Month: July 2010

Bliss

Andrew Wan

Without a doubt, hearing new musicians perform is the best part of the Seattle Chamber Music Society festival. We might be hearing them for the first time, but others, especially the musicians in the festival and Toby Saks are already familiar with their talents.  Over the years, Saks has plucked players out of the musical hinterlands, at the start of their careers (Jeremy Denk and Adam Neiman are good examples), and given them a chance to network, hone their skills, and play chamber music with other supremely talented colleagues at the festival.

This year, two musicians have captured my attention. I honestly can’t remember when I was this enthralled with a performer, let alone two performers. Andrew Wan won my favor a few nights back with a gorgeous performance of Beethoven’s Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1. Ran Dank, a pianist who made his debut at the festival last year sparked my curiosity then with an ardent Bach performance. He returned to the festival this year and has been playing in a number of chamber pieces. He stirred my ears again the other night in Dvorak’s First Piano Trio. His playing was empathetic, not showy, and attuned to the violin and cello (at least from where I was sitting).

Earlier tonight, Wan and Dank made their debut on stage together playing Cesar Franck’s Violin Sonata for the pre-concert recital. This was a performance that had had to be heard to believed. Wan’s tone – which is light and smooth – was a good match for Franck. Phrases slide off his bow easily. Behind him, Dank pushed, prodded, and soaked up every moment of his part. Franck’s piano part gives keyboardists opportunities for bombast, Dank didn’t overdue his playing; there was no thundering but he was assertive when he needed to be.

I’ll remember this recital for a long time. This was the best recital I have heard so far this year. Interpretation, playing, acoustics, audience, and musicians synchronized in such a way that musical bliss was the only outcome possible.

Unfortunately, Wan played his last festival concert last night.  Dank is sticking around and will be playing some killer pieces.  Pick a concert (any concert, they’re all good) with Dank on the bill, and I am sure (I hope) you’ll agree with me.

Must hear Martin, Kodaly and Dvorak at Wednesday’s SCMS concert

Edward Arron

In an alternate (maybe even perfect) universe unfamiliar composers and works would be cat nip for curious ears looking to expand their musical horizons. Dissonances would pleasantly shake listeners. We’d tap our toes to awkward rhythms and take pleasure in sorting out difficult melodies. Seats would be filled. People would be turned away at the door only to hear an enlivened retelling of the experience from their friends luck enough to get inside the concert hall. An excited audience reaction would launch outlying repertory into the mainstream.

Judging by Wednesday’s Seattle Chamber Music Society concert – which featured Zoltan Kodaly’s Op. 7 Duo for Violin and Cello and Frank Martin’s Piano Quintet – the alternate universe I proposed is still a long way off. Too many seats sat empty and the audience’s response, while effusive (a standing ovation after every piece) seemed obligatory – polite.
Continue reading Must hear Martin, Kodaly and Dvorak at Wednesday’s SCMS concert

Borodin and Ravel start week two of the SCMS summer festival; Armstrong returns to the piano

Andrew Armstrong

The second week of the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s summer festival began with Andrew Armstrong’s return to the piano. An infection caused by a bug bite or some other intruder sidelined the pianist, putting him in the hospital even. Although Armstrong was missed by the loyal festival attendees, other pianists, including the incomparable Craig Sheppard, filled in for their ailing colleague.

Armstrong made his return playing the piano at the pre-concert recital tackling Bela Bartok’s demanding Second Sonata for Violin and Piano with James Ehnes.  Armstrong followed this performance by playing the piano part for another violin sonata — Beethoven’s Violin Sonata Op. 30, No. 1. Violinist Andrew Wan, a festival newcomer, joined him in the performance.
Continue reading Borodin and Ravel start week two of the SCMS summer festival; Armstrong returns to the piano

Gilbert & Sullivan classic better than ever

By Philippa Kiraly

I’ve seen Gilbert & Sullivan’s “H. M. S. Pinafore” a dozen or more times, and each time I find myself enjoying it as much as ever, finding heretofore unnoticed sentiments as pertinent today as 132 years ago, and seeing different performers discovering new angles to their roles and bringing them to prominence.

Much of the latter is often due to a skilled stage director, and Christine Goff, in her ninth season undertaking this role for Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society, has proven herself as fine as any in the job.
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Quarter notes: happy birthday Mahler

Mikhail Pletnev

I’m a few days late (Mahler was born on July 7th), but 2010 is the 150th birthday for Gustav Mahler. Complete Mahler cycles have been popping up in abundance over the last few months. Both Universal Classics and EMI have released “complete” box sets. But, from Universal Classics, comes one of the most creative ways to celebrate Mahler’s birthday — The People’s Edition. From now until September people can visit a special web site and cast their vote for their favorite recording of each symphony from the Decca and DG catalog. The recordings with the most votes will be included in a special, limited edition box set in November.

Mikhail Pletnev was arrested in Thailand for allegedly raping a 14 year old boy. Pletnev claims the ordeal is a misunderstanding. Thai officials share a much different opinion.

