Despite the economic crisis that has most arts groups on their heals, Portland Opera concluded the 2008/2009 season in the black. That’s great news! Budget cuts, rental income, the touring national Broadway productions, and astute and shrewed management by general director Christopher Mattaliano means that Portland Opera has finished 11 of the past 12 seasons with a positive financial statement. Continue reading Portland Opera stays financially on the upside!
The Miró Quartet has been around for 14 years, but they play like they’ve known each other for 30. That’s the incredibly strong impression that this ensemble left with the audience after it concluded a scintillating concert of music by Philippe Hersant, Felix Mendelssohn, and Johannes Brahms on Monday evening (July 13) as part of the Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival. Continue reading Miró Quartet plus friends excel in music of Hersant, Mendelssohn, and Brahms
Every year, Seattle Chamber Music Society’s summer festival is a shining event in Seattle’s musical life. It would be hard these days to say it’s better than last year, or the year before, or the year before that, because the quality has been stellar for years now and it’s almost never that there is a bad night or even a bad performance.
This year is no exception. Monday, the beginning of the second week’s performances, included the premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ “Summer Verses,” the third annual commission from the SCMS commissioning club. Sensibly, the recital was taken up with commentary on the work from Theofanidis with illustrations from its two performers, violinist James Ehnes and cellist Robert deMaine, the complete performance taking place in the concert. itself.
Yeol Eum Son, silver medalist at the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition, made a strong case for herself with her recital for the Portland Piano International Festival on Sunday afternoon (July 12) at the Wood Forestry Center. Son’s playing showed a lot of thought and plenty of spontaneity as well in a program that consisted of works by Robert Schuman, Mason Bates, Franz Liszt, and Frédéric Chopin. Continue reading Yeol Eum Son makes a splash with debut recital at Portland Piano International
Robber barons, financial greed, venality, hanky-panky or downright dishonesty in high places. Sound familiar? All was endemic in England and in the U.S at the end of the 19th century. In the U.S. the situation blew up with the stock market crash in 1929, despite the efforts of Theodore Roosevelt to rein in the worst of the excesses. In England, W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan shone a spotlight on them in their second to last comedic collaboration, “Utopia, Limited.” (“Ltd.” is the word after an English corporate name which corresponds to the U.S. “Inc.”)
Always timely, Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society presents “Utopia, Limited” as its annual production this month, and it opened at the Bagley Wright Theatre Friday night.
The plot is as silly as always.
Continue reading Tous ca change…the prescience of Gilbert and Sullivan
Ursula Oppens is a magnificent pianist who has conquered the numerous challenges of contemporary composers. Oppens has built a terrific reputation with her incisive playing of works by Anthony Braxton, John Harbison, György Ligeti, Witold Lutoslawski, Conlon Nancarrow, Frederic Rzewski, Joan Tower, Charles Wuorinen, and many other composers. Last year, Cedille Records released an album, “Oppens Plays Carter,” in which Oppens performed all of the piano works of Elliott Carter, and her talent at the keyboard is unquestionably brilliant. Continue reading Oppens sparkles – Carter baffles
A lot of great music was written in 1826, and Chamber Music Northwest in its concert on Thursday evening (July 9) reached back to that year to present an outstanding program of works by Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn. A total of ten performers (not all on stage at the same time) just flat-out wowed the near-capacity audience in Kaul Auditorium with superb artistry that revealed the heights and depths of each piece. It was as if each duo and ensemble had been playing together for years and years, when, in reality, they had only a rehearsal or two to whip each piece into shape. Continue reading Chamber Music Northwest musicians uncork a spectacular vintage 1826 concert
When Intiman Theatre added Shakespeare’s great drama “Othello” a year ago to its 2009 season, Bartlett Sher, the company’s artistic director was scheduled to direct it. Then, his new life in New York began to take precedence and another production was announced in its place. First produced in New York in February by the Theatre for a New Audience, the “new” Othello made its Seattle debut this week.
This is a stripped-down version of the Renaissance play, with barely a set and few props. Costumes, carefully considered and designed, could be anywhere at anytime, almost. At that, the visual aspects are remarkably handsome. There are several levels but most of the action takes place on the main floor which has as its centerpiece a mottled appearance that is striking by itself. As time and circumstances dictate, furniture — a table, chairs, lamps and inevitably a bed for the last scene — are brought in to do duty For all of its austerity and avoidance of period luxury, the production is stylish.
Continue reading A Riveting production of “Othello” Opens at Intiman
Reviewing the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s summer festival is a difficult task. It is, I would say, the most reliable series of classical music performances in Seattle. The performers are top-notch, drawn from orchestras, universities, and solo rosters. They have to be this good, of course, because they are playing something different with a new, ad hoc ensemble each night. Usually, musicians have only a few days to prepare. Along with the excellent performers, the thrice weekly programs are as dependable as sighting Mount Rainier on a summer day. There are heavy doses of Schubert, Brahms, Mozart, Shostakovich, and others. The interesting stuff is usually reserved for the free recitals that happen an hour before.
Friday’s performance ended the first week of the festival. The first two nights sold out easily and the third night was a near sell out. Thirty minutes before the free recital began there were only seven seats left. Including the recital, the concert was a three and a half hour odyssey through the music of Faure, Mozart, Schubert, and Ernest Bloch.
After 28 years are there any superlatives left to describe the performances in this festival?
Continue reading No lemons at Friday’s SCMS performance; only lemonade
A couple of weeks ago, the Seattle Opera announced that it will a $500,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help underwrite costs involved in producing “Amelia,” a new opera with music by American composer Daron Aric Hagen with a libretto by American poet and writer Gardner McFall, and a story by Stephen Wadsworth. In addition, The Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences has given Seattle Opera $300,000 and will be the production sponsor for “Amelia.” “Amelia” is the first opera to have been commissioned by Seattle Opera during the tenure of its general director Speight Jenkins. Continue reading Seattle Opera receives $500k for new opera
Gathering Note 