• Jun Märkl, conductor • Kirill Gerstein, piano • Liszt: Prometheus • Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1 • Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 ("English")Märkl is very energetic. Big body movements, prefers contrast in amplitude. He talked at the beginning of each half. Humorous. Nice for layman like me. Still, I prefer music only, leaving the explanation to the concert notes where audience can read at his/her own's pace. Or like what Seattle Symphony does, a free 30 minutes lecture one hour before curtain, or market the concert with a "speaking" label.
A pleasant surprise for an encore performance. Gerstein accompanied Storm Large to sing Summer Time. Deep voice, slow and magnetic arrangement.
Arlene Schnitzer Hall is such an ornate and beautiful theater, its plain stage seems out of place. It's also on the small side: the stage barely fits the orchestra, the lobby is jam packed during intermission. Photos are not allowed inside the hall, only in the lobby.
