Month: March 2009

Slatkin and the SSO are Fantastique

A few weeks back I compared the Seattle Symphony of present to the San Francisco Symphony, just before Michael Tilson Thomas took over. I mused, there are orchestras and then there are orchestras, and the San Francisco Symphony is the later.

This weekend the Seattle Symphony joined the ranks of the San Francisco Symphony and even other big-league American orchestras, with scintillating, well played performances under the director of Leonard Slatkin. Slatkin is in the first year of a three to five year contract with the Detroit Symphony. After a rocky exit with the National Symphony, he has found his bearings with the DSO, an orchestra needing the attention of a music director who is an orchestra resucitator and musician.

The inspired, nuanced, and mostly clean playing of the orchestra amplified the possibilities and the dilemmas for the SSO in the post-Schwarz era. The Seattle Symphony is poised to enter a new era of artistic growth and enhanced performance standards provided the board of directors hires the right music director to replace Schwarz. Make the wrong choice, miss an opportunity to snag a big talent, or allow orchestra politics to intervene and the results could be unpredictable.  Philadelphia is facing this scenario right now and the future doesn’t look bright.

Leonard Slatkin, possibly the most well-known, active American conductor, was in town leading the Emerald City’s orchestra in four concerts and also taking the podium to guide the Seattle Youth Symphony in a repeat performance of the Symphonie Fantastique, a piece the youth symphony played only a few weeks earlier.

Slatkin put together a solid program. Britten’s Four Sea Interludes and Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto with Julian Rachlin anchored the first half. On the other side of intermission, Berlioz’s groundbreaking Symphonie Fantastique occupied the remaining hour. I have to confess, I love Britten’s Interludes, especially the Storm, but I was disappointed a new work by Jefferson Friedman was shelved for budget reasons. There were too many extra musicians required and not enough money apparently to make the piece work. Friedman is a promising, young composer Slatkin has championed and I think Seattle would have taken to his unique, invigorating style.

What made the concert I heard on Saturday night exceptional, was Slatkin’s attention to detail and his ability to elicit articulated, multifaceted playing  from every section of the orchestra. Finesse and passion coexisted across the program, but especially in the Symphonie. A common observation among people who have followed the orchestra for a long time is the band’s tendency to play very loudly – even when it isn’t necessary to shake the rafters of Benaroya Hall. Also common, are missed entrances and occasional erratic section playing. We heard this the previous week when sections struggled to play as a unit.

On both matters, Slatkin broke these SSO habits. Like a good team leader, he kept each section in check, made it easy for the orchestra to follow the beat, and generally worked with the orchestra as opposed to against it. He also pushed and pulled the dynamics in ways that demonstrated how good this orchestra could be. I never knew the SSO strings could play so softly.

It undoubtedly helped that he knows the Symphonie Fantastique well enough to conduct it without a score. And, Slatkin knew exactly what he wanted the orchestra to do.

The orchestra happily obliged. The final movement, was menacing even though it felt a little restrained. The violins skittered, the brass moaned, and the church bells rang convincingly off stage with the help of a sampler. The four movements that came before were just as well done. Stefan Farkas ruled the third movement. His English Horn solos were a highlight for me. The march to the scaffold was noble and smoothed out in parts to blunt its edginess

I hope Slatkin comes back to Seattle real soon. He won’t be here next season, but Thomas Philion and Elena Dubinets should do everything in their power to snag him for a stint in 2010/2011. He is the real deal. He is both a musician and an administrator. In his Saturday post concert talk with a large, enthusiastic crowd, he was engaging and comfortable interacting with everyone. He understands a music director needs to do more than just make great music with an orchestra.  He needs to be an educator, fundraiser, politician, and have an artistic vision. Fortunately, he can do all of these things. Detroit is lucky to have him.  The DSO is an orchestra with tremendous potential but burdened by a state with 20% unemployment, a crumbling auto industry, and a certain amount of uncertainty in the post-Jarvi years.

Seattle would be lucky to have him too. Who knows, maybe if enough boosters get together they can lure him from Detroit in 2011, after he finishes his three year contract. I am sure someone, somewhere in Seattle is dreaming about a Slatkin tenure with the SSO (even if it is for just three to five years). With a little bit of luck and if the search committee is bold enough, maybe we could snag him.

