‘The artistically interesting thing to do’ – Isthmus

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society’s concerts are full of surprises, like a skit that isn’t on the program, or the time the musicians played barefoot in honor of the American composer Arthur Foote. But the stellar quality of their music-making is a sure thing. 

BDDS, a Madison chamber music treasure, will present its 31st summer season, “Riches to Rags,” June 10-26, at Collins Recital Hall in the UW Hamel Music Center, with the June 25 show at the Stoughton Opera House. It will be the group’s first in-person season since the pandemic began.

Besides including a good helping of Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, artistic directors Stephanie Jutt (flute) and Jeffrey Sykes (piano) have created a season that highlights women composers and composers of color. “Stephanie and I have always been committed to performing a wide range of diverse repertoire,” says Sykes. But in light of the events of recent years, the group has made a special effort to be diverse and inclusive in its programming. “It’s not just because it’s the right thing to do,” says Sykes. “It’s also the artistically interesting thing to do.”

Highlights from the season include a program called “Keeping Up With the Jones” on June 10, a part of its new Incendiary Artist Spotlight program where guest artists talk about their lives in music and perform some of their favorite pieces. Bass-baritone Timothy Jones sings songs by Black composers Margaret Bonds and Robert Owens, set to Langston Hughes’s poetry. Also featured: selections from Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin.

On June 11, the program “Fortune Favors the Bold” honors composers who overcame great odds to write their music. Ethel Smyth, a suffragette who served jail time for her political beliefs, didn’t let it stop her from composing her passionate Violin Sonata. It is reminiscent of the lush music of Brahms, whose Trio in B Major is also on this program.

On June 12, the “Lemons to Lemonade” program turns the focus to composers who made the best of bad situations, as when Beethoven continued composing after his hearing loss. His Cello Sonata in D Major is on the program.

Also, Ukrainian-American pianist Inna Faliks will play Ravel’s “Scarbo” and Billy Childs’ Pursuit. “Inna is a fantastic virtuoso pianist,” says Sykes. “She commissioned Billy Childs, a Black American jazz pianist and composer, to write a companion piece for ‘Scarbo,’ one of the most brilliant pieces in the repertoire, inspired by the idea of being chased by the devil.” Pursuit depicts a Black man being chased by the police, instead of the devil; this will be the Midwest premiere of this work.

Mozart’s Sonata in D Major, K. 381, for piano, four-hands, will sub for Mendelssohn’s Andante and Allegro which was originally scheduled for this concert.

Week two opens on June 17 with “The Legend of Zori” that casts the Incendiary Artist Spotlight on violinist Carmit Zori. She will play sonatas by Beethoven and Schumann and discuss them with the audience. “Carmit is such a passionate performer,” says Sykes. “She has become a legend with our audiences.” 

In “Trash to Treasure” on June 18, BDDS explores music that was under- or unappreciated in its own time. Rebecca Clarke, a British-American composer and violist, wrote Morpheus and Dumka, two charming pieces for strings and piano, at a time when women hadn’t made inroads into the classical composition world. She sometimes used the pseudonym Arthur Trent.

Week two ends on June 19 with “Hidden Gems” that haven’t been heard often enough, like Nadia Boulanger’s Three Pieces for Cello and Piano. Boulanger’s worldwide fame as a music teacher overshadowed her compositions, but these simple, transparent pieces are quite enjoyable.

Also on the bill is José Pablo Moncayo, a Mexican pianist and conductor whose Amatzinac for flute and string ensemble uses dissonance to create tension beneath the music’s sunny surface. Finally, Ravel’s sparkly Sonatine was originally written for piano, but for this performance, Stephanie Jutt, Parry Karp (cello), and Sykes arranged it for flute, cello, and piano.

For week three, “BDDS is doing a deep dive into ragtime,” says Jutt. “It’s a quintessentially American musical art that originated in Black communities in the late 19th century.” The chamber group will collaborate with the New England Ragtime Ensemble, with Jutt on flute. “The ensemble is the leading ragtime ensemble in the world,” says Jutt. “They will present two distinctly different programs.” 

The “Art of the Rag” on June 25 explores early ragtime; “From Rags to Jazz” follows ragtime’s path to early jazz. Ragtime greats like Scott Joplin (“Maple Leaf Rag”), James Reese Europe (“Castle Walk”), Jelly Roll Morton (“Grandpa’s Spells”), Gunther Schuller (“Sandpoint Rag”), and my personal favorite, Eubie Blake (“Charleston Rag”) are all on the docket.