May 17th, 2013: Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1

Yesterday's concert was an all Shostakovich program. It opened with the Festive Overture, which was followed by the cello concerto featuring Julian Schwarz. The second half contained the 11th symphony. Gerard Schwarz conducted.

We sat in the second tier for this concert, in the first box on the left side of the stage. Not long after we took our seats a lovely couple joined us and introduced themselves. It turned out to be Charlie Staadecker and his wife. Staadecker is running for mayor of Seattle in the August election, and I had heard good things about him. It was awesome to be sitting with them.

Schwarz took to the podium for the Festive Overture, which was very festive indeed. The orchestra kicked off the concert in high spirits, delivering a fantastic and triumphant performance of the six minute work. Afterwards, the strings customarily left the stage to allow for the rearrangement for the concerto. Then Julian Schwarz came on followed by his father. He took his seat on the little pedestal thing and after a few moments began the concerto. It was a good performance. He played well. He was particularly strong in the high registers, and the sound got a little muddled sometimes in the lower register, but he held the piece together. It was enjoyable to listen to.

The principal horn player who was situated amongst the strings for the concerto due to the very involved solo horn part also played very well, although he did flub a note during his solo duet with the cello towards the end of the first movement.

After the concerto was over the Staadeckers immediately got up and told us they'd see us after intermission. I was hoping to get a picture with Charlie at some point, but as intermission was coming to an end they returned to the box just to retrieve their belongings and inform us that they were moving downstairs to sit with some friends for the second half, so I never got the picture.

We noticed one or two of the disaster subs from May 4th in the orchestra tonight. For the most part everyone was actual Seattle Symphony musicians, but one I noticed in particular was the one who looks like Edith Crawley and who never uses more than three inches of bow. She was sitting about four stands in in the second violin section. There was also a new cellist at the back of the cello section who looked about eighteen years old, and a new violist at the back of the viola section who looked like Gérard Depardieu. And now that I think of it, maybe it actually was him, since he recently became a Russian citizen and this was a program of Russian music.

In any case, I assume they had some of these people there just to fill out the sound, especially for the 11th symphony. With all the solid players dominating the sections, it certainly had little to no negative impact on the quality of the tone. Though Efe Baltacigil was not there leading the cellos, and he hasn't been for quite some time. The last time was saw him was either April 13th or April 20th I think. Not cool.

After intermission Schwarz returned to the podium to conduct Shostakovich's 11th symphony. This is a piece I really like. It's frightful, dark, violent and dramatic. The entire first movement is slow, quiet and icy, describing the winter morning that will precede violent massacres. They played it magnificently. The tone from the very opening was like pure ice. The character was that of a hushed pianissimo, but the sound was delivered firmly and clearly to the ear at the same time. Truly excellent string playing. The trumpets were impeccable throughout the movement as well, with their calls and echoes. The entire brass section had their mutes on for the whole first movement, to chilling effect.

The second movement begins with roiling gestures in the strings, again executed excellently and to tremendous effect. This movement builds to very loud heights before dying back down again before the depiction of the massacre. All gets quiet and icy, and finally fades out almost completely before the snare drum comes punching in loudly, bringing along with it new curt and violent gestures in the lower strings that are eventually traded off throughout all the sections as the music begins to rise violently.

Definitely my favorite part of the piece, the ensuing section is a seemingly endless, overwhelming mass of death, destruction, terror, and literal sounds of machine gun fire. The music builds and builds to a point where suddenly, under the umbrella of a massive symbol crash it thunders into a section that is propelled endlessly forward by the violent rat-tat-tat of the snare drum, a thundering, relentless bass drum and other percussion instruments. Atop this, the rest of the orchestra blasts out a ceaseless barrage of notes that here seems to take on a tonal form of depiction of machine gun fire, punctuating itself in a tuplet meter against the duple time of the cataclysmic percussion.

This was another world class performance from the Seattle Symphony. The intensity with which they performed this music was absolutely thrilling. When all the thundering apocalyptic sounds finally faded out abruptly, what was left was the same backdrop of the icy day, depicted by the upper strings as in the beginning, but this time with the added twist of trills on the notes to make it even colder.

