2006: Tumult, Tears, Tune and Tuba

By Melinda Bargreen
Seattle Times music critic

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Excerpted…

Now that the end of 2006 is approaching with astonishing speed, it's time to reflect on the achievements - delightful or dubious - that made the year more interesting for local fans of classical music.

Most inspirational show: The Music of Remembrance production of the Hans Krása children's opera, "Brundibár," last May, with Schwarz conducting some outstanding singers and instrumentalists in a show that originally was presented in the Terezin concentration camp during World War II. Holocaust survivor Ela Stein Weissberger, who sang the role of the Cat in 55 performances at the camp, rose from her seat in the audience to join in the show's triumphant finale, as many in the house wiped their eyes. The performance was recorded and is newly out on the Naxos label.

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