Drums Along the Pacific Live Blogged

johncage 70 years ago, John Cage and Lou Harrison staged a series of percussion recitals dubbed Drums Along the Pacific.  The Cornish College of the Arts is reviving the concept with a series of four concerts this weekend.  Thursday: Henry Cowell; Friday: Lou Harrison; Saturday: John Cage; and Sunday

: Gamelan music.  In addition to concerts, Cornish is also sponsoring a series of lectures and educational events.  You can get event details here.

In a first for The Gathering Note

, I will be live blogging the John Cage Marathon.  You can read my instant reactions and peruse additional content here.  Be sure to book mark the page, or just go to the Live Blog page at www.gatheringnote.com.

Think you might forget?  Enter your e-mail address in the upcoming live event widget on the front page and you’ll receive a reminder e-mail.

I hope you will make it to Poncho Hall for some or all of the Drums Along the Pacific festivities.  If you can’t, tune into The Gathering Note’s first live blog.

Concert Spirituel: A mezzo to remember

Bach’s birthday, this year his 324th, is always a fine excuse for multiple performances of his works. This year, Bach’s faith, joy and optimism are particularly welcome, uplifting the spirits in big concerts as the six Brandenburgs at Benaroya last week, and little ones such as the Concert Spirituel performance at Christ Episcopal Church in the University district on Bach’s actual birthday, Saturday March 21.

Flutist Jeffrey Cohan is the moving spirit behind Concert Spirituel, and he has presented and performed in “J.S. Bach! A Birthday Bash,” around the Sound and over the mountains in eight concerts over the past ten days.

Christ Episcopal’s was the only Seattle performance. This was an excellent program, well-designed, beginning with Telemann’s Cantata, “Ihr Voelker, hoert,” ending with Bach’s Cantata No. 82, “Ich habe, genug,” and in between, two sonatas and the Italian Concerto, all by Bach.

Cohan, playing Baroque flute, was joined by a friend and co-performer for the past quarter-century, harpsichordist Hans-Juergen Schnoor of Luebeck, Germany, and mezzo-soprano Maike Albrecht, also from Luebeck.

Albrecht’s lovely voice is one you would never get bored listening to. It’s warm, easy and generous with depth and character, and above all expressive, so that hearing the recitatives you are hearing a story as she sings it, while the arias are heartfelt commentary. She uses only an occasional, light vibrato, perfect for Baroque music.

Both cantatas are happy ones, Telemann’s rejoicing in the light God brings to the world, and the Bach an embracing of death as a portal to God.

The balance of instruments wasn’t as good as it might have been. Cohan is an experienced performer on flutes from the Renaissance on, and the Baroque flute he chose to play at this concert was an extremely soft-toned one. Except in the higher registers couldn’t always be heard above the harpsichord.

Schnoor was playing a small, two-manual Flemish-type instrument, but played with a rhythmic freedom in his right hand which didn’t seem completely suited to either Telemann or Bach, though it was more noticeable in the Telemann. Nor did it mesh with Cohan, so that the two were often not playing exactly together. It was distracting and disconcerting.

Cohan spoke briefly and informatively before the two sonatas he played with Schnoor. Neither was originally composed for solo flute and harpsichord. In the first, BWV 1027 in G major originally for viola da gamba and later arranged by Bach for two flutes, Cohan played the gamba part. BWV 1021 was originally written for violin. The latter was the more successful of the two performances by Cohan and Schnoor, probably because the violin part was higher than the gamba one, so that Cohan’s flute was more audible against the other instrument. I would have like to hear more of Cohan, both for the music but also for his fine, expressive playing.

In the Italian Concerto, Schnoor’s habit of playing the right hand slightly before the left resulted in a less than satisfactory performance, to our ears here anyway. The performance didn’t sound decisively clean, while the lower register on the harpsichord sounded a little heavy.

A Bad Night for Dmitri Alexeev?

Concert pianists often continue performing into old age, so long as their fingers remain supple and their ears sharp, and do so with the increased insight into the music and understanding of the composer’s intent which comes with long familiarity.

It was therefore with regret that I heard Dmitri Alexeev’s performance at Meany Theater Tuesday night.

