Quarter Notes

Quarter notes: end of summer edition

August 20, 2010

Summer is winding down, classical performance — with the exception of Seattle Opera’s head scratching new production of Tristan und Isolde – are more or less on hiatus until September. All of this leaves a blogger with little to blog about. Yet a few noteworthy bits have popped up here and there. This Sunday George [...]

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Quarter notes: Shangrow remembered

August 10, 2010

It’s been more than a week since we learned of George Shangrow’s untimely death. In that time the tributes for this Seattle original have been growing with each day. Orchestra Seattle’s website has been turned into a rolling memorial. My favorite is from Kerry Fowler who wrote: “I was a bit nervous the night before [...]

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Quarter notes: happy birthday Mahler

July 11, 2010

I’m a few days late (Mahler was born on July 7th), but 2010 is the 150th birthday for Gustav Mahler. Complete Mahler cycles have been popping up in abundance over the last few months. Both Universal Classics and EMI have released “complete” box sets. But, from Universal Classics, comes one of the most creative ways [...]

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Quarter notes: YNS edition

June 15, 2010

By now most people have heard the Philadelphia Orchestra has found a new music director. Yannick Nezet-Seguin – YNS for short. He is a predictable choice given the youth movement afoot these days. Chicago bucked the trend by appointing Ricardo Muti. They are the only orchestra which ignored the orchestra group think these days (does [...]

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Quarter notes

June 9, 2010

Video snippets from the New York Philharmonic’s performance of Le Grand Macabre.

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Quarter notes: mission vs. vision

June 3, 2010

Two interesting articles courtesy of Arts Journal. Robert Spano (who was here in April) talks about cultivating contemporary music with the Atlanta Symphony. The four composers Spano has championed – Jennifer Higdon, Osvaldo Golijov, Michael Gandolfi, and Christopher Theofanidis — have been dubbed the “Atlanta School,” and all have seen their profiles rise as a [...]

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Quarter notes: Decoration Day edition

May 31, 2010

Stephen Rogers Radcliffe is adding the Thalia Symphony to his orchestra responsibilities. Radcliffe is currently music director for the Seattle Youth Symphony. Perhaps you remember his fine Mahler 2 from last weekend? Radcliffe takes over for Eric Hanson who will conduct a final concert with the Thalia June 3, 2010 at the First Free Methodist [...]

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Quarter notes

May 24, 2010

The local Odeonquartet departs for Russia today for two concerts, one of which will include the Russian premiere of Phillip Glass’ Fifth String Quartet. Heather Bentley, the group’s violist, will be blogging from the tour. Check back for Heather’s road report. Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic have found critics outside of LA less generous [...]

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Quarter notes

May 20, 2010

My write up of last week’s Music of Remembrance concert and the premiere of Vedem is up at the City Arts Blog.  I’ve generally liked the Music of Remembrance concerts I’ve attended.  This one didn’t do it for me. A couple of events this weekend to check out: the American String Project and the Seattle [...]

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Quarter notes

May 14, 2010

The LA Ring sounds like a health hazard. Meanwhile, The Met’s new Ring gets the trailer treatment. Robert LePage’s ideas look promising. Will Levine be healthy enough to conduct? Can this production cement Gelb’s reputation as an innovator with the right vision for the Met? The NY Phil has unveiled a new (and even funny) video campaign [...]

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Quarter notes

May 6, 2010

Anne Midgette likes Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick.  What will the press say about our own local world premiere? We’ll start to find out this weekend. Stephane Deneve will replace Roger Norrington at the Stuttgart Radio Symphony (SWR). He also received with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra — his original post. There were a handful of [...]

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Quarter notes: May Day! May Day!

April 30, 2010

I’ll be up at Town Hall tomorrow from 1 pm until 1 am co-hosting May Day! May Day’s! new music festivities along with Dave Beck (KUOW) and Gavin Borchert (Seattle Weekly). I assure you, it will be a lot of fun. In addition to being fun, it only costs $5. When was the last time [...]

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Quarter Notes: May Day, Higdon, and Hadelich

April 28, 2010

One of the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s newer festival musicians – Augustin Hadelich – was profiled in the NY Times earlier this week. A new classical music review mega site is being launched by Chicago based critics Lawrence Johnson. The Classical Review endeavors to be a one stop review site for people seeking out concert [...]

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Quarter notes: Gergiev, Holst, and Pro Musica

April 20, 2010

V. Gergiev talks with the Wall Street Journal about conducting, his schedule, and Russia. Seattle Pro Musica is a semi-finalist for the American prize and the group’s conductor, Karen Thomas, is also a semi-finalist in the conducting category.  Congrats Karen and Pro Musica! Gustav Holst and Hans Graf team up with NASA. Amelia is coming [...]

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Quarter notes

January 26, 2010

The Everett Symphony canceled the remainder of its season for budget reasons. This is bad for a number of reasons, but I am especially disappointed that we won’t be able to hear Mara Gearman play the Walton Viola Concerto now. And, it now appears, a federal mediator is helping SSO management and musicians hammer out [...]

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Quarter notes: upcoming

November 19, 2009

The Seattle Symphony is performing Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony this weekend with guest conductor Arild Remmereit.  Remmereit and I had a good conversation about Tchaikovsky and Mozart a week ago Friday.  The musicians I spoke with are excited to work with him again, remembering his successful concert with the orchestra three years ago.  Be sure to [...]

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