Month: November 2009

Review: Music Northwest, masterpieces from Eastern Europe

By: Gigi Yellen

Performing as the ensemble Europa, the trio of pianist Jane Harty, violinist Leonid Keylin and cellist Mara Finkelstein today played the most traditional of this season’s Music Northwest programs (www.musicnorthwest.org).. This makes the second time this week I’ve seen these string players in concert with a series artistic director, a visionary woman, at the keyboard. Jane Harty directs Music Northwest; Keylin and Finkelstein performed earlier in the week with pianist Mina Miller, artistic director of Music of Remembrance.

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Seattle Philharmonic – November 15, 2009: Ravel & Debussy

The Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra opened its 2009/2010 season Sunday with music by Ravel and Debussy in a delightful concert that was the perfect refuge on a dark rainy afternoon.  Conductor Adam Stern assembled a program of mostly little-known works culminating in the ever crowd-pleasing Boléro .

The selections allowed each section of the orchestra to shine.  The brass opened both halves of the concert with short fanfares: on the first half the fanfare from Ravel’s L’Evantail de Jeanne , and on the second two fanfares from Debussy’s The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian.  The low brass’ opening of the Debussy was particularly striking.  The principal woodwind players (flute Sharon Snel, oboe Donna Onat, clarinet Marianne Lacaille, and bassoon Jacob Kauffman) each shone in Debussy’s Petit Suite, as they did again in the Boléro, and in numerous solo moments in between.  Soft horn chorale passages in Debussy’s King Lear were particularly lovely. Continue reading Seattle Philharmonic – November 15, 2009: Ravel & Debussy

Another rising young performer

By: Philippa Kiraly

It’s always awe-inspiring to hear the Seattle Youth Symphony. To see 125 children, yes, kids, on stage performing difficult orchestral works with all the professionalism and technique of musicians years their senior in age and experience is exciting and hopeful. Not every teen or preteen is glued to a computer screen or a cell phone. To get where these kids have requires years of diligent practice and stick-to-it-iveness.

Sunday saw the first concert of the orchestra’s season under its music director Stephen Rogers Radcliffe. Beginning his fourth season with the orchestra, it’s clear that Radcliffe combines fine skills as an educator as well as excellent leadership on the podium. The program notes, written by orchestra members, are models of clear understanding and information.

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Review: Paul Taub Celebrates 30 Years of Music-Making in Seattle

By: R. M. Campbell

The flute is not a traditional major solo instrument but Taub, by virtue of hard work, a lot of talent and a nose for provocative new work, has nearly made it one. He is often in concert in Seattle, either by himself or with others, as well as traveling in the United States and Europe to give concerts. He came to Seattle and Cornish in 1979, after studies at Rutgers University and the California Institute of the Arts with such noted musicians as Michel Debost, Samuel Baron, Marcel Moyse and Rpbert Aitken. Early on he demonstrated an avid interest in contemporary music, a path he has pursued with vigor and intelligence.

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Review: Simple Measures “Earth”

By: Gigi Yellen

Two longhaired four-year-old girls danced during intermission, mimicking the Seattle Dance Project performers’ spins and holds. Whether from the front row, where these two little friends sat, or from a back corner just six rows behind them, where I and a dozen others stood, audience members got what they came for: close-up experience with dance and music, including enough deep rhythm to take some home. This was the second performance of this program in this all-purpose community room with folding chairs (with one more performance to go there, Sunday night November 15).

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Quarter notes: upcoming

Pianist Robert Silverman
Pianist Robert Silverman

Lots and lots of music this weekend.  Some of the highlights include David Popper playing cello a number of fine, local instrumentalists playing David Popper’s Hungarian Rhapsody for Cello and Dvorak’s Dumky trio as part of Music Northwest’s concert series.  Schwarz and the SSO play Carl Orff’s much loved Carmina Burana.  The Onyx Chamber Players are doing a Haydn tribute in La Connor.  Paul Taub is celebrating 30 years living and performing in Seattle with a flute recital at Cornish.  I will  be at this concert.  Plenty of interesting music on the program from Henry Brandt, Wayne Horvitz and others.  The Puget Sound Symphony starts another ambitious season with a concert including the Helios Overture by Nielsen and Barber’s First Symphony.  A new contributor to TGN – Nicole Secula plays trumpet in the PSSO – if you can, go support this energetic, local ensemble.  Simple Measures ends their Earth series this weekend with performances at the Fremont Abbey.  Canadian pianist Robert Silverman plays Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with Philharmonia Northwest.  I have never heard this orchestra play, but friendly sources tell me they are good and Silverman is an exceptional pianist.  The Seattle Philharmonic also has a concer this weekend.  SSO pianist Kimberly Russ plays Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G in a program of mostly lesser known music by Ravel and Debussy.  In addition to conducting the Phil, Adam Stern is subbing for

playing alongside Russ with the SSO, playing the piano part for Carmina Burana.  The Northwest Sinfonietta continues its season in Tacoma and Seattle with a Mozart and Beethoven program punctuated by Craig Sheppard performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 – an underperformed masterpiece.  Finally, the Seattle Youth Symphony tackles Tchaikovsky’s angst ridden Fourth Symphony.  The Fourth is my favorite of Tchaikovsky’s six symphonies.  It never fails to move me.

Breakfast with Paul Taub

This Saturday, acclaimed local flutist Paul Taub is celebtrating 30 years in Seattle with an anniversary concert at Cornish College.  Seattle audiences know Paul well through his work with the Seattle Chamber Players, his solo flue recitals, and through his work as a Cornish faculty member.  I was lucky to be able to sit down with Paul this past weekend and chat with him about his upcoming concert.  The concert will feature works by a number of composers, many of whom Paul has gotten to know through his association with the Seattle Chamber Players. 

As you will hear in Paul’s own words, anyone interested in the flute and new music should definitely check out this concert.  On a side note, anyone interested in perfect pancakes and delicious, garlic laddened scrambled eggs should head over to the Blue Dog Kitchen in the U-District (thank you Paul and thank you Yelp). I recommend the Blue Dog Special with veggies.