Harmony from Discord

The Whatcom Symphony's second "Harmony from Discord: Music That Transcends Oppression" concert was exactly what I needed today amidst the worldwide reactions to the latest executive order issued by DJT -- The Man Who Would Be King, if he had his choice.

By now everyone reading this has no doubt read/seen/heard far more than they want of His Thoughts on Immigration, so other than applauding all those who demonstrated, provided legal counsel, and in myriad other ways supported those who were affected by his order, I'll move on to a more pleasant topic -- classical music.

We're blessed to have a splendid local orchestra, a superb young conductor, and a stunning theatre -- today's blip is the gorgeous Mount Baker Theatre's Moorish-style chandelier -- in which the Whatcom Symphony performs. Bellingham's location, between Seattle and Vancouver -- both of which have world-class symphony orchestras -- means that outstanding guest artists are easier to attract. Violinist Jennifer Koh was today's guest artist, performing Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin in E minor with grace, verve, and astonishing virtuosity. 

Two of the three other works on the program were written by composers who died in the Holocaust, a theme for the Harmony from Discord concert series: a movement of Viktor Ullman's Sonata No. 7 for piano, arranged for orchestra, and Erwin Schulhoff's Symphony No. 2, which had an eclectic and intriguing range of styles.

We also heard a world premiere, By the Rivers of Babylon, commissioned by the orchestra and composed by Eliezer Elper. It was a complex work, described in the program as being in "the form of variations with prologue and epilogue, and episodes between the variations." I hope we'll hear it again.

There are two more concerts this season: an "All-American Celebration" on March 26, with pianist Christopher Guzman, featuring music by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein, and on May 21, celebrated cellist Joshua Roman, performing Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor and Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor. 

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