16 posts tagged “symphony”

We've subscribed to the Seattle Symphony for a number of years and before the beginning of each season, I enter both the concert dates and program details in my calendar. It takes some time, and I've always thought given the number of concerts in the season, the symphony should provide an Outlook upload. But, alas, there isn't such a thing, so I hand-enter the concert dates and paste in the program information from the SSO web site.

During the season I normally look ahead at what's next concert-wise - very handy to have it all in my calendar.

But, occasionally, I consciously don't look at the concert information (or the concert program when I get there): I just planned to be surprised when the music starts. I'll ask Drake if I'll recognize what's about to be played, because it not, I want to know (I don't want to listen to a whole piece without a clue as to what it is).

Last night was the perfect night to play my little surprise game. Drake was very confident I would recognize everything on the program, and he was right. I told him I didn't even know who the soloist was and he kind of cocked his eyebrow at that. "You have no idea?..."

"None."

The program opened with Excerpts from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Hard to miss what that is. Though it one of the two (standard) Wagner operas I haven't seen live.

Next, was the soloist. I could tell by the way they were arranging the orchestra chairs that it was going to be a violinist.

The house lights go down and out walks...

I literally gasped. A post for another time, but one of my absolute top favorite classical performers.

Then she starts the Barber Violin Concerto. Sigh. So lovely and the perfect artist to perform it.

The program finished up with Suite from Der Rosenkavalier -- again, music (and an opera) I adore. It look me back to Seattle Opera's stunning production of it:
 

I am normally not a fan of matinée concerts; there is something about sitting in a darkened auditorium in the middle of the day that just doesn't work for me. But, yesterday, I made an exception for the Russian National Orchestra--and I'm glad I did.

When there is a visiting orchestra or conductor I often pine for a change in artistic leadership at the Seattle Symphony. Someone who brings youthful, sexy energy to the podium (and I'm talking about artistic leadership here, not appearance.) The RNO has that with Vladimir Jurowski:

Well, OK, Jurowski also has a youthful, sexy appearance. That doesn't hurt now does it?

The piano soloist, playing the always-fun Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, was Stephen Hough. He came out of the wings wearing concert blacks with--I am not kidding here--ruby slippers-- as in bright red satin loafers.

You can get an idea of the spine-tingling performance with this:

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Later, after dinner, we watched the PBS two-part series on Balanchine. Wonderful to see and hear Mr. B in action.

I need to start doing a better job of tagging my posts. I could have sworn I posted previously about the Brahms second piano concerto. But I can't seem to find it. So forgive me if I'm repeating myself.

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This week the Seattle Symphony was doing "a week of Brahms." A bit of overstatement--but still two all-Brahms programs in a single week. Both featured Vladimir Feltsman as soloist. We went Friday night and last night.

The highlight of the program for me was Brahm's second piano concerto. Interestingly, it's four movements (like a symphony) rather than three movements typical of most concerti. It is stunningly beautiful piece, particularly the third movement Andante, which features solo cello.

Here is a short excerpt of the Andante:

This, of course, was played by our resident rock-star principal cellist Joshua Roman. It is a serious treat to hear him featured. We had seen him previously preform this concerto with Andre Watts, last February, when his performance was equally remarkable.

I know some long-time symphony goers grow weary of the more standard, popular repertoire, but personally I never tire of hearing Brahms in the symphony hall.

Update: Classical in Seattle has a review of both concerts here.

An interesting evening last night at the symphony.

First of all, a fantastic program, mostly French (Ravel's G Major Piano Concerto, Fauré's "Pelléas et Mélisande" Suite and Debussy's "Ibéria") with some Stravinsky (Jeu de cartes) thrown in to start.

Frank Braley was the piano soloist. When he came on-stage, he tried to adjust the piano bench lower, to no avail. So, he asked, on stage, for a new one, which was promptly supplied. After the piano-bench shuffle, and some laughter, the performance began. An absolutely stunning performance.

Conductor Stephane Deneve was clearly pulling an inspired performance out of the symphony.

At intermission, Drake saw (Seattle Opera General Director) Speight Jenkins. Hmmm. Speight doesn't show up at the symphony unless there's something that really interests him. It had to be Deneve (for possible  Seattle Opera conducting engagement?). Drake connected the (speculative) dots further. As we recall, Speight has a very high regard for Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande and Deneve is noted for his interpretation of French repertoire. Hmmm again.

At the end of the performance, there was a rousing ovation for Deneve not only from the audience, but from the orchestra (including a number of players stomping their feet). I can't remember when I've seen that.

It was also great to see the orchestra hall so full. There were even a few more folks up on the third tier. Just a few though.

Years ago, when the symphony played weeknights in the old opera house, we subscribed to a season that included a concert with Awadagin Pratt as soloist.

These days, classical soloists wear all manner of outfits on stage. But, back then, tux-and-tails were de rigeur. So, when Awadagin Pratt strolled out on stage in tight black pants and an even tighter red silk t-shirt, there was an enormous collective grasp from the audience.

Here was a big, muscular, incredibly handsome black man, with dreadlocks, in tight clothing, ready to play for us!

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Thursday night was the first time we've seen him since then. (But alas, we're all a bit older now and the tight attire had been replaced by the more standard black pants and black overshirt that so many male soloists wear.)

He gave an absolutely velvety performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23. The second movement in particular was stunning.

This was our second concert of the season. I couldn't resist snapping a photo of the nearly-empty third tier. It's just strange sitting up there by ourselves. (But zero wait in the third tier restrooms!) In previous years its been 2/3 to totally full, depending on the day and program. This was just before the second half of the program started:

Last night was our first symphony concert of the season.