Now in his early 60s, which should be his musical prime, Alexeev did justice to only one composer, Prokofiev. His performance of the Four Pieces for piano, Op. 32 was quirky and light, sharply delineated, completely assured and totally successful.

Would that he has brought the same perceptiveness to the Schumann and Chopin works which took up the remainder of the program.

In the past he has received enthusiastic plaudits for his lyricism, and the nuances and dynamics of his playing, but these were absent Tuesday.

His Schumann often sounded bewildering. In “Blumenstueck” with which he opened the program, his sense of rubato-the stretching of tempo and pausing after notes which correlates to the ebb and flow of speech-seemed more to halt the flow, rather than further the the phrases. In “Kreisleriana,” soft, slower passages had his old hallmarks, the delicate touch, fine shaping. The fast sections were musically disastrous. They sounded like a technically gifted teen trying to impress with how fast and loud the music could be played with no regards for the music’s mood. Phrasing was non-existent. The dynamics ranged between loud and louder. Alexeev’s left hand rose and crashed down on the piano, the right was steely-fingered, and in dense passages there were too many blurred, missed or wrong notes.

His Chopin was no better.  In the Rondo, Op. 1, parts were light and crisp, but clusters of fast notes sounded a little labored, and messy, while notes in the top register were steely to the point of ugliness, every time.

Four mazurkas had little dance to them, again with inappropriate rubato and hesitations which felt wrong in their locations. Alexeev played the daylights out of the lovely Nocturne in A-flat Major and Polonaise in the same key .

Most mature musicians take cognizance of the composer and his intent. Chopin played in small venues, on a light Pleyel piano. While his technique was amazing, his compositions scintillating, often brilliant, he was a superb, refined musician, not a bombastic performer.

Alexeev’s performance was loud, messy, almost crude at times. Except in the Prokofiev, where was the poetry, where was the music?

What a shame.

Mozart’s ‘Abduction’ is New Again!

In the world of classical music, one can choose to either look to the constantly modern for inspiration or search through the centuries past for brilliant surprises. The Lyric Opera of Chicago tends to do both. Last season, the opera company put on John Adams’ Dr. Atomic and this year, the Lyric brings us this Mozart jewel – The Abduction from the Seraglio. Although more well-known than Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, one can hardly call this opera part of the standard repertory. For one thing, you need singers of exceptional quality, especially for the bass role of Osmin and the soprano role of Konstanze. Another challenge is balancing the contrived plot of captured tourists trapped in a foreign land with the true raw emotion of the piece. On all counts, this new production of The Abduction achieves superbly.

The opera in question was written when Mozart was 26 and still getting his legs under him. He desperately wanted a success in his newly adopted home, Vienna, and this opera was to give it to him. Even the emperor enjoyed it, although he famously complained that it had “too many notes.” Indeed, the opera has so many musical ideas and such high ambitions that the seams tend to show. The trade-off of course is the sheer beauty of the music. I know reviews are more about performances than music, but the music in this opera is wonderful. Osmin’s first aria, Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden, is a miraculous piece of music, balancing the amorous words of the song with the quick turn to jealousy and control on the part of the singer. Such amazing pieces abound for all the main characters, in the instance of Belmonte, the tenor hero, over and over. He has no less than four arias, a couple duos, a trio, a quartet, and a lot of German dialogue. The point: the singers have their work cut out for them, in glorious style.

Fortunately, the Lyric put together an exceptional cast of singers. Matthew Polenzani, who has sung many roles for the Lyric in the past, including a wonderful run in Tchaikovsky’s Onegin, was the perfect Belmonte. His voice, nonplussed by the challenges of the music, is so fluid and well-honed that it does whatever is needed. Erin Wall, this production’s Konstanze, has a razor sharp voice, perfectly controlled and highly flexible. There were several times during the opera when I chuckled out loud at Mozart’s excesses, combined with sheer wonderment at Ms. Wall’s abilities. In the second act, for example, she had to sing two of her arias back to back. In the first, the soprano sang of deep loss and sadness, the audience enthralled and still. Moments later, she had to begin her fireworks aria, Martern aller Arten. The coupling of the two arias should be a test for any soprano, requiring emotional and virtuosic range. Ms. Wall had it all.

