Tuesday, December 1, 2015

51. Northwest Sinfonietta: Mozart and Beethoven

Fifty one down. Four to go.


My trip to Puyallup to hear the Northwest Sinfonietta held a few surprises.  The Sinfonietta's excellent music was to be expected. The venue, however – a gorgeous laminated beam structure at Pioneer Park – looked nothing like a concert hall. At first it seemed that I was in the wrong location, but before it was over even conductor David Lockington expressed surprise at the wonderful acoustics. The informal table seating, with light lunches and wine available, was delightful. It all made for a very congenial atmosphere on an otherwise dreary Sunday afternoon.

The program featured Gabriela Martinez, an exciting young pianist from New York, playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20. The Orchestra also performed Copland's Music for Theater and Beethoven's Symphony No. 8. The conductor introduced each work, providing historical context about the composers and the music. The informal atmosphere was perfect for a chamber orchestra, typically around 35 musicians (about half the size of a symphony orchestra). The smaller ensemble provides the chance to experience classical music in a close and intimate fashion.

For its 25th Anniversary Season the Sinfonietta has adopted an artistic leadership model where a rotating group of  "Artistic Partners" conduct the orchestra. They are engaged for multiple seasons and collaborate with the musicians on programming and artistic quality. In addition to Puyallup, the Sinfonietta performs in Seattle at Benaroya Hall and at the Rialto Theater in Tacoma.
It turned out that the Pioneer Park Pavillion in Puyallup was an excellent venue
 for an informal chamber orchestra concert.


No comments:

Post a Comment