Everyone is doing Carter this time of year. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra did an homage to the 100 year old American composer the other day. So did the Boston Symphony. Locally, the Esoterics are celebrating two centenaries – Carter and Messiaen’s. From what I can tell, the Esoterics are the only group in Seattle intentionally paying tribute to Elliott Carter’s centenary.
Imagine going to a Christmas concert with no “Jingle Bells,” no “Messiah,” no “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” but coming away feeling uplifted and Christmassy. This year, Seattle Pro Musica chose to give us a gift of Christmas music from South America, half from the 20th century, half from the 16th and 17th centuries when the continent was first coping with large numbers of Europeans.
Chicago A Cappella, a top notch vocal ensemble from the Windy City, really sparkles in its new holiday recording, entitled Christmas A Cappella. The CD contains 18 songs from around the world and each number is given a superb performance by this ensemble. Continue reading Chicago A Cappella’s Christmas album sparkles with new vocal gems
As promised, here is a video of Karen Thomas, the music director of Seattle Pro Musica, discussing the group’s upcoming holiday concert and the process she went through building the concert, picking the pieces, and what listeners can expect. Here’s one hint – sounds of the Amazon rain forest. Pro Musica’s holiday concert this weekend – Navidad – focuses on Latin American music spanning hundreds of years, from the 16th Century to the present.
Today, YouTube announced that it is creating the first symphony orchestra to be created from online submissions. This is no joke. The YouTube people are putting up a lot of money to team up with Michael Tilson Thomas, Tan Dun, The London Symphony Orchestra, and Carnegie Hall to find classical musicians (no age restrictions) for this orchestra. Those who are chosen will get a chance to play a Tan Dun composition under MTT at Carnegie Hall. I think that this is a terrific opportunity. Continue reading YouTube Symphony Orchestra
While in New York, I learned that the Met has launched a new thing called Met Player so that you can now watch Met productions – some in HDTV – on your computer when you want. The Met has made 13 High Definition videos and 39 historic TV performances available. Right now you can take advantage of a 7 day free trial. I guess that means that you can watch as many operas as you can stand for 7 days before you have to pay anything. Afterwards, you can try one of several rental options.
Click here to find out more about Met Player.
Jennifer Koh gave one of the best-ever performances of the Brahms Violin Concerto on Saturday night with the Oregon Symphony. She played this demanding work with passion, understanding, technical precision, and uplifting artistry, making us hear the music as if we were hearing it for the first time. Continue reading Koh on fire in Brahms concerto with the Oregon Symphony
Tonight the Biava Quartet continues Joshua Roman’s Town Music series at Seattle’s Town Hall. On the program – Grieg, Janacek, and Mozart.
Thursday, the Seattle Symphony plays Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and Sibelius under the baton of Vasilly Sinaisky with pianist Evgeny Sudbin. Sudbin made his Seattle debut last year as part of the University of Washington President’s Piano Series.
At least that’s what I think. I tell folks all the time going to hear your symphony play should be like going to the movies. Or, like a multitude of other entertainment options at our disposal.
Charlottee Higgins dissects for the reader, Dudamel’s lessons for the UK classical music scene. After reading the entire piece, Higgins’s suggestions are as true for American orchestras as they are for the British. My favorite is:
Remember: it’s supposed to be fun.
Dudamel’s introduction to music was via his trombonist father’s salsa band as much as through his orchestral playing. The unabashed, party-time pleasure Venezuelans take in salsa leaks into their attitude to classical music. Experiencing music should be about having a brilliant time – even though a journey with the masterpieces of classical music may take you to the darker places of the soul.
As I get older, I am repelled by the formality of the live concert experience. The younger me liked the rules. Now, I just want to go and listen to music. Conventions for clapping, silence and dress straitjacket the audience’s enjoyment of the music being played. I’ve seen people so concerned about when they are “supposed” to clap that they miss the music right in front of them.
I haven’t always had this opinion.
Previously, stray sounds and clapping were enough of a bother that I would give a menaced glare to the offender – I was one of those people. With time, I realized my offense distracted my own listening.
It took Simon Trpceski three encores, but Tuesday’s Meany Hall audience finally got their fill of the young, Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski. Trpceski was in town as part of the President’s Piano Series. Seattle holds a special place for Trpceski, it was, after all, the location for his North American debut. His fondness for the city was evident in an interview I did with him for Seattle Sound Magazine. “Their [Seattle’s] appreciation and reaction for my art is certainly a great motivation for me.” Given the audience’s response last night, we should expect to see much more of Trpceski in the years to come.
Gathering Note 