The high point for me was Andrea Silvestrelli, the opera’s Osmin. Mozart writes a bass part so low that Osmin’s first utterances boggle the mind with aural depth. Silvestrelli, who will be doing Wagner for the Seattle Opera later this year, has a voice that is amazing. With it, he could cross all the gauntlets Mozart placed before him. Not only that, Silvestrelli brings such wonderful, larger than life acting to the piece as well. He was fun to see and jaw-dropping to hear, especially in pieces like the duet, Ich gehe, doch rate ich dir. The less serious pair of Pedrillo and Blonde, were also portrayed by wonderful singer/actors. Steve Davislim was able to show his comedic side through most of the piece, but showed his chops in the serenade In Mohrenland. It was a rich, beautiful tenor, wasted in the role. Aleksandra Kurzak was a wonderful foil to Silvestrelli, and she could match him note for note, move for move. They could easily have their own television show playing domineering wife and witless husband.

The opera has many such balances – Belmonte and Konstanze, and Pedrillo and Blonde are contrasts, as are Osmin, the boorish Turk and the Pasha Selim, a wise and generous man. The music, wonderfully performed by the orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis, has those contrasts as well, beginning immediately in the overture. The task of the designers for this new production, director Chas Rader-Shieber and Set/Costume Designer David Zinn, then was to bring that to the fore. Their solution: contrast the true emotions of the characters on one stage with the silly location of the opera on another. Most of the first act has the world of the Pasha on a stage, complete with painted backdrops and lavish costumes. The stage sits on the Lyric stage, almost as if the opera itself is aware of its artifice. When Belmonte appears, he stands in front and removed from the stage to show his connection to the emotional side of the story. Osmin is of course, prominently displayed on the artificial stage. As the opera progresses, the artifice is blown away and we are left witness to characters who love and pine for each other, and grieve at their separation. The stage on the stage is merely a barren plank, and by the third act, the stage is gone entirely. Although a wonderful intellectual idea, visually, it makes the subsequent acts less stimulating. After all, at this stage of Mozart’s game, we are given solo aria after solo aria. There’s not much going on. To subtract visual stimulation makes it less appealing, although what remains is pure magic – Mozart’s music.

Next year, the Lyric Opera tries its hand at Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, and if this season’s rendition of the composer’s early classic is an indicator, it will be a triumphant success.

Little Ends Her Seattle Residency With Elgar’s Violin Concerto

Tasmin Little’s two week residency with the Seattle Symphony ended this weekend.  The series of concerts she played marked the violinist’s debut with Seattle’s orchestra.  The concerts also demonstrated Little’s command of unlike repertoire.  During her stay, she played pieces for solo violin, Vivaldi’s excessively famous Four Seasons, and most recently Edward Elgar’s hauntingly romantic violin concerto.  Her performance of Elgar’s concerto was the capstone event for the violinist and the orchestra these last two weeks.

Elgar’s Violin Concerto was composed on the cusp of the 20th Century.  Mahler’s symphonies, Richard Strauss’s Salome, and Schoenberg’s experimentations with atonality were well underway by the time Edward Elgar had finished his fifty plus minute concerto – the first piece the composer wrote for solo violin.  With musical innovation everywhere, audiences might have expected a piece from Elgar that also pushed music into new sound and structural realms.  Elgar, however, had different ideas.  At its very core, the concerto is an extension of the Romantic sound of the 19th Century and a continuation of Elgar’s penchant for encoding his music with extra musical, personal meaning like he did with his earlier piece the Enigma Variations.

Like a lot of Romantic music, the concerto is both long-winded and utterly sensual.  One minute the music is frustrating and the next transfixing.  The musical language is easy to listen to, but the meaning hard to divine.

Little and the orchestra made a convincing case for the piece even if Little herself failed to put her own stamp on the music.  Elgar’s orchestral writing is such that it could easily overwhelm the solo violin.  Most of the time, Schwarz kept his orchestra at bay.  Only occasionally did a string swell overpower Little.  Within the orchestra, however, the woodwinds and brass were muzzled to the point of inaudibility during the first movement.  A disappointing oversight.

