands of his small social circle in Vienna. He was known in his day as a composer of mere hausmusik; part songs, lieder and various pieces for piano. Almost none of his large scale works were known by the Viennese public, much less outside of Vienna. Schubert himself was not a virtuoso performer- he wrote no concertos, so his cause was not advanced by the popular virtuosos of the era. Italy was all the rage: the incomparable and devilish violinist Paganini was enormously popular, as was the music of Rossini. And so it was left mostly to Schubert and his intimate circle of friends to organize evenings of informal performances comprised mostly of lieder and part songs with the ink still drying, referred to as Schubertiaden.

It took later figures such as Robert Schumann, who was an extremely prescient observer of the musical landscape, to elevate Schubert’s status to a wider audience. Schumann’s description from an 1840 essay on Schubert’s 9th Symphony for the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik could just as easily apply to this quartet – “And this heavenly length, like a fat novel in four volumes by Jean Paul- never-ending, and if only that the reader may go on creating in the same vein afterwards. How refreshing is their sense of inexhaustible wealth where with others one always fears the ending, troubled by the presentiment of ultimate disappointment.”

Schubert’s Death and the Maiden Quartet (1824), marks an important transition in Schubert’s music for string quartet from the hausmusik-infused works, composed mainly with his family quartet in mind, to works of grand dramatic scope (the Rosamunde also appeared earlier in the same year). Reluctantly buoyed by the musicianship of the Shuppanzigh String Quartet and a desire to increase his public scope, this quartet was composed just as Schubert came to know that he was seriously ill with syphilis. His dark state of mind could be summed up in this excerpt from a letter to a friend: “I feel myself to be the most unfortunate, the most miserable being in the world.”

This was the setting in which Schubert called upon the voice of Death from an earlier song (a setting of Matthias Claudius’ ‘Death and the Maiden’ from 1817). While we hear in the overall quartet a sense of mortal struggle, peaked emotions, and intense drama, viscerally reflecting Schubert’s state of affairs, he chose the slow movement to feature Death’s song in a mantra-like theme and set of variations. Seven years after the original setting, the words of the song clearly took on heightened meaning in light of his struggles:

Der Tod:
Gib deine Hand, du schön und zart Gebild! Bin Freund, und komme nicht, zu strafen. Sei gutes Muts! ich bin nicht wild,
Sollst sanft in meinen Armen schlafen!

Death:
Give me your hand, you beautiful and tender form! I am a friend, and come not to punish.
Be of good cheer! I am not fierce,
Softly shall you sleep in my arms!
With tireless creativity, Schubert managed to compose some 140 or so more works before Death came far too early for the young composer, just 31.

Notes by Nicholas Cords

2021 Quartet Sponsorship

The Julius Quartet’s Emerging Artists Quartet-in-Residence experience is supported by Robert and Carolyn Nelson.

The Emerging Artists Quartet-in-Residence is a new program of Madeline Island Chamber Music and provides a comprehensive package of performances, teaching opportunities, and mentorship during five weeks on-site at Madeline Island Chamber Music, and one week in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Madeline Island Chamber Music is very grateful to Bob and Carolyn for supporting the inaugural year of this program and this opportunity for the Julius Quartet.

Designated Multi-Year Scholarships and Fellowships

Art and Gail Edwards Fellowship
Established in 2015 by former Madeline Island Chamber Music Board member Jan Edwards and her sister Gail Danae Kasbi, the Art and Gail Edwards Fellowship provides Fellowship funding in memory of their parents who were longtime supporters of Madeline Island Chamber Music.

Edith Wells Bristol Scholarship Fund
The Edith Wells Bristol Scholarship was established to honor Edie Bristol, a longtime Board member and supporter of Madeline Island Chamber Music. Income from this restricted fund is used to provide scholarship aid to one or more deserving students.

Pace Woods Fellowship
Established in 2013 by the Pace Woods Foundation, whose mission is “to improve the lives and futures of individuals.” It was given in memory of Pace Woods and provides Fellowship funding for 2020-2022.