Also in the NY Times, Seattle gets a mention in an article looking at the conductor youth movement that seems to be sweeping American orchestras lately.

Finally, Ludovic Morlot made remarks at his public roll out as music director designate of the SSO.  I recorded them on my Flip Camera and posted them here for you to see.  About two hundred people showed up for the event.  Based on the conversations I had with people in the crowd it seemed like a good number of the people in the audience were not subscribers but occasional SSO ticket buyers.  Nearly everyone I spoke to had no idea what to expect with Morlot.  A few were anxious to hear more French repertory.  Others hope he’ll bring Ligeti and Messiaen into the mix.  All were unanimous in their belief that his age alone will go a long way to freshening up the SSO.  The lack of preconceptions should bode well for Morlot as he starts to shape the 2011/2012 season — his first as music director.

SCMS Summer Festival at Benaroya: Mendelssohn’s Octet and Grieg’s Cello Sonata

Adam Neiman

By Philippa Kiraly

It seemed odd to go to Benaroya Hall, specifically the smaller Nordstrom Recital Hall, for a Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival concert but, well, we will get used to it. The Society was no longer allowed to use the Lakeside campus with its lovely grounds and peaceful ambience, but it also needed a larger auditorium to accommodate the increasing numbers of people who have flocked to the festival each year.

Judging by Friday’s packed audience at Nordstrom—the first festival performance I’ve attended this summer—the change is working. There were new faces among the many regulars, and executive director Connie Cooper said that some were tourists coming in off the streets after seeing notices of performances. (The outdoor ambience continues at The Overlake School in Redmond in August.)
Continue reading SCMS Summer Festival at Benaroya: Mendelssohn’s Octet and Grieg’s Cello Sonata

Questioning the conductors: Meet Morlot!

Our conductor interviews end with the person chosen to lead the SSO to new artistic heights and performance excellend — Ludovic Morlot. Morlot was one of the few conductors I didn’t meet. I was in New York when he was here last fall and when he returned in the spring, an exploding volcano in Iceland and compressed rehearsal schedule prevented an interview then too.

Seattle met Ludovic Morlot today. Not for the first time of course. Morlot guest conducted the SSO twice last season. But it was the first time as the SSO’s music director designate. Morlot will assume his music director duties officially in 2011, but he is already planning his first season with the orchestra and making friends with orchestra musicians, orchestra staff, and of course the city. I will be posting more video from today’s public introduction. Until then, here is a video of my interview with the young maestro from yesterday.

SSO music director designate Ludovic Morlot talks with TGN from gatheringnote on Vimeo.

Music of Romantic era dominates festival on second night

Bion Tsang

By R.M. Campbell

The inaugural season of the Seattle Chamber Music Festival in its new home — Nordstrom Recital Hall — has gotten off to a splendid beginning. The first concert Monday night was a major success, even with the absence of pianist Andrew Armstrong because of an infection in his leg. The second concert, on Wednesday, with Armstrong still out and in the hospital, was also a concert with considerable merit.

Arnold Schoenberg’s “Verklarte Nacht” (“Transfigured Night”) was the major piece on the program, and it was played as such by violinists James Ehnes and Augustin Hadelich; violists Cynthia Phelps and Richard O’Neill, and cellists Bion Tsang and Robert deMaine. The work, originally written for string sextet in 1899 and recast by the composer 18 years later for string orchestra is among the most admired pieces Schoenberg ever wrote. It is a coupling of late romanticism and early modernism. Schoenberg wrote some of the most challenging music of the 20th century: it is also some of the most despised. There is nothing to despise — or fear, to use Steven Lowe’s term in his excellent program notes — in “Verklarte Nacht.” This is real 19th-century program music, with a distinct narrative.
Continue reading Music of Romantic era dominates festival on second night

SCMS Summer Festival opens new season in new hall

James Ehnes

By R.M. Campbell

The Seattle Chamber Music Festival, which opened its 29th season Monday night, has a long, distinguished history. For nearly all of its 28 years, it has been located at the Lakeside School. The New England-style prep school informed the festival a few years ago that it was claiming summer usage of its concert hall, throwing the administration into a search for an alternative. Nordstrom Recital Hall was always a good possibility, in terms of size and acoustical properties. The drawback was its urban setting in contrast to the pastoral idyll of the Lakeside campus.

The opening concert in the new venue proved what a good choice the festival made. The house was nearly full, with 100 more seats than at Lakeside. Even the pre-concert recital was packed. The festival has grown considerably from a handful of weeks to a month of concerts, with an extension at Overlake School on the Eastside and Winter Festival in January, also at Nordstrom. There is still pre-concert dining and free broadcasts outside the hall on the Benaroya property. Most important the acoustics are so much better — greater clarity and richness — than St. Nicholas which are marginal at best.
Continue reading SCMS Summer Festival opens new season in new hall