Nevertheless, the focus for the first half was Little.  Her passage work was smooth, articulation pronounced, and tone warm.  Though her technical abilities were astounding, overall her performance was straightforward and lacking in introspection.  Elgar’s concerto is so large, so obtuse, soloists need to do more than just play the notes on the page, or in Little’s case, the notes in her head.

I hate to say this, but Dvorak’s 6th symphony, left me flat.  My problems were with the music itself and not the performance.  The 6th symphony sits between Dvorak’s early, Slavic inspired music and his mature trio of later symphonies 7-9.  The symphony refers to the composer’s earlier Slavonic Dances, and the most effective movement for me, the scherzo, is the most obviously connected to the folk-inspired Dances.  The Seattle Symphony captured the rowdiness of this movement.  Afterward, I wondered if programming the extroverted Slavonic Dances – all or some – for the second half, would have been a better match for Elgar’s moody concerto.

Oregon Symphony delivers full brunt of Svoboda’s Vortex

svoboda

Whether we sank into an abyss or blew up the debris of our ruined nation, the final notes of Tomas Svoboda’s “Vortex,” signaled the end of a wild ride that grabbed everyone’s attention at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Saturday (March 14). Svoboda wrote his latest work for orchestra as a reaction to the economic and social turmoil that has dominated our country recently, and “Vortex” received a stunning world premiere by the Oregon Symphony under the baton of Carlos Kalmar in a program that included scintillating performances of Brahms Symphony No. 3 and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with guest artist Freddy Kempf.

Svoboda’s music took us on a journey that began with light pizzicatos in the strings, which created a pleasant mood. But the wiggle-waggle sounds from a group of “meckering” horns commented on situation with growing discontent, and within a short period of time the entire orchestra was caught up in a mass of tones that seemed to swirl out of control. Soon the whole sonic enterprise collapsed on itself until all that remained was the sad wailing, played evocatively by principal cellist Nancy Ives. The musical forces, supported by the lower strings, gathered themselves once more and a beautiful brass and woodwind choir seemed to emerge and then march into the distance. Ives played a second melancholy passage and gradually other voices of the orchestra stirred but with a bit of harshness. The xylophone, played crisply by principal percussionist Niel DePonte, commented on the circumstances with seemly random notes that began to fall into a recognizable pattern when the cello cried out once again. This gave way to the plucking of strings, which was then taken over by a restlessness (signaled by pulsating trumpets), and a descent into the final vortex was underway.

The audience responded to this work with genuine enthusiasm, and Svoboda out on the stage to receive loud applause and a standing ovation. Although the current times are tough, it would be great to see the Oregon Symphony record “Vortex” sometime in the near future, because it is such a superb work.

And Svoboda’s orchestral piece was just one part of a concert in which the orchestra delivered two other outstanding performances. Before intermission, the orchestra collaborated with Kempf to create a vibrant interpretation of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto. Kempf adds a lot excitement in the way that he pounces on the keyboard and takes off like a purebred racehorse at the Kentucky Derby. The music has a debonair, catch me if you can, quality, but Kalmar and the orchestra are right with Kempf, accenting notes together, and creating some of the most thrilling music in the repertoire. Kempf and the orchestra also excelled in the slow, languid passages, which helped to release all of the pent up energy and let our minds drift aimlessly. The tonal colors that they concocted added to the overall enjoyment of this piece, and the bravos that broke out after it concluded were full of joy and amazement.

The evening began with Brahms’ Third Symphony, which is not nearly as well known as his other symphonies probably because he did not end it in a grand way. As Kalmar noted to the audience before the symphony began, this work reflects “Brahms looking inside himself,” yet even this inward reflection was given a terrific performance by the orchestra. Kalmar and his forces dug into every nook and cranny of this piece. I loved how the music would surge ahead and then fall back in the first movement. Highlights from the second movement included the sonic blend from the bassoon, clarinet, and horns with supportive commentary from the lower strings. The elegant theme of the third movement and the horn solo by principal John Cox were delicious to the ears, and the full-bodied sound of the fourth glistened. I loved the way that the strings eagerly delved into this music and also how principal Yoshinori Nakao coaxed velvety soft sounds out his clarinet.

The Oregon Symphony plays the music of Svoboda, Prokofiev, and Brahms this evening, and I heartily recommend that you experience it.

