From the Jul 1 – Jul 7, 2004 issue

Music

CLASSICAL, JAZZ, & AVANT

SMCS Summer Festival

by Christopher DeLaurenti

It's my annual summer ritual. As I peruse the Seattle Chamber Music Society's (SCMS) Summer Festival program, I alternately grin and groan at the SCMS' sometimes inspired, sometimes tepid, and occasionally surprising choices. Focused on 18th-, 19th-, and early-20th-century chamber music, the SCMS cannily serves up obscure pieces and overlooked chestnuts along with the usual feast of favorites by the usual suspects: Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms.

I've enjoyed the Seattle Chamber Music Festival in recent years, either as an audience member inside or taking the freebie option of sitting out on the lawn. Be warned: Parking can be a pain. Arrive early or park several blocks away and don your walking shoes. Oh, and if you're loath to trek to North Seattle, you can stay home and listen to the live broadcasts on KING 98.1 FM.

Opening night (Mon July 5) looks promising with a free 7:00 p.m. solo piano recital of Robert Schumann's Faschingsswank aus Wien and some wry, rowdy morsels ("Circus Band" and "March in G and D") by the proto avant-garde maverick Charles Ives. The SCMS Summer Festival runs through July 30; in the coming weeks, I'll tout the more interesting performances in Concerts below, or you can check www.seattle-chambermusic.org for the full schedule.

Naturally, I can't help but suggest a piece or two for future SCMS festivals: George Crumb's sizzling Black Angels for electric string quartet (don't skimp on the eerie electronics!) and the funky, Appalachian fiddle minimalism of Terry Riley's Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector. Both entice, entrance (and usually stun) listeners, even those unfamiliar with contemporary classical music. CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI

The SCMS Summer Festival runs through Fri July 30 (Lakeside School, 14050 First Ave NE, 283-8808), 7 pm, $7-$35 or $399 for the 12-concert package.

chris@delaurenti.net

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