Tag Archives: seattle symphony

Arts & Entertainment, Music

What We’re Hearing This Month: Classical Music Picks for February

Looking for a concert to enjoy with your Valentine? An evening of live classical music makes for a classy date night. Sick of the cold and rainy nights? Stellar live music is a fantastic cure for the winter blues. Here’s what we’ve got on the calendar this month.

Feb. 2 – 5 — Experience some of the best chamber music concerts you’ll ever hear at Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Winter Festival, held this year at Benaroya Hall’s Nordstrom Recital Hall.

Feb. 6 — Classical Revolution is a global network of musicians dedicated to playing chamber music in casual, non-traditional settings. The Seattle Chapter will be performing and reading through works by Mendelssohn at Faire Gallery & Café on Capitol Hill.

The Ritz Chamber Players will perform at UW's Meany Hall on February 15.

Feb. 8 — Extraordinary 16-year-old pianist Jan Lisiecki makes his Seattle debut at the UW President’s Piano Series. It’s always exciting to hear an emerging talent.

Feb. 8 – 11 — Musicians from around the world will gather in Wallingford for the Seattle Improvised Music Festival, held in the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center.

Feb. 9 – 12 — Seattle Symphony plays Mussorgsky’s beloved Pictures at an Exhibition, along with works by Stravinsky, Jolivet, and Haydn.

Feb. 11 — Early Music Guild presents a semi-staged performance of Dido and Aeneas, Purcell’s delightful opera.

Feb. 15 — The remarkable Ritz Chamber Players return to the UW Chamber Music Series with a world premiere and works by Crusell, Dvorak, and Beethoven.

Feb. 18 – 19 — It’s always worth making the trip to catch a concert by the Auburn Symphony. This time it’s all about romance. Catch pieces by Berlioz and Chausson, as well as a performance of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 by local favorite Craig Sheppard.

Feb. 23 – 24 — Legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman joins the Seattle Symphony for works by Vivaldi, Mozart, and Beethoven.

Feb. 24 — Experience music from the other side of the Pacific with “Celebrate Asia” at Benaroya Hall. Jie Ma is a featured soloist on the pipa, and exquisite instrument from China.

Feb. 25 – Mar. 10 — Don’t miss Seattle Opera’s production of Orphée et Eurydice, a Gluck masterpiece not seen here in Seattle for 24 years.

Feb. 26 — Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra performs at Benaroya Hall. This talented group of young musicians is as good as many a professional orchestra…and a lot less expensive to catch in action.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Seattle Symphony Presents Keyboard Fireworks, a Beloved Classic, and a World Premiere

The Seattle Symphony performs works by Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, and Nico Muhly tonight, January 28, at 8 p.m. at Benaroya Hall. More details and tickets are available at the Seattle Symphony website.

Ludovic Morlot’s been hard at work. Although it’s only been a few months into his first season as music director of the Seattle Symphony, Morlot has already made waves with his adventurous programming and fresh approach to the symphonic repertoire. Thursday night’s concert was no exception, sandwiching Schubert’s beloved “Unfinished” Symphony No. 8 between a world premiere by Nico Muhly and a performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 by Marc-André Hamelin. The Symphony will perform the same program again tonight.

In many ways, these works are worlds apart. However, when they’re performed together as part of a unified program, listeners are invited to draw parallels between the pieces. In this way, a program that initially seems like a musical grab-bag is be transformed into an insightful exploration of a single musical concept. At Thursday’s concert, the theme of the night seemed to be musical texture. All three pieces on the program cycle through a wide variety of orchestral textures in a short amount of time, creating a musical landscape full of changing moods and colors.

Nico Muhly

The concert opened with Nico Muhly’s world premiere, a one-movement work playfully titled So Far So Good. Born in Vermont and currently based in New York City, Muhly is a young composer whose star is on the rise. Only thirty years old, he’s already racked up an impressive list of accomplishments, including an upcoming opera premiere at the Met, an ongoing gig as assistant to eminent composer Philip Glass, and collaborations with Björk.

In So Far So Good, Muhly uses repeating melodic themes and ever-shifting textures to create a work that is atmospheric and sonically rich. Contrasting textures in different sections of the orchestra are often combined and overlapped. For example, at the beginning of the work, Muhly juxtaposes a smooth, legato string part with short, staccato bursts from the brass and percussion. Morlot managed the flowing textures well, guiding the ensemble through sudden transitions and mood changes.

