LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: April 2-5

by Maggie Molloy

This week’s concert calendar has everything from Crumb’s “Makrokosmos” to Club Shostakovich!

Daria Binkowski Performs “L’Opera per Flauto”

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Flutist Daria Binkowski knows a thing or two about breath control. As a celebrated musician with performance experience spanning from classical to modern, she has performed and taught around the world. And this week, she is tackling a truly breathtaking musical feat: a 75-minute piece for solo flute.

The piece is Salvatore Sciarrino’s influential “L’Opera per Flauto.” One of the foundations of contemporary flute repertoire, the work is a virtuosic and strikingly intimate exploration into silence and sound. Binkowski’s performance is part of Inverted Space Ensemble’s “Long Piece Fest,” a music festival highlighting contemporary pieces which are, well, really long.

The performance is this Thursday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.

Pianist Mayumi Tayake Performs Crumb and Pärt

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Avant-garde composer George Crumb takes contemporary piano repertoire to a new level—a new decibel level, that is. His innovative four-volume series “Makrokosmos” is written for amplified piano.

Known for his hauntingly beautiful soundscapes, his exploration of unusual timbres, and his use of alternative forms of musical notation, Crumb is a fascinating composer with a truly unique musical language. This weekend, you can hear Volume II of his ethereal “Makrokosmos” in all its amplified glory, performed by Seattle-based pianist Mayumi Tayake (who, by the way, wrote her doctoral dissertation on “The Performance Guide to Makrokosmos Volume II”—needless to say, she knows what she’s doing). A video presentation of Crumb’s composition sketches and influences will be presented before the performance.

Tayake will also perform Arvo Pärt’s “Spiegel im Spiegel,” (Mirror inside the Mirror) with violinist Sharyn Peterson, accompanied by projected visuals.

The performance is this Saturday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.

Club Shostakovich XIII at the Royal Room

cs13-poster-screenshot1Russia’s rich musical tradition has given rise to some of the most imaginative and innovative composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. And so, this weekend Seattle’s Royal Room is hosting a special performance in celebration of Shostakovich and several other Russian showstoppers.

Club Shostakovich XIII will feature the fearless music of Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Arensky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich. Breathing life into these beautiful works are the Girsky Quartet, violinist Blayne Barnes, violist Heather Bentley, cellist Douglas Davis, and soprano Jennifer Krikawa.

The performance is this Sunday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Royal Room.

LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: November 7, 8, 9

by Maggie Molloy

Club Shostakovich Celebrates 50th Anniversary of String Quartets No. 9 and 10

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Come lift a glass to Dmitri Shostakovich this weekend as Trio Pardalote celebrates the 50th anniversary his 9th and 10th String Quartets. Though the pieces originally premiered in Moscow in 1964, Trio Pardalote is recreating this historic event a little closer to home.

The trio—composed of violinist Victoria Parker, violist Heather Bentley, and cellist Rowena Hammill—will be joined by violinists Blayne Barnes, Natasha Bazhanov, Artur Girsky, and Mikhail Shmidt to present Shostakovich’s 8th, 9th, and 10th String Quartets. Guests are invited to enjoy the drama and passion of some of Shostakovich’s most exciting string compositions, which were written during a time of great political unrest in the Soviet Union.

The performance will be followed by a late night jazz set with Quartet Royale featuring pianist Wayne Horvitz, vocalist Jimmie Herrod, bassist Geoff Harper, and drummer Eric Eagle.

The performance will take place at the Royal Room this Friday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.

 

Seattle Rock Orchestra Presents a Police Tribute

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It’s been nearly 30 years since the critically acclaimed British rock band the Police broke up, but none of us could ever forget classics like “Roxanne” and “Every Breath You Take.” Instead of early awaiting another sold-out reunion tour, you can catch some of your favorite Police tunes this weekend when Seattle Rock Orchestra presents a Police tribute night at the Moore Theatre.

It’s everything you love about the punky 80s power quartet, except for expanded into a 50+ piece orchestra featuring vocalists David Terry, Erin Austin, Andrew Vait, and Annie Janzter. Come witness as some of Seattle’s top classically-trained musicians pay tribute to one of the greatest punk, reggae, jazz-infused rock bands the 80s had to offer.

Renowned Seattle folk artist Naomi Wachira is the opening act. A Kenyan-born musician who grew up singing gospel in a traveling family band, her music is deeply influenced by both her African roots as well as her experience living in the Pacific Northwest.

The performance will take place this Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Moore Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 8 p.m.

 

Music of Remembrance Presents Schoenberg’s “Verklärte Nacht”

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This weekend marks the 76th anniversary of the tragic Kristallnacht, a massacre against Jews throughout Germany and Austria carried out by Nazi military forces. In honor of the those innocent civilians who lost their lives in these devastating attacks, Music of Remembrance is presenting a performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s “Verklärte Nacht” (“Transfigured Night”), a tender and romantic string sextet.The performance will also be the world premiere of Spectrum Dance Theater choreographer Donald Byrd’s new dances for the enchanting piece.

“Verklärte Nacht” was inspired by Richard Dehmel’s poem of the same name, which tells the story of a woman and her lover walking through a shadowy forest on a moonlit night. The woman confesses to her lover that she is pregnant with another man’s baby, and her lover accepts and forgives her. Schoenberg’s composition captures the grave sorrow of the woman’s confession, the calm and thoughtful reflection of her lover, and the bright, hopeful acceptance of her secret.

The concert will also feature works by Dutch composers under Nazi occupation as well as a medley of songs from cabaret shows staged by prisoners at Terezin, a ghetto and concentration camp in the Czech Republic during World War II.

The performance will take place at Benaroya Hall this Sunday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m.