Conductor Valentina Peleggi will conduct Seattle Opera’s upcoming “The Barber of Seville.” (Chris Beasley)
The young Italian conductor Valentina Peleggi make her Seattle Opera debut this weekend in a revival of Lindy Hume’s popular production of The Barber of Seville, running through 19 May. In advance of the opening, I wrote a profile of Peleggi for the Seattle Times:
No matter how many times you’ve seen “The Barber of Seville” — let alone heard the hit tune that Figaro, the title character, sings as his first entrance — you can expect fresh insights into this well-known score under Valentina Peleggi’s baton….
Shiyeon Sung conducts cellist Alisa Weilerstein and the Seattle Symphony; photo (c) Carlin Ma
Thursday evening’s program with Seattle Symphony brought the season’s latest guest conductor, Shiyeon Sung, whose international career took off when she won the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in 2007. Typically introduced as the first female conductor from South Korea to achieve international renown, Sung brought musical intelligence and sensitivity to her collaboration with the players, beginning with an effervescent account of Carl Maria von Weber’s Oberon Overture.
Jeff Fair’s evocative “magic horn” call established the wonderland atmosphere of early German Romanticism, and Benjamin Lulich followed suit with his beautifully shaped clarinet solo. A few balance issues with the strings aside, Sung brought out the blend of wonder and zestful joy of Weber’s fine score from his last opera, which was written in English for the London stage and premiered in 1826 (the year of Mendelssohn’s Overture toA Midsummer Night’s Dream).
The evening’s other guest was the intrepid cellist Alisa Weilerstein (who made her belated Seattle Chamber Music Society debut last summer with memorable results). Performing as the soloist in Witold Lutosławski’s Cello Concerto is about much more than a fearless display of virtuosity. Clad in vivid red, Weilerstein inhabited the role of Lutosławski’s determined, feisty, and ultimately transcendent solo protagonist with passion and persuasiveness, underscoring the piece’s riveting theatricality.
Incredibly, this marked the SSO’s first-ever performance of the landmark concerto written by the Polish composer in 1970 for Mstislav Rostropovich. Weilerstein made a powerful case for the work, whose four movements unfold without a pause and call for strenuous, nearly continuous participation from the soloist. It is up to the cellist, for example, to hold our attention in an opening soliloquy lasting several minutes. Lutosławski indicated that this passage should be played “indifferently,” even frivolously, but Weilerstein intensified the suspense, her repeated D’s implying a ticking time bomb that is eventually set off by the brutal interruption of the brass.
At the same time, the cellist tapped into a deeply Romantic reserve of soul-stirring expression for the cantilena’s lyrical refuge. Always, though, Weilerstein projected a bravely independent and defiant persona, whether with insouciant pizzicatos or in her vertiginous flights in the uppermost register. The conductor is at times relegated to overseeing traffic control and cueing the aleatoric orchestral responses. Shiyeon Sung led the orchestra sympathetically, giving ample rein to the soloist. After the orchestra’s monstrous, full-force chord near the end, Weilerstein emerged in the epilogue with renewed energy and insistence, a voice crying out against the collective insanity.
As an encore, Weilerstein turned to her recent preoccupation with Bach’s Cello Suites (cf. her Fragments project), offering a moving interpretation of the Sarabande from Suite No. 4 that was especially notable for its unusual degree of probing fragility.
The program’s second half was devoted to Dvořák — the under-programmed Sixth Symphony of 1880, to be precise. Shiyeon Sung showed herself a wonderful colorist in possession of an admirable technique, eliciting Dvořák’s ingratiating blends of woodwinds with sensitivity and refinement, especially in the Adagio. The elegantly controlled diminuendo she shaped near the end of the first movement illuminated a major turning point in the symphonic journey before the concluding flare-up to full, joyful sonority. Rollicking energy dominated, as it should, in Dvořák’s scherzo, its furiant syncopations defiantly exuberant despite the minor key. Rambling detours make the finale the weakest part of the Sixth and pose a challenge to the conductor, but Sung guided the SSO through its leisurely musings with a sense of purpose.
Randall Goosby, Christian Reif and the Seattle Symphony; photo (c)Brandon Patoc
While the search for a permanent music director continues, versatility has been in high demand at Seattle Symphony in recent seasons. Week after week, the musicians have had to adjust to the remarkably varied styles of a revolving door of guest conductors. But the latest visitor to the podium, the German conductor Christian Reif, brought the added challenge of a program calling for drastic shifts in style from one work to the next ….