So Far So Good paired surprisingly well with the second piece on the program, Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony, another work that features dramatic shifts in mood and texture. Although Schubert was only able to complete the first two movements of the symphony before his death in 1828, the “Unfinished” is one of his most popular works. The piece flows rapidly through a huge spectrum of orchestral colors, ranging from a sweet, tender cello melody to grand gestures that utilize a full orchestral sound. The woodwind section sounded fantastic in the handful of solos and duets throughout the work, particularly Ben Hausmann on oboe, Christopher Sereque on clarinet, and Demarre McGill on flute.

The evening concluded with a performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring Marc-André Hamelin as the soloist. Although Schubert and Chopin both heralded from the Romantic tradition of classical composition, the “Unfinished” Symphony is miles away from Chopin’s concerto in terms of tone and texture. Schubert’s Symphony focuses on a full range of orchestral sound, while Chopin’s work utilizes the orchestra to accentuate the expressive power of the piano.

One of the most technically skilled pianists alive today, Hamelin is known for pushing the limits of what is physically possible on the piano. In addition to his international acclaim as a concert pianist, he is well-known as the composer of “Circus Galop”, a work for player piano that many consider to be the world’s most difficult piano piece.

The Chopin piano concerto was an excellent choice to showcase a different side of Hamelin’s artistry. Although Chopin’s compositions call for a virtuosic technique, his music is full of tender moments in which a simple melodic passage is imbued with great emotional intensity. Hamelin struck a harmonious balance between flashy technique and musical expression, sailing through difficult fast passages without batting an eye, but bringing out a delicate singing tone in sections that were slower and more melodic.

Morlot’s conducting talent and leadership abilities earned Seattle Symphony a recent mention in the New York Times. NYT music critic Zachary Woolfe reviewed Thursday night’s concert and commented favorably on Morlot’s accomplishments and vision for the orchestra: “Watching Seattle in the coming years will be fun”. If the excitement of Thursday night’s performance is any indication, Seattle’s new maestro’s on the right track.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

What We’re Hearing This Month: Classical Music Picks for January 2012

2012 is only a week old, but Seattle’s classical music scene is off to a fantastic start for the year with dozens of events around the city. Classical music critics Phillippa Kiraly and Dana Wen weigh in with their picks for this month.

Jan. 13 & 14 — Pacific Musicworks presents a semi-staged performance of Carissimi’s opera The Prophets at St. James Cathedral. This is a rare chance to hear a rare work with a stellar cast.

Jan. 14 – 28 — Seattle Opera performs Verdi’s Attila at McCaw Hall, with the great bass John Relyea in the title role. Experience a modern staging of one of Verdi’s early operas.

Ingrid Matthews and Byron Schenkman

Jan. 20 — Who doesn’t love Latin music? Viva la Música at Benaroya Hall features pianist Arnaldo Cohen and the Seattle Symphony performing works by Latin American composers.

Jan. 26 & 28 — Pianist Marc-André Hamelin joins the Seattle Symphony for Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto. Also on the  program is Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony and a world premiere of a work by Nico Muhly.

Jan. 27 — Marc-André Hamelin and members the Seattle Symphony present a program of Russian quintets at Nordstrom Recital Hall. This is a chance to hear pianist Hamelin performing chamber music.

Jan. 27 — Now in its second season, Seattle Modern Orchestra explores the theme “Layers of Time” at Cornish College of the Arts’ PONCHO Concert Hall.

Jan. 28 — Seattle Baroque Orchestra presents Common Ground at Town Hall, featuring Ingrid Matthews and Byron Schenkman, two  of Seattle’s best early music performers. The duo will play a program of inventive 17th century music with repeating bass lines.

Jan. 29 — Innovative string quartet Brooklyn Rider returns to Town Hall with works by Beethoven, Philip Glass, and John Zorn.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Classical Music on the Cheap: Opera at the Library

Classical music often gets a bad rap as being a status symbol for the wealthy.  There’s a popular misconception that classical concerts are prohibitively expensive affairs attended by snobbish rich folks. Author and classical music critic Alex Ross sums it up well in his recent post in The New Yorker‘s arts & entertainment blog:

If popular stereotypes about classical music held true, the genre should have had no social or political relevance in 2011, one of the darkest and angriest years in recent American history. Classical music is, we are given to understand, the playground of the one per cent, the province of the super-rich. When concerts are depicted in the movies, you see élites in evening wear gazing snootily through archaic eyewear at misbehaving interlopers.