The third and fourth movements were performed at the same excellent level, and were as timeless as the first two. I really felt like I could have heard another hour of this symphony and not gotten bored. After the final dramatic punctuations of the last movement, I immediately stood up to applaud. Something became clear to me last night after Schwarz existed the stage for the second time and the intensity of the applause did not waver. When the orchestra is present and spirited, it really affects the audience, and they keep clapping. Calling a performer back for a second bow is common courtesy in Seattle; it doesn't indicate anything about how much they actually liked it. It's when the applause holds firm even after that second exist that you know they were moved. And this always coincides with those clearly outstanding performances.

The next concert we have tickets to is the season finale on June 29th, though we may be attending the Britten War Requiem on June 13th or 15th as well.

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May 10th, 2013: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5

Forming a pair with the May 9th performance, this one again featured Vladimir Feltsman in a Mozart piano concerto, and a Tchaikovsky symphony in the second half. Gerard Schwarz conducted.

The program opened with Mozart's Symphony No. 35. I have to admit I was rather bored, but not more so than I would have been listening to a great recording of the piece. It's just not a very great piece to my ears. I've never been very convinced of Mozart's later symphonies outside of the final three from the summer of 1788, No. 39, 40 and 41.

Once that was over the piano was moved on stage and Vladimir Feltsman returned for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17. He displayed the same mastery of the music as he had the previous night in the 23rd. I'm not as familiar with this concerto as I am with the 23rd, but both Feltsman and the orchestra seemed to display a similar kind of skill and subtlety in the performance.

Towards the very end of the third movement of the concerto, the piano plays the main theme one last time almost as an afterthought, in a humorous, careless manner, and Feltsman drew that out by actually doing a very animated shrug right after the phrase ended. It was absolutely wonderful.

After intermission Schwarz conducted Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. It was a performance on par with that of the Symphony No. 4 the night before. Brilliant, bold, fiery. It was such a privilege to hear these two symphonies back to back played at such a high level.

Next up is an all Shostakovich concert on May 17th!

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May 9th, 2013: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4

This was a thoroughly enjoyable concert of fantastic repertoire, led by the Seattle Symphony Conductor Laureate Gerard Schwarz. It is the first of a four concert series this year called "Russian Spectacular" taking place on Thursday and Friday across two weeks, all conducted by Schwarz.

The concert opened with Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 4 in G major, "Mozartiana." Following that was Mozart's exquisite 23rd piano concerto, featuring Vladimir Feltsman as soloist, and then the second half consisted of Tchaikovsky's epic 4th symphony.

The hall was not very well filled unfortunately, which surprised me. However, the dress code was again on the better side, probably due to all the traditional Schwarz affectionados who were no doubt in attendance.

The orchestra played fine throughout the Tchaikovsky suite. Schwarz commanded a stern grip over the players, but it was clear that they had gone through it once at most in rehearsal. They did a superb job of faking a well rehearsed performance, but of course not superb enough to completely mask the reality. Demarre McGill's flute solos in the piece were impeccable though, more so even than those of concertmaster Alexander Velinzon, who admittedly had a very difficult part to play. 

The fast passages in the last movement that alternate speedily between first and second violins were by no means smooth in terms of ensemble, and often during difficult passages one could see the unsettled nervousness of the orchestra, focusing more on playing the right notes at the right time than anything else. The prayer movement was extremely beautifully played though, and as the muted strings soared through Tchaikovsky's rendition of Mozart's heavenly music, the emotion was overwhelming. However, the most obvious example of the lack of rehearsal took place at the end of that movement. It ends very quietly with the first violins holding very high notes for a long time, and their bows were out of sync, and Velinzon kept looking at Schwarz and re-arranging where he was in his bow, trying to predict when Schwarz will cut off the last note so that he could finish at the tip.

This didn't bother me in the slightest, because really, what kind of orchestra would spend a lot of time in rehearsal on a Tchaikovsky suite when you've got a Mozart piano concerto and a Tchaikovsky symphony to prepare as well? I had no doubt they'd be much more solid in the next two works.

