“The German Spirit” Begins Midsummer’s Music Series on June 18

Door County’s Midsummer’s Music is launching its 2017 season with the “The German Spirit” program, featuring music by Anton Eberl, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Joachim Raff.

Eberl’s Quintet in G Minor, Op. 41 takes its impetus from Mozart’s Piano Quartet, K. 478. The piece features the mellow string sound of two violas and a cello, which highlights the soprano sound of the clarinet as well as the somewhat mellow sound of the 18th century piano. Eberl was close friends with Mozart, and many of his pieces were misattributed to Mozart by zealous publishers who wanted to further sales of music.

Mozart wrote, “I myself consider it the best thing I have written in my life” of his Quintet in E-Flat Major, K. 614. It is Mozart’s last major chamber work. Like all of Mozart’s string quintets, it is a “viola quintet” in that it is scored for string quartet with an additional viola (two violins, two violas and cello).

Quartet in G Major, Op. 202, No. 1 is considered Raff’s penultimate piece of chamber music. Raff, who was considered virtually on a par with Brahms, Liszt, and Wagner, was highly regarded and brought to this work the full compositional powers he had developed over an extensive career.

Midsummer’s Music begins its 2017 festival with this program at the Opening Night Gala at Birch Creek on June 16. Special guests include the Honorable Barbara Lawton and Door County Poet Laureate Sharon Auberle. The concert can be heard also at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on June 18, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on June 21, and Prince of Peace Church on June 23.

Most concerts are $29 for adults, $10 for students, and free for children 12 and under. Tickets, subscriptions and flex-packs can be ordered online at midsummersmusic.com or by calling 920.854.7088.