“Ludovic Morlot plans to conclude his current Seattle Symphony season with a lot more than a bang,” writes Thomas May in Sunday’s (6/18) Seattle Times. In addition to Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, “The SSO will undertake its first-ever performance of György Ligeti’s wildly original and unsettling 1965 Requiem for orchestra, chorus, and two female soloists. A setting of just three parts from the Latin Mass for the Dead, Ligeti’s Requiem is a masterpiece of the 20th century…. That impulse to push further rather than take the easy path has yielded some very encouraging results…. The SSO’s total number of tickets issued for the 2016-17 season so far (237,102) represents an increase of 5.7 percent over last year…. The ‘Untuxed’ series of concerts in a shorter, more casual format, has jumped up 47 percent in attendance over last year. Morlot’s pairing of a familiar classic with a challenging novelty reflects an approach that he has made a staple in his six years as SSO music director…. [Says Morlot], ‘What we do at the symphony is not only entertainment. There is a part of it that should be like life, and that includes dealing with issues that are uncomfortable.’ ”
Posted June 20, 2017
Pictured: Music Director Ludovic Morlot with the Seattle Symphony. Photo by Brandon Patoc
