My theory is that the Argentine composer grew popular with classical musicians and audiences fearful of the thornier and more challenging contemporary music of Cage, Crumb, Reich, et al. Piazzolla's pliable music also provides fodder for arrangements playable by most any group in any configuration.
Why, then, am I touting this gig? Because my hatred is irrational and petty. Columns like this should not only offer an interesting personal take on musical goings-on but freely admit personal biases and faults as well. I'm the only person I know who doesn't like Piazzolla's music, though I am partial to bits and pieces, such as the sawing Stravinskyan strings and the percolating flute line of the "Fuga y Misterio" in Maria de Buenos Aires.
The Seattle Chamber Players perform the opera with an army of guests, including a pair of tango dancers, singers from Argentina and Venezuela, Seattle guitarist Michael Partington, and Slovenian accordionist Borut Zagaronski. I can guarantee the SCP will tackle the opera with relish and verve.
I also recommend the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Sat April 2, Pantages Theater in Tacoma, 7:30 pm, $25-$35). They preserve the fun and complexity of turn-of-the century New Orleans Jazz: bumptious one-two rhythms not only fuel buoyant tunes but propel exuberant counterpoint that satisfies the mind and the behind.
As for recent concerts, I'm still smiling from recent performances by the Degenerate Art Orchestra and Orchestra Seattle. Every few years someone organizes a concert of new orchestral music (anyone remember "Seattle New Music" in 2000?), but the DAO stuffed the Moore Theatre with an eager, overflowing crowd. Overall, most of the pieces were good, though I preferred the knottier works: Tom Swafford's Odes to Complacency and the arresting dancing and vocals by Haruko Nishimura in Joshua Kohl's Checkersplitter. Throughout the concert, the strings sounded thin; more string players were needed. Quibbles aside, how many ensembles premiere 10 new pieces in a single concert? Let's hope the DAO can do it next year, or in 2007, with a similarly broad roster of local composers.
Finally, Orchestra Seattle almost converted me to Christianity with their performance of J. S. Bach's St. John Passion. Tenor Melvin Ng, who sang the Evangelist delighted my ears with his elegant phrasing, clear diction, and spot-on pitch. Bravo!
