Category: Seattle

Four years after beginning to make movies and near the end of World War I, Charlie Chaplin completed building his own movie studio in a Hollywood orange grove at a cost of $1.2 million.

“He was such a creative genius, such a strong character, he needed complete freedom. It was the most sophisticated state-of-the-art film studio in the world,” says artistic director of the Northwest Sinfonietta, Christophe Chagnard. There, the little man who created the Little Tramp wrote, scripted, produced, edited and acted in his own movies and also composed the accompanying music. “He couldn’t really read music though he played left-hand violin and piano, but all the material is from him and he had an arranger score it (for the orchestra). I’ve always admired him.”

Continue reading God knows, we need humor these days

It has been a while since I attended an all Mozart concert.  The last time, probably, was back in 1997.  It was a different time then.  I was new to classical music and enchanted by everything I heard.  Even at that last all Mozart concert, the Posthorn Serenade melted into whatever else was on the program.  All of it was enjoyable, but none of it was terribly memorable.  So, when I settled into my seat for last weekend’s Orchestra Seattle concert I was skeptical it could work.  For all of Mozart’s genius, too much Mozart is not always a good thing by my ears.  Sameness can hold back a concert, especially in the case of Mozart.

Continue reading All Mozart, all the time

The Seattle Symphony is in the home stretch of their holiday season programming. Their annual performance of Handel’s Messiah begins this week. The SSO’s Messiah doesn’t get talked about as much by music folks in town, but with Benaroya’s excellent acoustics and the orchestra at the top of their game these days, it is a Messiah worth looking into.

The other event coming up for the Seattle Symphony is their annual New Year’s Evening performance/party. As is the New Year’s tradition around these parts Gerard Schwarz and the orchestra play Beethoven’s Symphony No.9. Along with this justly famous masterpiece, the orchestra is also playing music by Johann Strauss Sr. and John Phillip Sousa. And, if Beethoven, Strauss, and Sousa aren’’t enough, the Seattle Seahawk’s Blue Thunder drumline will also be playing a few pieces with the orchestra.

When the music is done, there is champagne and deserts to help give the celebration a sweet touch. No plans for New Year’s Eve? I would check out the Seattle Symphony.

Here’s a clip of Blue Thunder playing at the SSO Day of Music earlier this year.

Continue reading Upcoming

Charlie Rose had the composer, Daniel Barenboim, and James Levine on his show.

The Esoterics have been celebrating Elliott Carter’s 100th birthday recently.  There are concerts on Capital Hill and West Seattle this weekend.  If you can’t go, but still want to experience Carter’s music, the following videos are worth a look.

Allegro from the Sonata for Cello and Piano…

Continue reading Happy Birthday!

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.

Continue reading Upcoming

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 20^th century, half from the 16^th and 17^th centuries when the continent was first coping with large numbers of Europeans.

Continue reading A Latin American Christmas from Pro Musica

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.

Continue reading Karen Thomas and Navidad

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.

Continue reading Upcoming

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.