Author: Zach Carstensen

I was just telling someone today that I cannot stand — hate is not too strong a word — gimmicks like this one which are designed to appeal to classical music audiences who don’t really want to listen to music. Ploys like the one being tried out in by the Chamber Music Society don’t enhance the openness of classical music or even make it more appealing, but they do underscore the insidious belief that classical music is something best enjoyed by the wine drinking bourgeois.

For all of the longing classical music lovers devote to downtown venues like Benaroya Hall and Town Hall, they might want to shift at least some of their energy to the Good Shepherd Center and the Chapel Performance Space. Almost singlehandedly Steve Peters — his work is helped significantly by Seattle’s creative, adventurous new music community — has transformed the Chapel into the center of of new music in Seattle.

Friday evening’s cello recital by Frances-Marie Uitti was yet another successful recital for Peters and the Wayward Music Series, but most importantly it was a successful event for Seattle’s new music scene and a welcome survey of contemporary music for the solo cello.  Month by month, year by year, Seattle’s new music scene is a force that doesn’t receive the credit or the coverage in the press it deserves.  This is changing. However it isn’t changing fast enough to keep with up with Seattle’s new music activity.
Continue reading Frances-Marie Uitti journeys to Seattle for rare West Coast recital

For nearly 20 years the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood has been presenting chamber recitals of “mostly Nordic” music. In addition to focusing on standard classical music, the series has sought to infuse programs with Nordic folk and art music tradition. This past Sunday, the museum kicked off their 2011 series in much the same way with a program of short pieces for violin, piano, and voice by Norwegian composers.

Last Sunday’s recital was a success in large part because of Knut Erik Jensen, a young pianist originally from Selbu, Norway who now calls California home. He performed in every work, except for three short traditional pieces Svend Ronnig played on the Hardanger fiddle. Jensen deepened each work on the program – whether it was Grieg’s seldom played Second Violin Sonata or an art song by Christian Sinding. Often it was Jensen providing the heart, atmosphere, and subtle decorations that made each piece on the program memorable. In the Grieg sonata, Jensen demonstrated so much control over the music he moved effortlessly between Grieg’s contrasting, polar moods. Jensen’s playing brooded and smiled – sometimes a few bars apart.

Continue reading Nordic Heritage Museum opened its Mostly Nordic chamber series with “Northern Lights”

By R.M. Campbell

Michael Feinstein’s compact disc “The Sinatra Project” has around a few years and won plenty of fans, now including Seattle where Feinstein appeared Monday night at Benaroya Hall, courtesy of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Not many would take on Frank Sinatra: He is too famous, his musicality and timbre too individual and, need one say it again, too iconic.
Continue reading Michael Feinstein celebrates Valentine’s Day at Benaroya Hall

By R.M. Campbell

With no show to fill up the vast stage of the 5th Avenue Theatre — “Next to Normal” opens Feb. 22 — the company decided to slip in a sweet tribute to Valentine’s Day over the weekend.

Card shops go crazy on Valentine’s Day, flower emporiums do record business and restaurants are packed. Even libraries occasionally get into the act: Special Collections at the Suzallo Library on the University of Washington campus has a small, charming exhibition of vintage Valentine’s cards. Charming? Sweet? Novel? That and more.

Symphonies sometimes do something, although I am not sure Michael Feinstein’s “Sinatra Project” Monday night at Benaroya Hall qualifies. The 5th Avenue Theatre’s musical review, “My Funny Valentine,” does. This is an excursion into the American Songbook about love in its many facets, mostly ballads but not all. Most of the cast of nine singers and orchestra did familiar tunes, and I doubt that many in the audience objected. I didn’t.
Continue reading Fifth Avenue Theatre celebrates Valentine’s Day with song