The program was excellent. Two favorites: Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite and Schumann's Symphony No. 2. And one work I was not familiar with but greatly enjoyed: Bartok's Violin Concerto No. 1.

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But, as I suspected, the third tier was nearly empty. Just a handful of people in each row. It was weird. For years we've sat up there and it was always nearly full. Now, everyone is just... gone. I recapped the pricing snafu here and here. And provided a "helpful" suggestion to the symphony here.

It's hard to tell how many of those took the automatic re-seating to the main floor, how many moved to the now-cheaper second tier, and how many just didn't re-subscribe. We decided to keep our seats, but we subscribed this year to a 12-concert series rather than the full 18-concert series. And this year we got a price "break"-- current subscribers won't feel the full 3-fold price increase until next year. As one of our fellow third-tier subscribers noted, if that increase does indeed go forward nobody will be up there next year. I doubt we will.

Then there is this article about the Liverpool Philharmonic, which (current SSO music director) Gerard Schwarz previously lead with an unhappy, contentious tenure. Under a new, young music director, the orchestra is absolutely thriving. The same thing pretty much happened after Jerry left New York's Mostly Mozart festival. I know a number of subscribers feel Jerry's been here too long.

So, it will be interesting to see how the re-pricing all pans out for the SSO this season--and next.

The last concert of the season (at least since we've been subscribing) is Mahler. Last night, it was the Mahler Third, which run an incredible 1 3/4 hours.

Though our years of subscribing to the symphony, I've come to appreciate all sort of music that I had previously deemed "challenging" - in fact, I think one of the main benefits of subscribing (vs. cherry-picking single concerts) is that you are exposed to music you would otherwise not seek out. It has greatly broadened my musical horizons. But I think I've met my match with Mahler.

I'm concluding that I just don't connect to his music. There are interesting sections, but what is missing for me is that "swept away" feeling I get from almost all other music. I am not alone in this struggle (we met up with a friend post-concert who feels similarly). On the other end of the scale there are Mahler fanatics... the guy right behind me was clearly one. I just seem to be missing the Mahler boat (not so at all with Wagner, which will be apparent in August when I'll be posting about the upcoming production of The Flying Dutchman).

So ends another symphony season. Next season, we'll be attending about half the concerts we did this year due to the Third Tier seating snafu. I'm actually looking forward to stepping it down some, which will open our schedule up a bit more.

We are currently listening our way through Bob Greenberg's The Symphony lecture series. I am already pretty familiar with the symphonic repertoire, so there isn't much that's earthshakeningly new -- but some nice tidbits and fresh perspectives on familiar works.

Today, we listened to the lecture on the symphonies of Schumann. Poor Robert Schumann -- he just breaks my heart. And poor Clara; their story as a couple is doubling heartbreaking. The fact that they both kept a marriage diary means there is a lot of detail available about their life together (and it would have made one hell of a blog!).

A couple of years ago, I enjoyed Clara: A Novel. It's a fictional account of the life of Clara Schumann. A really wonderful introduction to her life, even though it's a novel rather than biography.

For me, one of the highlights of this year's symphony season is John Lill performing all five Beethoven piano concertos in a two-day series.

Last night was the first night, which kicked it off with concertos #4 and #5 (1-3 are tonight); I'm not quite sure why they aren't being played in order. No matter. I love the idea of a "total immersion" in a composer over a series of concerts -- in years past the symphony has done more of this as special festivals (including Beethoven and Shostakovitch).

I've not seen John Lill perform previously. He's got a magnificent, delicate touch. The second movement of the 5th (the Emperor) was sublime.

Oddly, the third movement of the 5th contained the most obvious musical gaff I've heard in all my symphony-going years. A short, but critical horn solo just didn't come out of the horn. There were a few muffled notes emitted and that was it. Very strange -- I'm not sure whether there was a technical problem with the horn or what. Chalk it up to a bad horn day? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

The concert was relatively well-attended but by no means sold out. I expected a bigger crowd for this. It's part of the Symphony Specials series (which tends toward lighter-weight repertoire) rather than the main Masterpiece series, so that might be part of it.

In the press, the Seattle Symphony has stated the following in justifying the price increase:

Because the Third Tier has been selling out while more expensive seats on the main floor remain unsold, the Symphony administrators decided to raise Third Tier prices and reduce some orchestra level prices.

Acting executive director Mary Ann Champion said she wants to "see the main floor looking full and lush." Offering an economical method for people from the third tier to move down is one way of overcoming that problem.

(Of course, if they had just offered the option to move rather than automatically re-assigning all third-tier subscribers to the main floor, they would not be having the problems they have now.)

But, why use live subscribers as potted plants that you move around to make the main floor look "lush and full"?

Drake suggested they just buy a bunch of Safe-T-Men to fill out those less-desirable main-floor seats:

Dress him up a bit in a suit and tie and voila - Concert Man! For opening night, dress him in a tux and you've got Gala Man.

More seriously, the symphony stated in the P-I that "Rows of empty seats, often seen in October and November, create a negative feeling in the house in general." I would love to see the data that supports this assertion -- that empty seats create a negative feeling among concert attendees. I strongly suspect the Symphony is creating a problem here when none exists.  The fact is, some concerts sell well, others don't. It's obvious in all sections when a concert is lightly attended (and since we attend about 25 concerts per year, we get a pretty good sample). And it's certainly ridiculous to use this as even a partial excuse for a 250% price increase in the Third Tier.