Kevin John Edusei makes his Seattle Symphony debut conducting Widmann, Strauss, and Beethoven (with Steven Osborne in the Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major); image (c) James Holt
An impressive Seattle Symphony conducting debut last night with Kevin John Edusei on the podium. Absolutely captivating account of Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, exquisitely tailored to give full weight to the more introspective moments — and reminding us that there’s even a touch of self-doubt in this score. The gorgeously shaped solos from concertmaster Noah Geller were especially thoughtful, while Jeff Fair and the horn section made a spectacular contribution. Overall I found this showcase of sonic theater more moving than usual in its effect.
Scottish pianist Steven Osborne emphasized poetry over heroics in Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto — sheer loveliness in the slow movement, where Edusei’s placement of the strings (basses and cellos to his left) enhanced the finely veiled sound. Osborne played the transition into the finale as if snapping out of a dream. The unannounced encore was apparently music of Keith Jarrett — an unexpected but beautiful choice.
A clever bit of Beethoven-related programming for the opener: German composer Jörg Widmann’s Conbrio, a deliciously paradoxical parody-of-pastiche that is serious and original, never actually quoting Beethoven yet evoking his personality at every turn through abstract gestures — as if trying to recuperate what it all once meant…. Two more chances to hear this excellent concert (Sat evening and Sunday matinee).
Conductor Kahchun Wong and Chorus master Joseph Crnko with Seattle Symphony and Chorale and soloists Katie Van Kooten, Sara Couden, Thomas Cooley, and Hadleigh Adams (left to right); image (c) Jorge Gustavo Elias
Seattle Symphony performed its very first concert on this day in 1903: 24 musicians conducted by Harry F. West (details in Greg Lange’s History Link article here).
Meanwhile, the 21st-century incarnation of SSO is ringing in the New Year with guest conductor Kahchun Wong at the helm in performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Yes, it has become cliché to do the Ninth at year’s end, but last night’s opening performance for a very full house genuinely stood out as a memorable event — particularly in comparison with the disappointments of last year’s go.
The Singapore-born Wong conducted the entire score from memory, drawing on a fascinating and idiosyncratic repertoire of gestures to communicate with the musicians: sweeping, circular motions, painterly hand waving, finger wiggles, a variety of crouching positions and leaps. It was clear how deeply he has internalized this music, allowing him to keep it flowing on multiple tracks at once. Phrases had compelling, dramatic shape, while he kept the larger arc of each movement, and of the entire Ninth, continually in view. The thunderous dive into the first movement’s recapitulation, for example, was breathtaking — a rare instance where the shift to major sounds not triumphant but catastrophic.
Especially noteworthy: Wong’s astonishing sensitive to dynamics and ability to shape and blend the sound to such fine gradations. Crescendos in the first two movements in particular were extraordinarily effective and dramatic. For the Scherzo, he opted for a somewhat more-measured tempo in lieu of the infernal machine that is frequently whipped into operation, and he likewise steered clear of the speeded-up pacing that has become fashionable for the slow movement, making a proper differentiation between the Adagio and Andante double variations. Nothing extreme, just a thorough immersion in the musical thought and feeling itself. Again, Wong’s loving attention to details of texture — the gentle throb of the violas not as accompaniment but part of the Adagio’s first theme — added immeasurably to this interpretation.
Also in contrast to last year, the Seattle Symphony Chorale sounded much better prepared and present, producing waves of glorious sound, as well as genuine mystery in the section where Beethoven re-enacts Gregorian chant — though the unnecessary use of amplification was an unfortunate choice. The soloists — soprano Katie Van Kooten soprano, alto Sara Couden, tenor Thomas Cooley, baritone Hadleigh Adams — didn’t blend particularly well, though some individual contributions made a powerful impact (especially Cooley’s exhortation in the high-flying march variation).
In Wong’s reading, only the “terror fanfare” that initiates the finale disappointed as too restrained. But his understanding of this massive structure as a miniature drama came through resoundingly, making for the finest overall Ninth I’ve heard in several years. Nothing else shares this program, so the focus is entirely on Beethoven. Even if you think you’ve heard the Ninth enough times for now, this one is worth seeking out. Wong returns to conduct Mahler’s Third in April. And judging from this success, we may be seeing a good deal more of him ….
David Robertson led the Seattle Symphony; photo by Brandon Patoc
SEATTLE — So far this season, the Seattle Symphony has played under no fewer than seven conductors as part of its central masterworks subscription series. The musicians have shown remarkable flexibility in adapting to a dramatically varied range of podium styles and personalities for each program as the search for a permanent music director continues.