Pries/Hutchinson Scholarship Fund
Created by Constance Pries and her late husband James in memory of Frederick O. Hutchinson, their good friend and Madeline Island Chamber Music’s Board Chair in 1989, this fully-endowed scholarship fund provides full tuition, room, and board annually.

Private Foundation Fellowship
This anonymous foundation began funding an annual fellowship in 2014 while simultaneously contributing additional funds to fully endow it by 2024.

2021 Fellowships

Biebl Family Fellowship
Funded by Madeline Island Chamber Music Advisory Committee member Kathleen Biebl and her husband Anthony.

Jonathan Swartz Fellowship
Funded by MacPhail Center for Music Board member Linda Mack and her husband Warren in honor of Madeline Island Chamber Music’s artistic director Jonathan Swartz.

Vicki and Chip Emery Fellowship
Funded by MacPhail Center for Music Board member Chip Emery and his wife Vicki.

Thomas George Fellowship
Funded by the donors and supporters of MacPhail in honor of Madeline Island Chamber Music’s first executive director who established the program in 1985.

Bob and Carolyn Nelson Fellowship
Funded by former Madeline Island Chamber Music Board member Bob Nelson and his wife Carolyn.

Virginia K. Townley Fellowship
Funded by former Madeline Island Chamber Music Board member Thomas T. Rogers in memory of his mother, Virginia K. Townley.

Madeline Island Chamber Music provides more than half of our students with financial aid ranging from modest scholarship assistance to full Fellowships covering their entire program experience. We are grateful to our donors for their commitment to these Fellowships and scholarships.

Individual and Institutional Contributors

Madeline Island Chamber Music gratefully acknowledges the following individuals and institutions that made gifts to us, dating from prior to the cancelled 2020 season through June 1, 2021.

$20,000 and Above
Art and Gail Edwards Donor Advised Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
Anthony W. and Kathleen M. Biebl
Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation
Chip and Vicki Emery
Warren and Linda Mack
Bob and Carolyn Nelson
Sonja and Lowell Noteboom
Pace Woods Foundation
Private Foundation
Constance Pries
Thomas T. Rogers
Katherine and Douglas Skor

$10,000 to $19,999
Mark William Banks Trust
Estate of Edith W. Bristol
The Clinton Family Fund
Bob Davidson
Peter Havens
Ann and Terry Huntrods
Nancy Platt Jones and William Jones
MAHADH Fund of HRK Foundation
Caroline P. Marshall
CPM Legacy Fund of St. Paul Foundation
Tom Murtha and Stefanie Lenway
Mary J. Streitz
Virginia and Ed Stringer

$5,000-$9,999
The Dorsey & Whitney Foundation
Edward and Dawn Michael
Bethany and Christopher Owen
Robin Petty
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

$2,000-$4,999
Susan and Paul Arneson
Gretchen and Mark W.* Banks
Fran Bly and Charles Hample
Ann and Bruce Christensen
Betty Jayne Dahlberg
Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation
The Fredrikson & Byron Foundation
Leland and Bev Gehrke
Philip and Amy Goldman
Alex Haecker
Mary Louise and Patrick Irvine
John S. Winston Family Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
Douglas R. Johnson
John Kaul and Gloria Gunville
Drs. Sidney and Lynne Levitsky
RBC Wealth Management
Elizabeth and James Ramsland
Mary Hulings Rice*
Peter and Sara Richter
Emily Skor and Sean Cairncross
Janet and Harvey Sternat
Marilyn and William Van Sant
Frederick and Eleanor Winston

$1,000-$1,999
Arts Midwest
Judith and Merrill Blau
Demaris Brinton and Theron O’Connor
Richard Chandler and Heidi Pankoke
Susan T. Chandler and Bruce McLellan
Maureen T. Curran
Dellwood Foundation Inc.
Jay Erstling and Pixie Martin
George and Judith Haecker
Marcia and Burke Henry
George and Pinny Kuckel
Leslie Livingston and David Miller
Kathleen McCartin and Andre Lewis
Polly G. O’Brien
Fred and Gloria Sewell
Gary Sherman
Brian and Nancy Siska

