Morlot brings underrated Stravinsky to dazzling life

By Thomas May, 27 April 2018

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“Perséphone was transformed into a stirringly beautiful and effective work of music theater”

Reviewed at Benaroya Hall, S Mark Taper Auditorium, Seattle on 26 April 2018

Stravinsky, Song of the Volga Boatmen

Stravinsky, Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments

Stravinsky, Les Noces

Stravinsky, Perséphone

Marc-André Hamelin, Piano

Cristina Valdés, Piano

Jessica Choe, Piano

Li-Tan Hsu, Piano

Kenneth Tarver, Tenor

Pauline Cheviller, Narrator

Anna Marra, Dancer

Henry Cotton, Dancer

Dmitry Pokrovsky Ensemble

Northwest Boychoir

Seattle Symphony Chorale

Michael Curry, Director, Set Designer

Seattle Symphony

Ludovic Morlot, Conductor

Nicholas McGegan brings delicacy and elegance to Mendelssohn

Erica Miner, 18th April

The Seattle Symphony offers an enchanting evening immersed in the joy and brilliance of both the young and the mature genius of Felix Mendelssohn.

****1

A rite of spring turned inward: Strauss’ Daphne at Seattle Opera

Thomas May, 16th January

Presented without staging, Seattle Opera’s concert Daphne places Strauss’ extreme vocal demands and saturated orchestral writing in sharp relief, offering a high-risk encounter with a rarely heard late opera.

****1

Ioffe conducts the Seattle Symphony in varied faces of Romanticism

Thomas May, 8th January

Barber and Bernstein shine in this program exploring sharply contrasting faces of 20th-century Romanticism under guest conductor Alevtina Ioffe.

****1

Ivars Taurins leads the Seattle Symphony in Baroque feast

Thomas May, 16th October

A lean Seattle Symphony under guest conductor Ivars Taurins brings stylish energy to Baroque orchestral theater by Telemann, Hasse and Handel.

****1

Morlot returns to lead Seattle Symphony’s season-closing showcase

Thomas May, 19th June

Two rhapsodies anchor a program that ranges from brass-driven bravura to Ravel’s iridescent orchestral color. Seattle Symphony closes its season with breadth, nuance and elegant command from emeritus Ludovic Morlot.

****1

Peter Oundjian bridges the centuries in Seattle

Erica Miner, 15th March

The Seattle Symphony co-commissions a new work, Jan Lisiecki plays Mozart with religious fervor, and Stravinsky's Sacre still creates an uproar.

***11

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Thomas May

Thomas May is a writer and translator based in Seattle. His books include Decoding Wagner and The John Adams Reader, and he blogs about the arts at memeteria.com. He has written for The Washington Post, Gramophone, Listen, Symphony magazine, OPERA America, crosscut.com, and many other publications.

Morlot and Seattle Symphony bring underrated Stravinsky to dazzling life