For the last 800 years, Seattle Symphony has had the same music director—Gerard Schwarz, who ran afoul of his players on occasion and ran afoul of my desire to go to the concerts (I found his orchestra clean and dull)—but no more! Tonight begins a new era: Music director Ludovic Morlot (French, 37 years old) takes the stage in a concert with both greatest hits (Ravel’s Bolero and Gershwin’s An American in Paris) and an utterly uncommon cello concerto to be played by the young, talented, superstarry Joshua Roman. Friedrich Gulda, who died in 2000, wrote the concerto; he was nicknamed “the terrorist pianist” for his refusal to be normal. May the new normal at SSO be less normal. (Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 215-4747, 7 pm, $32–$120)
Jen Graves (The Stranger’s former arts critic) mostly writes about things you approach with your eyeballs. But she’s also a history nerd interested in anything that needs more talking about, from male... More by Jen Graves
Where might one find a video of the opening concert with Roman, etc.? I attended but want to hear and see it again and again!!!
Of you find such a video, please let me know. I would love to see it all again. BTW, the second week’s concert was if anything more exciting!
Rod Parke, rmp62@columbia.edu.