$500-$999
Anonymous
Tracy Bennett and Robert Bristol
Greg Bernstein
Keith and Barbara Clayton
Dorothy M. Dalquist
Missy and Dave Donkers
Energizer Holdings, Inc.
Kenneth Goldsmith
Carol and Edward Hancock
Dorothy Horns and James Richardson
Betsy Knode and James E. Newton
Magellan Cares Foundation
Lauren P. March
Paul Markwardt and Richard Allendorf
Sheila Merzer
Gregory J. O’Leary
Tracy Peterson
Barbara Pittman
Theresa and Theodore Priem
Connie and Lew Remele
Susan Saxl and Robert Kramer
Richard and Judith Schmidt
Charlie Stringer and Kristin Hahn Stringer
Paul A. Sturgul
Jonathan Swartz
Mark and Deb Swedberg
Annelise Swigert
Mr. and Mrs. James Wiltz

$250-$499
Lois Albrecht
Robert Alexander and Becky Stemper
Don Baur and Phebe Jensch
Ann P. Buran
James Burmeister
Kyle and Shelley Carpenter
Cindy and Michael Dalzell
Kari and Peter Davidson
Jane Emison
Rose Fahien
Donald H. Gray, Jr.
Ellen Jones and Bob McKlveen
Min-Jeong Koh
Joann and Don Leavenworth
Lucas Capital Management
Steven and Cynthia Mueller
Audrey and Rusty Nelson
Barbara and James Nendze
Dana and Kathy Noteboom
Robert and Jane Post
Katherine and Richard Rosenthal
Kathleen Russell
Pat and Judy Sebranek
Harvey and Nancy Smith
Marjorie J. Smith
1. Michael Streitz
Jean Thomson
Robin Trinko-Russell and Gary Russell
Peter Tropman and Virginia Graves
Tyson Family Charitable Fund of the American Endowment Foundation
Donna Woods and Dr. Jon Hinrichs

$100-$249
Paul Babcock
Judith and Terence Ball
Lucy Banta
David Bjork and Jeff Bengtson
Hans and Christina Bjornson
Susan and Sandy Boyd
Judith and Arnold Brier
Susan and Tom Brust
Laura Nash Campbell and Eric Johnson
Anne Carter
Cecil and Penny Chally
Sheila Coyle
Alice Dickinson
Mrs. Douglas Dillard
Michael and Marilyn Dunlap
Martha W. Edgar
Victoria Erhart
Susanne K. Gens
Debbie Giachini
Janice and Fritz Grutzner
Bob and Janet Hanafin
Susan Jane Hedman
Andra and Patricia Herriott
Nell Hillsley and Van Lawrence
Mary Abbe Hintz
Alan and Judith Hoffman
Drusilla Cagnoni and Alexander Jacobs
Larry Kaufmann
Catherine and Dennis Kilbane
Richard Killmer
Susan and Edward Korleski
Ms. Judy Lin
Margaret Longlet
Brook W. Martin
Richard and Mickey Martin
Meredith and Brian McCormick Jr.
Peter and Cheryl McMullen
Sheila Mitchell
Caroline and Greg Moore
David and Audrey Nelson
Ardelle Norgaard
Mary D. O’Brien
Gil Overson
Peter and Joni Petschauer
Kathleen and Gene Ramsay
Phyllis and Gary Reiman
Judeth Reinke
Sarah Renner
Russ and Karen Rubin
Barbara and Bob Scott
Pitnarry Shin and Kyu-Young Kim
Marc D. Smith
Carolyn P. Sneed
Cynthia Turecamo
Mary B. Virre
Maxine Wallin
Robert Webb
Zoe V. A. Wells
Philip H. Willkie
James Wittenberg and Pam Weiner
Evelyn S. Wright
Wilson Yates

