Gathering Note
Notes from the concert hall
Category: Seattle, WA
-
Originally published on Seen and Heard International I have heard the Seattle Symphony perform Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring countless times. This includes at least one performance each under the baton of its permanent music directors over the past two decades—from Gerard Schwarz’s unrelenting drive to Ludovic Morlot’s textural brilliance and Thomas Dausgaard’s focus on…
-
Fantastic news from the Netherlands: Elena Dubinets has been named Artistic Director of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Dubinets was a transformative force during her time at the Seattle Symphony, and now Amsterdam is about to see why. During her Seattle days, Dubinets brought fresh ideas to programming that made the Symphony not just good but great.…
-
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X was a groundbreaking work. Its 1986 premiere marked a significant moment for both the composer and the opera world. X finally graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in late 2023, further – if belatedly – recognizing the opera’s impact. And in early 2024 it was eagerly…
-
Violinist Randall Goosby, who has been dazzling audiences since his debut with the Jacksonville Symphony at the age of nine, took center stage with the Seattle Symphony for a recent series of concerts. Goosby’s smooth and warm tone, reminiscent of an earlier era of violin performance – which is not surprising from a former student…
-
Also published at Seen and Heard International Anticipation crackles in the air, thick like summer lightning before the storm breaks. A hush descends, settling over an expectant audience. Every cough or rustling program feels like a desecration. At the podium, conductor Kahchun Wong stands at the edge of creation – shoulders squared, back straight, baton…
-
Also published at Seen and Heard International After an arguably slow start to its 2023-24 season, the Seattle Symphony is gearing up for a packed schedule of concerts in November and December highlighting works by Brahms, Beethoven, Sibelius, Elgar, and Mahler. For the first concert of this ramp-up, the orchestra deftly tackled two major works…
-
After a successful run of Wagner’s Das Rheingold in August, Seattle Opera is back with Handel’s Alcina. From its premiere at Covent Garden in 1735, Alcina was one of Handel’s most successful operas, with a record 18 subsequent performances. But Alcina’s early success wasn’t enough to keep it on stage. Performances were scarce until it…
-
In late 2020, I decided to listen to Beethoven’s 32 sonatas in chronological order. Consider it my take on one of those pandemic-era “deep dives” – sourdough bread, birding – that we all took. My love for Beethoven dates back to 1996, when a dear friend introduced me to classical music for the first time. …
-
Now in its sixth year, Music on the Strait has become a cherished event for music enthusiasts on the Olympic Peninsula. This hidden gem of a music festival may not receive as much attention as some of its counterparts, but it certainly deserves recognition for the incredible performances it brings to this part of the…
-
Review published on Seen and Heard International Not long ago, staging Das Rheingold at the Seattle Opera usually meant that the other three operas in Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle would soon follow. The company was once a Wagnerian destination in the U.S., though not on the same level as the renowned Bayreuth. For decades, when…