MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Music & the Arts

Martinů: Harpsichord Concerto

Thank you, Mahan Esfahani, for a lovely concert with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Bohuslav Martinů’s Harpsichord Concerto was the scintillating highlight. The clip above features Esfahani’s beloved mentor, Zuzana Růžičková, who championed this work.

The Martinů was especially welcome since I had been looking forward to his Concerto for Two Pianos last week with the NY Phil, only to have it replaced by a decidedly less satisfying Max Bruch rarity.

Another treat was Brett Dean’s chamber version of Till Eulenspiegel, a witty and fluent arrangement of Strauss’s orchestral tone poem for nonet.

Filed under: harpsichord, Mahan Esfahani, Martinů

Kancheli’s Latest in Seattle, with Counterpoint from Martinů and Brahms

Seattle Symphony

Seattle Symphony

Bearing an exotically enigmatic title — Nu.Mu.Zu — the new work by the 80-year-old Georgian composer Giya Kancheli left a distinctly memorable impression in its North American premiere by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra under Ludovic Morlot. The world premiere took place only a few weeks ago in Brussels (Kancheli’s current residence is in Antwerp), with Andrey Boreyko and the National Orchestra of Belgium; both that ensemble and the SSO co-commissioned the piece.
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Filed under: Brahms, Kancheli, Ludovic Morlot, Martinů, new music, review, Seattle Symphony

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