This week's classical pick takes us to the Westside (believe it or not) with the Seattle Symphony making their debut at Royce Hall. The Seattle Symphony is headed by Gerard Schwarz, who has turned this once struggling group into a top notch orchestra that is recognized internationally with the help of frequent recordings and its support of American composers.

Although they are often known for their performances of later 20th century repertoire, the symphony is performing late romantic works by popular German composers. Strauss' "Don Juan" (any orchestral musician's nightmare) and three excerpts from Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, are included on this Saturday's program, with soloist Nadja Salerno-Sonnennberg performing the immensely popular "Violin Concerto in G Minor" by Bruch. If you're a UCLA student you're in luck because you can get in for a measly 20 bucks.

speaking of violins...

This week is a good week to get acquainted with violin music. The Disney Hall is hosting some world class violinists this week, with Leila Josefowicz playing the Bartok Violin Concerto No. 2, Anne-Sophie Mutter playing Brahms sonatas, and Christian Tetzlaff playing the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Fans of 2001: A Space Odyssey, should note that Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathustra" (the sunrise music) is paired with the Beethoven.

If the Disney Hall is a little out of the way for you, the Debut Orchestra has the Korngold concerto this week and the New West Symphony has Elmar Oliveira performing the Brahms "Violin Concerto in D Major" (one of my favorite works btw).

Nadja Salerno-Sonnennberg and the Seattle Symphony
Saturday, April 12th, 2008, 8 PM
Royce Hall @ UCLA

Photo by nutmeg via Flickr