Scheppelmann frequently fields complaints of politically motivated programming. “Art has always been critical of the status quo,” she says, “and opera has always been political."
Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers chose to honor George Shangrow by carrying on, relying on guest conductors until selecting Clinton Smith in 2013. William White took over at the end of the 2018 season.
Sibelius's violin concerto painted a restive canvas over which soloist Ning showered musical fireworks – a regular crucible of every technical difficulty ever devised.
The surprise came when Grimaud kept her hands poised over the keyboard at the finish of the Brahms D minor capriccio and launched into the Bach-Busoni Chaconne without a break. I'm still of two minds about this idea.
Davis grew up in the world of classical music and cites Alban Berg as a major influence. “X” takes obvious inspiration, both in its scenic construction and its harmonic language, from that Berg masterpiece.