After a brief pause for stage rearrangement, Vladimir Feltsman graced the stage, followed by Schwarz. The former took his seat at the piano, the latter his stance on the podium. The music of heaven commenced at the downbeat given by the maestro. Mozart's 23rd piano concerto, along with all his other late piano concertos, sit at the very top of all human artistic achievements. And difficult as they are for an orchestra to perform at a high level, we were in for a treat this evening. The subtlety of the phrasing in the strings was the first thing that stood out to me as exceptional during the orchestral introduction. The tone was beautiful and unified, and the phrasing impeccable, serving to deliver the music effortlessly to the listeners ear. This was no mere succession of notes that they were playing. They had connected the dots at a very deep level of understanding. Adding to this was the sublime wind section, who rounded out the ensemble with gorgeous, seemingly effortless playing. Demarre McGill, as usual, brought a golden touch to the sound with his immaculate and superb flute playing which soared angelically over the orchestra.

Then suddenly, during the orchestral introduction, Feltsman began playing keys on the piano. He was playing harmonies along with the orchestra. I was very surprised, but it was actually kind of interesting. At first I thought that maybe he wanted to warm up to the feel of the piano before his solos began, but he continued to do that during the orchestral tuttis throughout the piece. It looked as if he wanted to be as connected to the music as possible, and stay completely plugged into the ensemble.

When his first solo began, his mastery was immediately self-evident. This was the first great pianist we have seen, and the sound was distinctly different than those we have heard before. His playing was completely natural and refined at the same time. It was extremely enjoyable to see him and hear him play. Additionally, there were never any togetherness issues between him and the orchestra. In fact, they were so absent that I didn't even notice it until just now as I think back on it.

The second movement was astounding. Feltsman began at a slow tempo, and did everything I could have possibly hoped for in a performance of this other-wordly movement. It was beyond description. His execution of the opening piano solo was enchanting, and the entrance of the orchestra under Schwarz's masterful leadership was such that I was held completely transfixed, scarcely able to breathe. This first orchestral passage of the second movement is some of the most beautiful music ever written, and as it soared out from the stage I felt ascended. I felt in the hands of masters. Feltsman outlined the divine harmonies on the lower end of the piano as the orchestra descended chromatically, even further clarifying the incomprehensible genius of the composition.

The entire second movement continued as such, executed masterfully by both soloist and orchestra. It was an experience I won't soon forget. As soon as the second movement ended, Feltsman launched almost instantly into the brisk final movement, again displaying his crisp, playful side in a wonderful performance. The concerto was over all too soon, and Feltsman got a well-deserved standing ovation. I personally didn't stand up because of a few technical blips and missed notes in his playing, but in retrospect I should have.

During intermission we wandered out to the lobby balcony and bumped into some friends of mine that I had spotted in the audience before the concert began. We chatted with them until most of the audience had already returned to their seats, and then we made our way back to ours. The stage was jam packed with musicians, a full forces ensemble ready to take off with Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony. There was a bustling energy on the stage which gave me a really good feeling about the performance to come.

Gerard Schwarz returned to the podium to enthusiastic applause, and then began the symphony. The brass introduction was taken on the slower side. Slow and powerful. The fateful call of the horns was clear and precise, and as the line descended and was joined by the lower brass and the trumpets, the effect was chilling. I was pinned to my chair. Throughout the first movement I was really amazed by the level of the playing. This was yet another example of the Seattle Symphony's ability to play at a world class level. The first movement of this symphony is perhaps the piece I am most familiar with out of all the concerts we've attended so far this year. I've played it twice in orchestras, listened to it over a hundred times, and even learned a good chunk of it on the piano at one point. My desires for what it can be were set by Herbert von Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic. And in last night's concert I found nothing wanting; nothing at all. I sat back and enjoyed the roller coaster ride of that incredibly dramatic and beautiful movement, absolutely thrilled by the intense presence and quality of the performance. The development section in particular was incredible; the brass deafening, the strings like wildfire. From beginning to end we were presented with a masterful execution of the movement, which ended with such a cataclysm of drama that one could sense the audience's burning desire to clap. But impressively they did not do so.

The second movement was gorgeous. Ben Hausmann's oboe solo at the beginning did exactly what Tchaikovsky intended, summoning feelings of nostalgia and homesickness. The strings were like a warm velvet bed throughout, supporting the various wind solos, providing a beautiful oasis as a reprieve from the fiery drama of the first movement.

