Gathering Note

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