$1-$99
Carole J. Anderson
Linda Schaars Barnes
Angela and Ralph Breeden
Peggy and Joseph Carver
Karen Ruedi Crowell and Mike Crowell
Yvonne Foster
Jeff Goldenberg
Katie Heilman
Miriam Hof
Joel and Linda Jackson
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth N. Krutsch
Josh LaGrave
Josh Lavik
Howard Ledin
Gay J. Lindquist
Kathleen Lytle and Allen Hoglund
Dennis and Barbara McCann
Rebecca E. McDowell
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Miller
Sarah and Nile Norton
Allen and Gail Ofstehage
Dawn Olver
Peter M. Rogers
Abigail and Charlie Singleton
Ann and Willy Stern
Stanley Wai and Gayle Jorgens
Jessica S. Walker
Marty Vadis
Gingie Ward
Kelly Webb
Peggy and Richard Williams

Gifts in Honor Of

Edie Bristol
Leslie Livingston and David Miller

David J. Buran
Ann P. Buran

Thomas M. George
Mary Streitz

Marcia & Burke Henry
Phyllis and Gary Reiman

Ann Huntrods
Kathleen and Gene Ramsay 

Linda Mack
Jay Erstling and Pixie Martin
Wilson Yates

Warren Mack
Wilson Yates

Thomas Murtha
Gregory J. O’Leary

Sonja and Lowell Noteboom
The Clinton Family Fund

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Pittman
Barbara Pittman

Mary Hamel Scallen
Mary D. O’Brien

Dr. Irving Shapiro
Mary J. Streitz

Abbott Sherwin
Kathleen and Gene Ramsay

Isaac Sherwin
Kathleen and Gene Ramsay

Gifts in Memory Of

Mark W. Banks
Gay J. Lindquist
Katherine and Douglas Skor

Edie Bristol
Lucy Banta
Tracy Bennett and Robert Bristol
Angela and Ralph Breeden
Laura Nash Campbell and Eric Johnson
Anne Carter
Peggy and Joseph Carver
Mrs. Douglas Dillard
Yvonne Foster
Debbie Giachini
Larry Kaufmann
George and Pinny Kuckel
Leslie Livingston and David Miller
Lucas Capital Management
Lauren P. March
Brook W. Martin
Meredith and Brian McCormick Jr.
Peter and Cheryl McMullen
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Miller
Caroline and Greg Moore
Dawn Olver
Peter and Joni Petschauer
Robert and Jane Post
Judeth Reinke
Katherine and Douglas Skor
Cynthia Turecamo
Tyson Family Charitable Fund of the American Endowment Foundation
Mary B. Virre
Kelly Webb
Robert Webb
Peggy and Richard Williams

Michal Bristol
Leslie Livingston and David Miller

Marilyn Davidson
Kari and Peter Davidson
Howard Ledin

Marion C. Gray
Donald H. Gray, Jr.

William Griffith Harbison
Carol and Edward Hancock

Barbara Peet
Sarah Renner

James Pries
Dr. and Mrs. Arnold Brier
Barbara and James Nendze

Dr. Irving Shapiro
Jeff Goldenberg
Warren and Linda Mack

Janet Shapiro
Mary J. Streitz

*Deceased

Please excuse any errors or omissions that may have occurred during Madeline Island Chamber Music’s transition to MacPhail. If we have inadvertently omitted your name or listed it incorrectly, please accept our apology and contact Erika Malpass at malpass.erika@macphail.org.

 In-Kind Contributions

Dorsey & Whitney LLP / Mary Streitz, Esq. – Professional fees and meeting facilities
Family of Alice Cadotte – Lodging
Claire Givens Violins – Instrument loans
Lathrop GPM / Greg A. Larson, Esq. – Professional fees
Madeline Island Ferry Line – Transportation
Sylvan Design – Fountain maintenance
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP – Meeting facilities
Mark and Ewa Weir – Lodging