Musically, the third and fourth movements are not exactly a revelation of any kind. The third is acoustically intriguing in its use of all string pizzicato, but I haven't found much else very memorable in it. And the fourth is musically hollow, riding entirely on its use of loud percussion and fast string runs. The symbol crashes were deafening, and the strings were again like wildfire as they raced through the blazing music. It was certainly entertaining, if a bit too loud sometimes. After the final crash the audience came to their feet again, this time us included. This was a really amazing, first-tier performance of Tchaikovsky's symphony. It's the performances like these that keep us coming back.

Tonight we again hear Vladimir Feltsman performing Mozart's 17th piano concerto, with Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony occupying the second half. The program begins with Mozart's Symphony No. 35.

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May 4th, 2013: Mozart & Haydn

Yesterday evening's program consisted of Haydn's Mass in B-flat Major (the "Little Organ Mass"), Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 1 and Haydn's Symphony No. 98. Christian Knapp conducted.

It was immediately evident that many of the key players in the orchestra were missing, but I didn't pay it too much heed during the Haydn Mass, as the organ, choir and soloist were the focus of that piece. Maria Mannisto sang a beautiful solo in the Benedictus of the mass, and the choir was lovely to listen to.

However, it became clear once the distractions of singers and organists were out of the way, that something was very wrong with the orchestra. There were whole clumps of violinists that we had never seen before. And the sound of the orchestra as they accompanied John Cerminaro in the Horn concerto was weak and slightly amateur sounding. We began to notice more and more faces that we hadn't seen ever before. Alexander Velinzon was there at the head of the first violins, but none of the other key players were anywhere near. The second violins were missing all their key players. Both bassoon players were unrecognizable.

During intermission we asked one usher who all these players are and why they're masquerading as the Seattle Symphony. She said "well, it's the Seattle Symphony of course. There is a gallery of photos of all the players downstairs, you can go take a look." I didn't believe her. We went to ask the ushers on the other side of the tier. One of them admitted that he had also noticed a lot of faces he had never seen before. We spoke with that usher (his name was Jim) and another usher throughout most of intermission, speculating on what might be going on. We were told that they would look for answers during the second half, and that we'll get to speak with Keith, the house manager, after the concert was over.

Things got even weirder during the symphony in the second half. More winds, brass and percussion joined the orchestra, most of them people we had never seen before. There was a flute player who looked like a nervous student, an unrecognizable timpanist, and a few brass players who again, were not part of the Seattle Symphony.

The situation in the strings was particularly bad. There was a cluster of non-SSO players at the back of second violins who looked like bad students. This one lady who looked like Edith Crawley from Downton Abbey never used more than about four inches of bow, and she was often playing over the fingerboard. There were at least two or three foreign players in first violins as well, including this guy with golden hair sitting at the back, again bringing the demeanor of a nervous student. The entire tone of the strings was flat, limp, and in many places they were not quite in sync with each other. The young guy on the flute had a tone that even the most brilliant sound engineer couldn't bring close to the sound of Demarre McGill. And the alien players in the brass section came in late at times, and their tone occasionally cracked.

By the end of the symphony we were determined not to leave until we got answers. Was the orchestra on strike? Do a chunk of the regular players dislike Knapp? Or Cerminaro? Who were these players on the stage, and why was this billed as a Seattle Symphony concert when at least half the players did not belong to the Seattle Symphony?

We met up with Jim afterwards, and he gave us the obvious answer that I should have realized earlier. The Seattle Symphony was in the pit at McCaw hall that evening, for the opening night of Suor Angelica/La Voix Humaine. Many of the players on stage were "subs." Their names were not listed anywhere in the program. I guess the symphony hopes that most people in the audience won't care or notice that they're not actually getting to hear the Seattle Symphony on an evening like that.

Jim suggested that we go meet Keith, the house manager, which we did, and I expressed my view that it was dishonest for this concert to be billed as a Seattle Symphony concert, and that even if most people can be fooled, it's not fair to those who aren't. We spoke with him for a few minutes, and he took some notes and my subscriber ID, and said he'd pass on the message. He was a very nice guy.

Anyways, so that's it. Yesterday evening was an interesting experience. It really gave me a new appreciation for the quality of the Seattle Symphony.

Next up is Mozart and Tchaikovsky with Gerard Schwarz on May 9th!

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