Gathering Note

Month: November 2017

  • A Holistic approach yields a moving Berlioz Requiem

    Live performances of Hector Berlioz’s Grande messe des morts—usually referred to simply as his Requiem—are a rare occurrence, given its sheer size. Berlioz mandates hundreds musicians and singers for his ‘great mass for the dead’, including 16 timpani and four brass bands strategically placed throughout the concert hall. The composer’s instructions even allow for hundreds more…

  • Morlot’s vivid Symphonie fantastique opens two weeks of Berlioz

    Among the many treasures of the Seattle Symphony’s 2017-2018 season is the focus on Hector Berlioz, a favorite of Ludovic Morlot in his time as music director.  In previous seasons Morlot conducted La damnation de Faust and Roméo et Juliette—both memorable testaments to Morlot’s affinity for the composer. Symphonie fantastique is rightfully part of the standard concert repertoire. But…