I had the pleasure of covering the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s latest concert in Edinburgh, which featured two guest artists in remarkable sync:
Although the most recent work on this weekend’s Royal Scottish National Orchestra programme dates from 1952, audiences are still just beginning to make its acquaintance. The ongoing reappraisal of the twentieth-century African American composer Florence Price would not be possible without the contributions of performers who have championed her music….
Congratulations to Stephanie Childress, Musical America’s New Artist of the Month for October 2023. My profile of this remarkable conductor has now been posted on Musical America’s website here.
The good fairies generously allotted the skills required to succeed as a conductor to Stephanie Childress. Or so it occurred to me while recently seeing this 24-year-old phenomenon in action leading a spirited, remarkably poised account of excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, beginning with “La Fée des lilas.” …
Congratulations to Hankyeol Yoon: the 29-year-old South Korean conductor was just announced as the winner of the 2023 Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award.
Conductor Hankyeol Yoon was the youngest ever recipient of the Neeme Järvi Prize at the 2019 Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy and subsequently received invitations from Kammerorchester Basel and the Basel and Bern symphony orchestras. Highlights of the 2022/23 season include debuts with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Bern Symphony Orchestra and Busan Philharmonic Orchestra and a return to KBS Symphony Orchestra for concerts in Tokyo. He is currently one of the three finalist of Karajan Young Conductors’ Award and will conduct a concert at the Salzburg Festival in August 2023.
Recent highlights include concerts with Münchner Symphoniker, Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock, Neubrandenburger Philharmonie, Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Kammerorchester Basel, Korean National Symphony Orchestra and Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2019 Hankyeol was awarded 3rd prize at CAMPUS Dirigieren in Nuremberg and in 2021 he won the 2nd and audience prizes at the inaugural KSO International Conducting Competition in Seoul. Hankyeol was also a finalist at the 2020 Georg Solti Competition and 2021 Deutscher Dirigentenpreis respectively.
In 2021 Hankyeol stepped down as 2nd Kapellmeister of Theater und Orchester Neubrandenburg Neustrelitz. During his two-year tenure Hankyeol conducted several symphonic concerts as well as performances of Pariser Leben and il Barbiere di Siviglia. He also led a production of V. Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis.
Hankyeol has previously worked as Assistant Conductor with Staatstheater Nürnberg, Grand Théâtre de Genève and Heidenheim Opera Festival, as well as with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Daniel Harding and at Lucerne Festival as a Conducting Fellow under Thomas Adès.
Also a prize-winning composer, Hankyeol has been recognised at the Luciano Berio International Composition Competition Rome in 2020, TonaLi Composition Competition Hamburg in 2018, Vareler Composition Competition in 2016 and Concours de Geneve in 2015. In 2019 Hankyeol was one of two composers mentored by the Peter Eötvös Foundation in Budapest where his compositions were conducted by Peter Eötvös and he received mentorship from Sir George Benjamin. Under Unsuk Chin, Hankyeol made his debut as conductor and composer in South Korea at the Tongyeong International Music Festival. In December 2021 his latest work, Grande Hipab, was premiered by Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt.
Born in Daegu, South Korea but calling Munich his home since 2011, Hankyeol studied conducting, composing, and piano performance at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München.
Sameer Patel has been appointed Music Director and Orchestra Conductor of the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus. His tenure will begin with the new 2023-24 season and follows a year-long search after the departure of Steven Schick, who stepped down from the role in May 2022. La Jolla’s Search Committee invited a small group of internationally renowned conductors to audition for the position. Patel will work alongside Arian Khaefi, the Sally and Einar Gall Music Director and Chorus Conductor.
Already a familiar presence to audiences in the San Diego region, Patel is currently Artistic Director of the San Diego Youth Symphony and was previously Associate Conductor of the San Diego Symphony, where he reinvigorated the orchestra’s programming and connection with its community.
Hailed as a rising star in the conducting world, Patel brings an impressive resume of international performances and collaborations to La Jolla. Patel studied at the University of Michigan and furthered his training across Europe with some of the leading conductors of our time. He now makes his home in San Diego with his wife, Shannon, and their two children, Devan and Veda.
“I am thrilled to join the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus as Music Director and Orchestra Conductor. From my earliest experiences working with the musicians, I’ve consistently been impressed not only with their artistic integrity and curiosity, but also by the way they so joyfully and willingly share their humanity both onstage and off,” Patel said. “I am grateful and proud to expand my musical involvement in this community that I love and believe in, and I look forward to a bright future together.”
From my recent profile of Sameer Patel for Musical America, who was featured in April as their New Artist of the Month:
As he describes the career choices that have led to his current position, Sameer Patel refers to a verse from the Bhagavad Gita: “It’s better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another’ — in other words, to follow your own virtue or path or journey.”
MEMETERIA by Thomas May 