All Mozart, all the time

It has been a while since I attended an all Mozart concert.  The last time, probably, was back in 1997.  It was a different time then.  I was new to classical music and enchanted by everything I heard.  Even at that last all Mozart concert, the Posthorn Serenade melted into whatever else was on the program.  All of it was enjoyable, but none of it was terribly memorable.  So, when I settled into my seat for last weekend’s Orchestra Seattle concert I was skeptical it could work.  For all of Mozart’s genius, too much Mozart is not always a good thing by my ears.  Sameness can hold back a concert, especially in the case of Mozart.

Orchestra Seattle overcame this hurdle easily.  What Shangrow did in his program which impressed me most of all was how he utilized the pieces on the program.  The traditional overture, concerto, symphony structure was scraped for the Adagio and Fugue, the Piano Concerto No.22, the Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, and the Solemn Vespers.  This unorthodox lineup of pieces was ever changing and never boring.  Two concertos, a small, charmer of a piece, and the vespers kept my ears occupied.

fast five film picture

Judith Cohen, one of Seattle’s most versatile pianists, joined the orchestra for the piano concerto and Duo Patterson, a husband and wife team, came out after intermission to help with the sinfonia concertante.  Of the two pieces, the piano concerto came off the best.  Cohen won me over with her unceasing focus and measured playing.  There wasn’t a lot of razzle-dazzle in her approach.  Her focus was unwavering as her fingers which helped immensely in the complicated rondo finale.

The Sinfonia Concertante, didn’t fare as well.  Duo Patterson seemed too eager and Orchestra Seattle seemed unsure of how they wanted to play.  The team scratched and clawed their way through the piece with gusto, but at the expense of the piece’s moodiness; chattiness is eschewed.   Orchestra Seattle seemed to fall victim to Duo Patterson’s Shenanigans.  Normally, Shangrow’s band is the model of steadiness.  But for this piece, they lost their identity, and poise.  Would they match the soloists or would they do their own thing?  Turns out, a little of both.  At times, the orchestra sacrificed its poise to match Duo Patterson’s intensity without much success.  When Orchestra Seattle retreated into comfortable territory, they were overwhelmed by the Pattersons.

To close the concert, Shangrow chose Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore.  The combined forces of the Seattle Chamber Singers and Orchestra Seattle generated a heart-felt rendition.  The forces: soloists, orchestra, and chorus were balanced.  Playing was solid.  After a schizophrenic sinfonia concertante, this piece reminded me why OSSCS is one of my favorite Seattle orchestras.

I am always surprised at how popular all Mozart concerts are.  Sunday’s OSSCS performance was no exception.  An usher came in right before the performance and announced that they had run out of program notes because there were more people than expected.  The allure, of course, is Mozart’s genius.  Mozart’s music is just plain enjoyable.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  Sometimes though, an all Mozart concert can be like just eating cake for dinner.  Shangrow sidestepped this saccharine effect with a program drawing on the composer’s entire body of work and not hewing to tried and true concert structure.

 Zach Carstensen