Portland Opera’s La Calisto swings for the stars

la_calisto

Portland Opera hit a home run into the celestial skies with its new production of “La Calisto,” an opera written by the Venetian composer Francesco Cavalli in 1651. Exquisite singing by the entire cast (most of whom belong to the Studio Artists program), stellar playing by the Portland Baroque Orchestra under the conducting of Robert Ainsley, and an evocative set, designed by Curt Enderle, combined to make this “La Calisto” a charming experience. The near capacity audience at the Newmark Theatre on opening night (Friday, March 13) enthusiastically embraced this fanciful retelling of two myths (Calisto and Giove plus Diana and Endimione) that came from ancient Greece and Rome.

Sharin Aposolou sparkled in the role of Calisto, a young follower of the goddess Diana. Her clear and supple soprano was thrilling, especially in the way that she impeccably dashed off numerous runs as if they were the easiest things in the world. Apostolou conveyed the naiveté of Calisto with spot-on acting as well.

Jonathan Kimple created a convincing Giove, using his resonant bass to underscore his stature as the king of the gods. His seduction of Calisto was tempered at the end of the story when he promised her and her son a place in the heavens (hence Ursa Major and Ursa Minor). Baritone José Rubio artfully greased the wheels of Giove’s intentions as Giove’s sidekick Mecurio.

Mezzo Hannah S. Penn embodied two characters so convincingly that she could consider a second career as a double agent in the secret service. In the role of Diana, goddess of the moon and the hunt, Penn created a young woman who was torn between her pledge to chastity and her desire to love Endimione, a young shepherd. In the role of Giove disguised as Diana, Penn marvelously captured the swagger and chauvinistic pride of the top god in his pursuit of Calisto.

Gerald Thompson in the role of Endimione displayed his countertenor to stunning effect, dispatching all sorts of tricky passages with breathtaking control. Yet his tender duet with Penn was one of the many high points in this production.

Wearing a gown hemmed with the image of peacock feathers, mezzo Angela Niederloh as Giunone (the wife of Giove) strutted around the raked stage in peacock gown and high heels. The flinty wrath of her voice and the fire in her eyes could’ve torched the landscape a second time (it had already been burnt to a crisp when the story began).

Mezzo Kendra Herrington’s Linfea, a zealous follower of Diana, provided additional comic relief when she revealed her desire for a lover. Laughter reached an apex after the eager young satyr, Satirino, sung by soprano Anne Mckee Reed, impulsively kissed the astonished Linfea.

Tenor Brendan Tuohy sang superbly and reaped plenty of laughter as Pane, the god of the shepherds, who can’t really carry out any dastardly deeds no matter how much he threatens to do so. Baritone Bobby Jackson’s Silvano, a young satyr and cohort in Pane’s posse was terrific also.

Ainsley conducted a period orchestra of Baroque specialists with élan, shaping the music with sensitivity and purpose. A unique collaboration with Portland Baroque Orchestra helped to assemble these instrumentalists (playing violin, viola da gamba, lirone, theorbo, lute, guitar, recorder, dulcian, cornetto, harpisichord, and organ) and create a musical experience that would have been very similar to what Venetians heard 350 years ago.

Stage director Ned Canty made the story easy to follow. The minimalist set design by Curt Enderele and the lighting by Don Crossley enhanced the opera perfectly. Sue Bonde’s colorful costumes added wonderfully to the mix.

All in all, Portland Opera’s production of “La Calisto” is a knock out. I encourage you to get a ticket if any are available. Two remaining shows run on March 19 and 21.

Upcoming

The Bellevue Philharmonic brings Kevin Kenner to the Puget Sound as part of the Steinway Series.  Philharmonia Northwest plays a concert next weekend featuring Berlioz’s Beatrice and Benedict Overture, Mendelssohn’s 1st Piano Concerto, and Schubert’s 3rd Symphony.  The Ebene Quartet is in town this week too as part of the Seattle Symphony’s on-going cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets.

Camerata Northwest, a Portland based chamber music organization is coming through town this weekend and is playing at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford (one of my favorite music venues).  Oregon Symphony member and fellow blogger, Charles Noble, will be in town with the group.  On the program is an assortment of French chamber music.  Seattle audiences haven’t always embraced French chamber music.  This writer, however, is looking forward to the concert.

