By Jim Berkenstock, Artistic Director In our program that just closed, “Passionate Perspectives,” we explored the impulse to incorporate national musical elements as a reaction to the pervasiveness of stifling imperialism, especially in the case of the Hapsburg Regime in the 19th century. In our program that opens tonight (Thursday), we explore another kind of […]
THE SOUND OF HOME
By Jim Berkenstock, Artistic Director Our most recent program featured the music of Mozart, Haydn, and Wranitzky – composers steeped in the late 18th century Viennese style. They lived and worked within the Hapsburg Empire, which was seated in Vienna but ruled vast areas and cultures for hundreds of years. At first known as the […]
THE PULL OF VIENNA
By Jim Berkenstock, Artistic Director Midsummer Music’s current program, which continues July 22-24, might be called “The Vienna of Haydn, Mozart, and Wranitzky.” However, none of these composers were actually born in Vienna. Mozart and Haydn were at least Austrian. Mozart was born in Salzburg and Haydn came from a small village named Rohrau on […]
CZECH YOUR CONNECTIONS
Column 2, June 12, 2025 by Jim Berkenstock Walter Preucil, charter member of Midsummer’s Music and our outstanding cellist for the first 29 years, used to say, “Everything is connected.” If there was a connection to be had, he would find it. He certainly would in our upcoming program featuring Mozart, Reicha, and Dvořák. And it […]
GALA CELEBRATION AT 35!
Column 1, June 5, 2025 by Jim Berkenstock This Thursday, June 12th, marks a very special time for Midsummer’s Music. We will celebrate the beginning of our 35th season and the wonderful history that has led up to that. In other words, it will be a celebration of what has gone before and an anticipation […]
A Message from Jim Berkenstock
December 22, 2024 I often get asked, “When you started Midsummer’s Music nearly 35 years ago, did you dream that it would grow into what it is today?” The short answer is no. But what we quickly saw was that it had a profound impact on many people. Carefully nurturing that impact over the years […]
Dangerous Excellence
Column 7, July 30, 2024 by Jim Berkenstock The day following our recent “Grieg Piano Concerto with Jeannie Yu” program, I ran into one of the audience members who had been there. Harry (not his real name) said to me with a very serious look, “I’ve attended my last Midsummer’s Music concert!” I was too stunned […]
Chamber Music’s Family Tree
Column 6, July 10, 2024 by Jim Berkenstock We have just finished four wonderful programs (15 performances in all), and most of the music has been from the German/Austrian tradition. While we included a splendid work by the Englishwoman, Alice Verne Bredt, and an under-appreciated masterpiece by Dvořák, the meat of these programs was music […]
Spooky Fireworks
Monday, July 8, 2024 by Jim Berkenstock “Fairy Tales and Ghosts.” Our upcoming program that includes music of Beethoven, Schumann, and Haydn seems pregnant with story lines. This is true but maybe with more wrinkles than meet the eye. The Fairy Tales part comes from a work by the same title (Märchenerzählungen) by Robert Schumann […]
Dvořák Discovery!
Wed, June 26, 2024 by Jim Berkenstock When you attend a Midsummer’s Music concert you know to expect a surprise or two. Sure, you’ll probably hear a tried and true, well-known masterpiece like the Brahms Piano Quintet that’s on our next program—one of the great masterpieces of chamber music. But you will also probably hear a fascinating […]
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