Those of you who know us know how important music is to me and even more, to Ann. So this personal report of three distinctive treats in the past three days is just that, a personal remembrance of delights.
Thursday, the Seattle Symphony featured Augustin Hadelich playing Dvorak's Violin Concerto. Augustin gave a superb performance, apparantly note-perfect judging by the enthusiastic applause of the orchestra. (Seattle audiences are unreliably enthusiastic....) And he followed with an encore Paganini Caprice 24 -- stunning! What made it so very special for Ann and me is that we have met and dined with Augustin on occasion; he's become a regular at the Seattle Chamber Music Summer Festivals. To know his story makes his artistry all the more awesome. At 15, this promising prodigy, on his family's Austrian farm, was engulfed in flames when the machinery he was maintaining exploded and the barn caught fire. Life-threatening burns covered his torso, face, and bow arm. He was fighting for life; his violin career apparantly over. But two years later, still in recovery treatments, he raised that bow again and the violin became his life. His playing reflects his sweet, gentle and deep appreciation for the beauty of life and music.
Saturday morning: La Traviata, live from the Met at the Pacific Place theatre. I've seen it three times before; Ann several more. But this! Willy Decker's unique interpretation is the ultimate opera -- moving, simple, music made drama, drama made music. Natalie Dessay is no coquettish Violetta, but a despairing courtesan trapped in the expectations of the beautiful party people, unable to cross over into respectability and happiness, unable to fend off time. Each set of society petty, cruel, and self-centered, ready to sacrifice Violetta to their vanities. Dessay, ill leading up to the performance, admitted in an intermission interview that she had missed a note. But acting, feeling, living the role more than compensated for those few (Ann among them) who noticed.
Saturday evening: SRJO's gala at FareStart. If classical music is all about the notes, jazz is all about the transitions, the conversation. A quintet of SRJO musicians created music together and with singer Greta Matassa. Here was the epitome of jazz -- musicians listening to each other, extemporaneously talking to one another, blending thoughts and ideas but each retaining individual identity. To see Thomas Marriott listening, head leaning forward, eyes closed, then raising his horn to add in, soto voce, under Mike or Randy; then signalling he'd like to speak, and taking the lead. Greta scatting and Mike riffing, talking back and forth, taking each other to new places neither had heard before, and all coming back together in sync. Magic. Music composed as it was being played, ethereal, never to be heard that way again. Magic.
A hat-trick of musical delights. Wish you could have been there....
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I did not like La Traviata when I saw it two years ago in Italy, though it could be that I did not understand anything. I preferred La Boheme.
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