Seattle Opera’s ‘X’ Reflects on Malcolm X’s Legacy, past and present

Photo Credit Philip Newton

X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X was a groundbreaking work. Its 1986 premiere marked a significant moment for both the composer and the opera world. X finally graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in late 2023, further – if belatedly – recognizing the opera’s impact. And in early 2024 it was eagerly welcomed by Seattle audiences.

Beyond its artistic merit, X proved to be a powerful social force. Performances in Seattle drew a notably diverse audience, especially for a region of historically lower diversity. This alone suggests that contemporary opera has the potential to go beyond traditional boundaries and engage a wider range of people when tackling relevant and thought-provoking themes. The success of X serves as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that opera can evolve and stay relevant in an ever-changing cultural landscape.

Randall Goosby and Christian Reif shine in Seattle Symphony debut

Randall Goosby plays Mozart, Photo Credit: Brandon Patoc

Violinist Randall Goosby, who has been dazzling audiences since his debut with the Jacksonville Symphony at the age of nine, took center stage with the Seattle Symphony for a recent series of concerts.  Goosby’s smooth and warm tone, reminiscent of an earlier era of violin performance – which is not surprising from a former student of Itzhak Perlman’s – has been praised by critics and audiences alike.  His career took a major step forward in 2021 with the release of his first album of Dvorak, Florence Price and other rarities: Roots.  Goosby followed that up in 2023 with a release of Price’s two violin concertos performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra.  

For his Seattle debut, he performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major – sharing the spotlight with another rising star in classical music, guest conductor Christian Reif. After recently taking the helm of the Gävle Symphony, Reif has built up his bona fides in the U.S. this season with engagements in St. Louis, Milwaukee and now Seattle. 

Kahchun Wong’s musical alchemy: Beethoven and Mahler in perfect harmony

Photo Credit: Carlin Ma

Also published at Seen and Heard International

Anticipation crackles in the air, thick like summer lightning before the storm breaks.  A hush descends, settling over an expectant audience.  Every cough or rustling program feels like a desecration. At the podium, conductor Kahchun Wong stands at the edge of creation – shoulders squared, back straight, baton held aloft.  A moment’s pause, pregnant with possibility, his hand dips, slow and deliberate, tracing the first stroke of a masterpiece – Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

For sixty minutes Beethoven’s motifs ebb and flow, a struggle between light and shadow, order and chaos.  Wong, a captain at the helm, guides the orchestra through the tempestuous waves.  His every gesture framing the music’s path: joy, anguish, defiance, triumph.  

By the end, Wong succeeded in taking the audience gathered at Benaroya Hall on a journey they would not soon forget.  Wong conducted four performances from December 28th to 31st.  Most years, Seattle’s traditional end-of-December performances of Beethoven’s Ninth are an afterthought for devoted concertgoers.  They’re reliable revenue generators – and who doesn’t like a little uplift and possibility of Beethoven’s Magnum Opus (or one of them) to ring in the New Year?  

Seattle Symphony shines in Brahms and Elgar, courtesy of Wigglesworth and Hough

Mark Wigglesworth and the Seattle Symphony, Photo Credit Brandon Patoc

Also published at Seen and Heard International

After an arguably slow start to its 2023-24 season, the Seattle Symphony is gearing up for a packed schedule of concerts in November and December highlighting works by Brahms, Beethoven, Sibelius, Elgar, and Mahler.  For the first concert of this ramp-up, the orchestra deftly tackled two major works with guest conductor Mark Wigglesworth’s first turn at the podium: Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto — featuring soloist Stephen Hough — and Elgar’s Second Symphony..

Hough has frequently performed in Benaroya Hall over the years, often playing crowd-pleasing works by Rachmaninov.  This time, he traded in Rachmaninov for Brahms, taking on challenging work composed during a productive time in Brahms’ life, which also yielded his Second Symphony and Violin Concerto.  Brahms’ First Piano Concerto dazzles with youthful bravura.  But in contrast, the composer fills his Second Concerto with a varied and lyrical journey: The first two movements feature bracing moments, the somber third movement includes longing paragraphs of music and affecting cello and horn solos. And if that wasn’t enough, the piece concludes with a playful, catchy closing movement.