In reality, the price of a Seattle Symphony or Seattle Opera ticket is comparable to a seat at a rock concert or sports event. There are also plenty of free and nearly-free classical concerts that are every bit as exciting as the high-profile celebrity recitals and opera productions. Discounts and deals on tickets abound. Classical music is actually quite accessible to everyone–you just have to know where to look.

In this new monthly series, “Classical Music on the Cheap”, I’ll explore different ways of enjoying classical music in Seattle without breaking the bank.  So whether you’ve resolved to spend less, get out more, or expand your musical horizons, be sure to check out Seattle’s vibrant classical music scene this year.

This month, I head to your local branch of the Seattle Public Library for a free preview of Seattle Opera’s production of Attila, the 1846 opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The previews began this week and continue through next week in preparation for the opening night of Attila on January 14. Several branches around the city will be offering previews, which feature a lecture, musical excerpts, and video clips. Learn about the history and story of the opera and get a behind-the-scenes peek at the Seattle Opera production.

If live music is what you’re after, SPL’s Central Library hosts a free monthly concert series presented by the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle. This month’s recital is on January 11 at noon and features works by Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, Czerny, and Arutiunian. Violinist Candice Chin, clarinetist David Frank, and pianists Jim Whitehead, Risa Jun, and Yelena Balabanova will perform. If you work downtown or on First Hill, this concert series offers a great excuse to get out of the office at lunchtime. The Ladies Musical Club also offers free concerts at other Seattle venues, including the Seattle Art Museum, the Frye Art Museum, and local retirement communities.

The Central Library also hosts other free concerts and musical events from time to time.  Check the Central events page for a schedule and more information.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Seattle Symphony Rings in the New Year With the Ninth

The Seattle Symphony performs Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on Saturday night, December 31, at 9 p.m.  at Benaroya Hall. Saturday’s New Year’s Eve concert will be followed by a gala celebration with drinks, dancing, and a midnight countdown. More details and tickets are available at the Seattle Symphony website.

Gerard Schwarz

It’s safe to say that virtually everyone knows Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The work’s famous “Ode to Joy” melody, taken from the final movement of the Symphony, is one of the most recognizable tunes in Western music. The Ninth’s uplifting message and epic scale, which combines orchestra, chorus, and vocal soloists for a grand finale, makes this piece a favorite for the holiday season.

The Seattle Symphony has an annual tradition of ringing in the new year with performances of Beethoven’s Ninth, and this year, Conductor Laureate Gerard Schwarz returns to the podium at Benaroya Hall for these popular concerts. Performances began on Wednesday evening and will be held nightly, culminating in a special New Year’s Eve concert and gala on Saturday night.

Last night’s performance brought a festive atmosphere and diverse crowd to Benaroya Hall. It marked a special day for the Seattle Symphony: The 108th anniversary of its first concert.

Although this fact wasn’t mentioned at last night’s concert, everyone seemed to be in a celebratory mood, from the musicians to the audience. The program was very family-friendly, featuring vivid and colorful pieces guaranteed to enthrall both children and adults alike. In addition to Beethoven’s Ninth, the Seattle Symphony performed a suite of excerpts from another holiday favorite, Engelbert Humperdinck’s fairytale opera Hansel & Gretel.

The program opened with the Suite from Hansel & Gretel, which is comprised of five musical interludes taken from scenes in the opera. Humperdinck, a colleague of Richard Wagner, took cues from his celebrated contemporary by using rich orchestral textures and complex harmonies, evoking a fairytale landscape both enchanting and perilous.

After a majestic brass fanfare at the beginning of the suite, the woodwinds paint a whimsical picture of Hansel and Gretel frolicking in the forest and eventually stumbling upon the witch’s gingerbread house. Humperdinck’s writing calls for a rich string texture, which helps create drama when the witch is defeated and the children dance a celebratory waltz. The Seattle Symphony string section was up to the task, creating many lovely and exciting moments.

