Quarter notes: upcoming

May is the start of the home stretch for the classical music season.  There are a number of notable concerts this week to investigate.

The Seattle Philharmonic ends their season tomorrow by performing Ralph Vaughan Williams Sixth Symphony and Sibelius’s Violin Concerto.  As far as I know, this is the only performance of a RVW symphony in Seattle this season.  Andre Previn was supposed to lead the Seattle Symphony in the Fifth, but because he canceled his residency with the SSO, the piece was shelved (May 3, 2009).

The Federal Way Symphony also ends their season tomorrow.  It’s a little unclear what the orchestra is playing for the whole concert.  There will be operatic selections for soprano and baritone and, apparently, “The Academic Festival Overture” by Brahms – just in time for graduation (May 3, 2009)!

On Monday, James Garlick (who generously wrote updates for this blog when “Theater of Needless Talents” went on tour) is performing Brahms’s Double Concerto with San Francisco Symphony assistant principal cellist Amos Yang.  Garlick is a talented violinist and the Cascade Symphony is lead by Michael Miropolsky (May 4, 2009).  The orchestra has entered the YouTube age as well.  check out their video of Mikhail Glinka’s “Valse Fantaisie.”

Thursday the Seattle Symphony plays Strauss’s “The Would Be Gentleman.”  Stefan Farkas, the orchestra’s exceptional English horn player, solo’s with the orchestra in Donizetti’s charming Concertino for English Horn. Tianwa Yang also solos with the orchestra too (May 7 and 9, 2009).

gun full hd

Next Friday, Seattle Pro Musica puts on Mendelssohn’s oratorio “Elijah” at St. James Cathedral (May 8 and 9, 2009).

And, of course, Seattle Opera’s season-ending performance of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” runs until May 16, 2009.  The Seattle Opera website has an excellent video preview of the opera along with additional musical selections.