Category: Seattle

NY Phil season pass

An interesting concept has come from the New York Philharmonic — a NY Phil season pass on iTunes.  Everyone knows iTunes is a destination point for downloading music, but it has also become a source for downloading just about every other type of content as well (from podcasts to television shows).  Until know, iTunes season passes were primarily used for television shows and other serial media.  This season, the NY Phil is experimenting with selling a pass for the orchestra’s concert season.  The concept of having concert performances available for download soon after a concert is over has been kicking around for sometime now.  Some, like the Berlin Philharmonic, are making concert broadcasts available online and the Metropolitan Opera offers current HD productions as well as a vast catalog of previously recorded operas available for viewing.  Both come at a cost and both enrich the audio experience with visuals.  I believe the NY Phil’s iTunes season pass is the first to offer a subscription for audio recordings only.

The season pass makes perfect sense and I hope the NY Phil continues to offer season passes in future seasons. For many orchestras, concerts over the course of a season, aren’t always just a string of stand-alone musical events.  Concerts reinforce and build off of one another.  In Seattle a few years ago, the SSO had a season highlighting music by composers who emigrated to the United States.  Alan Gilbert’s first season on the podium may not be defined by one, overarching musical idea, but that’s not to say future seasons won’t be.  Where seasons are tied together by one idea or series of ideas, a season pass would be an invaluable tool to experience the artistic concept as it evolved over a series of months.

James Garlick plays Corigliano

Local violinist James Garlick held a recital Friday at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.  I will be writing about the experience and performance in more detail.  Until then, here is a short clip from the concert of Garlick performing two variations from John Corigliano’s Red Violin Caprices.

Music of Remembrance: “Unconquered!”

By: Peter A. Klein

In addition to their two mainstage concerts each year at Benaroya Hall, Music of Remembrance also does a series of four free outreach concerts each year. The programs are typically drawn from past performances at Benaroya, performed for the community in a less formal setting.

I took in one of these concerts this afternoon, in the sun-drenched Italianate performance space at Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. If you missed it, the same program can be heard tomorrow evening, Sunday, December 6, 2009, at The Congregational Church on Mercer Island, 4545 Island Crest Way, at 7:00 PM. Donations will be accepted at the door, and the performance space will be transformed into a cabaret, with refreshments served.

Continue reading Music of Remembrance: “Unconquered!”

Amelia Trio highlights early works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Chopin

The 2009/2010 UW World Series is well underway, bringing the best of dance, solo piano, and chamber music to Seattle audiences and the University of Washington community. Some have observed, this season’s line-up is less star-studded than in previous seasons. While this season might feature fewer marquis names, that doesn’t mean fewer marquis talents. Wednesday night’s visit by the Amelia Trio proved this all to well.

The Amelia Trio visited Meany Hall with a program of early compositions by three of classical music’s most popular composers: Shostakovich, Beethoven, and Chopin. None of the three composers are known primarily for their early piano trios. Shostakovich’s reputation rests primarily on the genius of his symphonies and string quartets. Chopin’s fame comes from his elegant to fiery music for solo piano. Beethoven’s legacy spans the entirety of his output because of his ever developing style. After all was said and done, the Amelia Trio’s warm, generous sound and their like-minded purpose proved the value of these three composers’ early piano trios.

Continue reading Amelia Trio highlights early works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Chopin

Questioning the conductors: Christopher Seaman

I talked with conductor Christopher Seaman yesterday.  Seaman is in town guest conducting the Seattle Symphony in a series of concerts titled “Festive Holiday Encores.”  Just as the name implies, the program is essentially one classical music hit after another.  Popular pieces by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky Korsakov, Dukas, etc. will fill Benaroya Hall this weekend.  In the 20 minutes I had with Maestro Seaman, we talked about a wide range of subjects.  He shared with me some memorable moments as timpanist with the London Philharmonic, including his admiration for Georg Solti.  We also talked about his tenure with the Rochester Philharmonic.  Seaman is regarded as an audience builder, and he discussed how he expanded the audience in Rochester and why people go to concerts.  His answer is moving and obvious.  His time with the Rochester Philharmonic comes to an end in 2011.  In closing, I asked Seaman the obvious question: are you interested in the Seattle Symphony post?  You’ll have to watch the video to find out what his answer was.

Zach Carstensen chats with conductor Christopher Seaman from gatheringnote on Vimeo.

Quarter notes: upcoming

James Garlick

James Garlick

December is here and the holiday concert season has begun. Tomorrow Christopher Seaman leads the Seattle Symphony in a concert which resembles a prolonged encore. Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky Korsakov, Dukas, and Humperdink are all represented on the program. On Friday, Renee Fleming performs a recital at Benaroya Hall. Fleming is one of opera’s reigning divas. Her performances routinely sell out in these parts. In Wallingford, on the same night, local violinist James Garlick and pianist Judith Cohen, perform a hefty recital of Ives, Debussy, Bartok, Corigliano, and Bach. Garlick told me over coffee at Fuel a few weeks ago, he was inspired to play the Ives second sonata after reading through the piece this past summer with pianist and Ives aficionado Jeremy Denk. This weekend, Seattle Pro Musica performs their holiday concert – Eastern Lights – on the 5th. There is another performance on the 12th.  George Shangrow and Orchestra Seattle trot out their Messiah on Sunday the 6th. Currently OSSCS is leading in the “best Messiah” poll.  Shangrow doesn’t cut, trim, or abridge any of Handel’s music.  Every note is played. This makes Orchestra Seattle’s Messiah the longest in the region.   Also on Sunday Opus 7 will perform Heaven on High, a concert featuring two early choral pieces by Mendelssohn and Rautavaara’s Canticum Mariae Virginis.

Save the date

I receive a regular stream of emails from arts organizations inquiring about TGN’s calendar and how their concerts can be listed.  In an earlier version of this blog, I actually managed a Google calendar that was embedded into the site.  I am one person, and keeping track of Seattle events was time consuming.  Right about the time I was getting calendar burn out Instant Encore came along.

Instant Encore can be found at http://www.instantencore.com

French pianist returns to Meany Hall

VF06 020

By: R.M. Campbell

Lise de la Salle was by most accounts a prodigy. Born in France in 1988, the pianist made her recital debut, so to speak, at 9 in a live broadcast on Radio-France and her concerto debut in Avignon four years later. At 13 she graduated from the Paris Conservatory. She made her American debuts at 16, in New York and Washington, D.C. Now, she has a full-fledged international career.

Her recital at Meany Hall gave ample evidence of her multi-faceted talent. She has huge technical resources, not surprisingly, but that is only the beginning, unlike so many other virtuosi of her age. She has refinement, individuality, musicality. Pretty remarkable for someone 21 years old.

Continue reading French pianist returns to Meany Hall