The audience returned from intermission eager for the epic majesty of Beethoven’s Ninth. The work opens dramatically, beginning with small chirps from the string section and building until the orchestra is playing in full force. Maestro Schwarz did an excellent job of maintaining the dramatic sound over the course of the first movement. The second movement is dominated by a fugue theme that begins in the string section and echoes throughout the movement, and the French horn and woodwind sections gave particularly fine performances here, especially Seth Krimsky on bassoon.

After a slow and lyrical third movement, the fourth movement begins with a roiling storm that musters the entire orchestra. As the storm subsides, strains of the “Ode to Joy” theme begin to peek through, finally emerging in full form in the low strings.  The doublebass section sounded fantastic in those first, muted statements of the theme.

Greer Grimsley

After the “Ode to Joy” theme is tossed around the orchestra a few times, the chorus and vocal soloists step in with tidings of joy and praise. The text they sing is based on a poem by Friedrich Schiller, with alterations by Beethoven himself. This year, the four soloists joining the Symphony are soprano Christine Goerke, tenor John Mac Master, and the husband-and-wife team of mezzo-soprano Luretta Bybee and bass-baritone Greer Grimsley.

Grimsley’s powerful voice made a majestic entrance and set the mood for the rest of the epic finale, which brings together orchestra, chorus, and soloists in various configurations. Mac Master was spot-on in the famous tenor solo.  The Seattle Symphony Chorale, led by Joseph Crnko, gave a spirited performance that added even more excitement and energy.

Last night’s rousing performance inspired and excited many audience members. As I was exiting Benaroya Hall, I kept overhearing people raving about how much the musicians and singers seemed to enjoy themselves. Clearly, the tradition of celebrating the New Year with Beethoven’s Ninth remains alive and well in Seattle.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Mariinsky Orchestra Visits, Plays, Conquers

Valery Gergiev (Photo: Marco Borggreve)

The sound of Russian voices pervaded the lobby at Benaroya Hall Wednesday night as the local community turned out en masse to hear the legendary Mariinsky Orchestra from St. Petersburg under equally legendary conductor Valery Gergiev on the Seattle Symphony’s Visiting Orchestra Series.

In the auditorium, the orchestra confirmed its stature as it performed a program of Russian favorites.

As a short opener, Gergiev chose three very different excerpts from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suites, with the leisurely “Friar Laurence” and quirky “Masks,” after which all hell broke loose in the fury (with alternating moments of peace) of the antagonistic “Montagues and Capulets.” This last sounded quite shocking in its vitality as the brass and percussion let fly but it was not loud for loudness’s sake. There were no moments of wanting to protect the eardrums.

Joining the orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, 18-year-old Belorussian cellist Ivan Karizna reminded this audience member of the young Lynn Harrell, another big kid with blond hair who plays his cello like an extension of himself creating miracles of breathtakingly beautiful sound.

Warm and open, somber or lively, light, dancing, floating or shimmering liquid gold, the gorgeous tones Karizna drew from his instrument were musically satisfying and technically excellent. The orchestra stayed closely supportive but never overwhelmed him.

Though the Variations were a pleasure to hear, the most profound moments of the program came with Tchaikovsky’s last symphony, No. 6, the Pathétique.

Gergiev’s interpretation of the first movement left one believing that it was the musical expression of the composer’s most painful thoughts. Agonizing conflicts and a plea for understanding needed only one’s imagination to hear them, and also the relief of the peaceful oases which occasonally came through.

Gergiev lightened the mood considerably in the second and third movements, Tchaikovsky’s brilliant waltz/two-step rhythm of the second with its irresistible melody, and the rushing anticipation of the jaunty upbeat march leading to its energetic peroration in the third. The sudden change of pace to slow and deeply somber pulled listeners up short, as the orchestra continued without a pause to the last movement, which almost seemed like a prayer of anguish, of crisis, of questioning Why me?, with again, a restfully serene melody interspersed.

Tchaikovsky, who died mysteriously nine days after the premier of this symphony, was a master of pacing his music so that it makes the utmost impact; and this was the most compelling, enlightening performance of this symphony this listener has heard over decades of concertgoing.

Gergiev, who conducted without podium and mostly without score, has a distinctive conducting style with fluttering fingers and not always a discernible beat, but his whole body, particularly in the Pathétique, conveys his intention to the musicians. They responded like a Rolls Royce engine to his every indication. The audience brought him back five times to accept applause with his musicians.