At the end of the week, Leonard Slatkin makes debuts with the Seattle Symphony.  The newly minted music director of the Detroit Symphony is bringing Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, a piece the Seattle Youth Symphony tackled with aplomb, Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, and Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto.

Storm from Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes ; Columbia University Symphony

A Cornucopeia of Riches at the Moore

Il Ritorno d'ulisseThere is so much to see and hear in William Kentridge’s conception of Monteverdi’s “Ulysses” that it’s hard to take it all in.

There is always plenty for the senses in opera, but along with the usual singing, acting, sets, costumes and supertitles, add to “Ulysses” puppets and continually changing black and white visuals which range from drawings of olive groves to close-ups of a surgery in progress to cityscapes, x-rays, and buildings falling down to flowers growing at fast forward.

Like the Monteverdi “Orfeo” of a month ago conceived by Italy’s La Venexiana, this has the musicians and performers together on the Moore Theatre’s small stage without a lot of action, but what a difference! Where “Orfeo” seemed disjointed and static, Kentridge’s ideas becomes a fascinating, absorbing production.

“Ulysses” has been cut to 90 minutes, the length of time the puppeteers can hold up the lifesize puppets. One could spend the entire opera just watching them. Picture each puppet with two humans, one to hold and manipulate the puppet, and the singer, who takes charge of a puppet arm.

Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, which created these puppets and has traveled the world with this production (plus others conceived by Kentridge), brings them amazingly to life with close attention to tiny details of human movement. While the mouths don’t move, the hands, heads and body stances are remarkable lifelike.

At one point Ulysses and the ancient shepherd who recognizes him are walking through a landscape on the tier at the back of the stage, and it seems as though we are really watching it, as in a movie. The puppets (we only see their upper halves) “walk” through the scenery. And yet, as we draw back into reality, there are the puppet movers walking in place, moving their puppets as they move, and it’s the scenery on screen which moves past them. It’s extraordinarily realistic.

Kentridge, the puppets and stage director Luc de Wit traveled from South Africa for this revival, but the musicians and singers mostly come from the Seattle area, and were rehearsed by musical director Stephen Stubbs.

This is the opening production of Pacific Operaworks, a tiny presenting company established here and headed by Stubbs which aims to bring stellar productions to Seattle, like this one, of the kinds of opera and unusual concepts or performance practices which aren’t done by Seattle Opera. Stubbs intends to draw on the rich musical and theatrical resources of the Seattle area to complement what he brings in from elsewhere in the world. While Stubbs has been known for his work in the early music field, Pacific Operaworks does not intend to confine itself to that era.

Musically, this “Ulysses” is a joy.

Seven musicians led by Stubbs sit unobtrusively in a semicircular middle tier on stage, while the opera itself takes place on the tier behind them and the stage in front. Most are musicians well known to Seattle: Stubbs himself and Elizabeth Brown on chitarrone and archlute, harpist Maxine Eilander, violinists Tekla Cunningham and Ingrid Matthews, viola da gamba player Margriet Tindemans and cellist and lirone player David Morris.

The singing was superb almost across the board, with Ross Hauck a stand-out as Human Frailty in the prologue and Ulysses himself. Here is a singer who has not just a fine tenor voice and an operatic presence, but incorporates the florid 17th century ornamentation with understanding ease as part of the expressive portrayal of his character. I was gripped by his Ulysses; and that it was a puppet with a singer standing beside him became moot. Mezzo-soprano Laura Pudwell as Penelope has the same characteristics as a singer. She created with her voice the embodiment of strength and patience, yet also portrayed a spitfire and doubter.  The strong cast included Jason McStoots as the old shepherd Eumaeus and Zeus: Douglas Williams, James Brown and Zachary Wilder as the three importunate suitors (each with other roles as well), Cyndia Sieden as Love and Athena, and Sarah Mattox as Fate and Penelope’s maid Melanto. Each deserves mention.

While so much is going on plus the need to keep an eye on supertitles far overhead, the production could be overwhelming, but it isn’t. It does leave one, however, with a strong wish to see it again to catch some of the myriad details missed the first time around.

Remaining performances at the Moore are March 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 7.30 p.m.,. Tickets are $40-85 at 206-292-ARTS or www.ticketmaster.com