This week’s concert calendar has everything from Crumb’s “Makrokosmos” to Club Shostakovich!
Daria Binkowski Performs “L’Opera per Flauto”
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
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
Russia’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.