I'm out west this week, primarily to visit friends but also to check out some music of various stripes up and down the coast. The big news at the Seattle Symphony these days is the arrival of French conductor Ludovic Morlot, who replaced longtime music director Gerard Schwarz this season. Morlot, who's done some decent work with the NY Phil, is a conductor on the rise: in addition to his appointment in Seattle, he is also about to become Chief Conductor of La Monnaie in Brussels. (To his credit, he and his family have chosen to live in Seattle.)
The Seattle Symphony has always been respectable, but seemed to be a bit rudderless under Schwarz, who overstayed his welcome here by more than a decade. Already, Morlot has injected some much-needed energy through some innovative programming, such as this upcoming collaboration with local indie darlings Hey Marseilles, and a performance of Rhapsody in Blue with – no shit – Herbie Hancock. (There are also one or two horrible ideas, such as this Sci-Fi themed show with Star Trek's Commander Riker; Morlot won't be around for that one.)
Saturday's program at Benaroya Hall was far more conventional, with a program centered around themes of mortality. (Cheerful stuff in a city noted for having one of the highest suicide rates in America.) Liszt's From the Cradle to the Grave moved from sweet to bleak, ending with a slow, minor key fade. Mahler's Kindertotenlieder ("Songs on the Death of Children") featured Canadian baritone Nathan Berg in a capable – if insipid – performance. (Once you hear Thomas Quasthoff sing this mysterious, supernatural work, you'll never want to hear anyone else attempt it.)
Things picked up a bit after intermission with Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances: a vibrant work in three movements. This was the last piece that Rachmaninoff wrote, and includes everything from Spanish-sounding waltzes to a grotesque danse macabre. The finale, with its clarion brass and crashing percussion, was particularly loud and crisp, sending the audience to its feet. Yes, more of that, Maestro.
More pics on the photo page.