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The Well-Tempered Ear has quickly become the official source for classical music news and reviews serving Madison, Wisconsin’s very diverse and vibrant scene. Jacob Stockinger was the arts and culture desk editor and the former features editor and former news and investigative reporter at The Capital Times newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin from 1981 until his retirement in 2008, when he created The Ear. it has done a magnificent job of not only compensating for diminishing classical coverage in the local papers, but actually brought the classical conversation in Madison to a new highpoint, covering more local events than was every possible in traditional outlets, and connecting local listeners to the national and international scene with lively discussion of important concerts, broadcasts and recordings and music industry news.

This week, Jake is taking some time to focus on the music of Hans Gál and some of our current recording projects featuring his music. Episode One can be read here, and starts as follows:

Classical music news: It’s Kenneth Woods Week on The Ear as we visit with an important UW alumnus and lost composer Hans Gal

By Jacob Stockinger

Today marks the start of Thanksgiving week, typically a slow time – though hardly a dead quiet time — for live classical music before the accelerating rush toward the winter intermission over the holiday season. It’s the time when classical music gradually gives way, appropriately, to holiday music, both secular and sacred, classical and popular.

Several factors make this a good time, then, to celebrate a special man and musician who is also a good friend of the blog. So The Well-Tempered Ear is devoting this week – with the exception of a Wednesday break for the usual Best Bets and special Thanksgiving piece on Thursday — to Kenneth Woods (below) and calling it “Kenneth Woods Week.”

Specifically, we will be looking Woods’ career and at how Woods is working with AVIE Records on the rediscovery and revival  of the Viennese composer Hans Gal (1890-1987, below) — with great enough success that even more Gal recordings are in store.

Again, you can read the whole thing, and find upcoming installments on The Well Tempered Ear.