Times are tough--no surprise there. And so it's maybe no surprise to people who know classical music to hear that the Northwest Sinfonietta is changing its program for this weekend (Friday in Seattle, Saturday in Tacoma) from cutting-edge contemporary to crowd-pleasing Mozart.
Don't get me wrong: I love Mozart and always have. And I'm the first one to say, if playing Mozart keeps an orchestra in business, then I'm all for it. I'll miss the clarinet concerto premiere that was to be, and Prokofiev's Symphony no. 1 (another fave of mine) but if you have to pick all-Mozart, this is definitely a great concert, with excellent soloists.
Here's what they're doing this weekend:

Rebecca Young, violin. Photo courtesy Northwest Sinfonietta.

"La Finta Giardiniera" Overture, K. 196
The Violin Concerto No. 5 in A, K. 219 with soloist Rebecca Young, the 18-year-old Key Bank Youth Concert winner
"Exsultate Jubilate" K. 165 with soprano Jessica Robins Milanese, who shone in Tacoma Opera's recent "The Barber of Seville", and
Symphony No. 29 in A, K. 201

Soprano Jessica Robins Milanese. Photo courtesy Northwest Sinfonietta.

Says music director Christophe Chagnard: “This all-Mozart celebration focuses on a defining period in Mozart’s life (1773-75) when the child prodigy became the towering man who marked his century as its greatest musical genius."
And in case you needed any more encouragement, the Sinfonietta is selling tickets to both performances at $20 each with student prices at $10 (with a student ID).

Concerts are 7:30 p.m. on April 3 at Nordstrom Hall, Seattle, and 7:30 p.m. April 4 at the Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9th St., Tacoma.
Tickets: 253-591-5894, 800-291-7593, www.orchestraexperience.com

Go Pierce College: the Farwest Vocal Jazz Ensemble there has just been named Best Collegiate Vocal Jazz Group in the country by Down Beat Magazine, a national monthly jazz publication.

From the press release:
"The contest was open to all collegiate level vocal jazz groups and selection was based on recorded songs submitted to the magazine last fall. Pierce College’s Farwest Jazz Ensemble submitted four songs featured on its most recent CD, "Groovin’ Hard," which was recorded on the Pierce College Fort Steilacoom campus last spring."

“It is a nice bit of recognition for the Farwest Vocal Jazz Ensemble,” said director Kelly Kunz. “Our program has a longstanding tradition of excellence and this is a great honor for us.”

Find more information plus free audio and video of the group here.

Lit in Satanic red, the Northwest Sinfonietta played the stories of two deals with the Devil Saturday night in "Devil May Care": Michael Daugherty's "Dead Elvis" and Igor Stravinsky's "The Soldier's Tale." Written 70 years apart, they're very different--but each showed off the ensemble and solo playing of the seven Sinfonietta members.

"Dead Elvis" is the piece every bassoonist dreams of playing. Where else can you get up in front of an ensemble, shimmy your way through all the virtuosity your instrument can drum up, and dress up as a rock star at the same time? And Francine Peterson, principal bassoon of the Sinfonietta, didn't disappoint. Punctuated by fun Elvis gestures and garbed in that famous shiny gold-and-white pantsuit, the wigged and shaded Peterson took her bassoon through its paces. And she showed off considerable chops: gunshot doubletongueing for the opening four notes of the Dies Irae (Daugherty takes this medieval funeral chant as Elvis' ironic theme-tune), a wailing high E, some funky bopping during the '50s rock section. While Peterson made a more reserved than egotistic King, she totally nailed his solo.

Fine rhythmic work from bassist Todd Larsen and super-tight playing from the group added to the dynamic. A bit more high-note oomph from both Larsen on bass and Craig Rine on clarinet and the piece would have truly rocked.

After intermission came "The Soldier's Tale"--a morality piece about a soldier who does a deal with the Devil and regrets it. It's a tricky piece to do well. Stravinsky's colorful, narrative music can get irritatingly repetitive, and the text can be downright clunky. Narrator Jose Gonzales and his screenwriter wife Lisa Halpern did a good job of smoothing out the second problem. The text, thanks to their changes, was mostly elegant and flowing, though it could have done with many more contemporary allusions than the single joke allowed (the Devil's magic book ensured not just stock predictions but never having to be bailed out by Congress). Gonzales adroitly handled a sensitive amplification system, and created a silky-tongued Devil and an honest, perennially stupid Soldier. Yet a certain self-consciousness permeated, and took away from the magic.

Musically, however, the performance couldn't be faulted. Superbly together, the musicians blended and soloed intricately, a shining trumpet (Charles Butler) melting into wistful clarinet (Rine) and bassoon (Peterson) and down-to-earth bass (Larsen.) As the soldier's violin, James Garlick carried the evening, with personable lilting solos.

The addition of dancer Amy Weaver during the section where the soldier cures the ailing princess was a sweetly surreal addition to the imaginary story.

Saturday evening was, in sum, a stylish example of the kind of playing the Sinfonietta excels in, and the kind of imaginative programming they've set for the season.

Thursday night was absolutely perfect at Lakewold Gardens. Calm, slightly warm, and the rose-and-wisteria-laden Gardens filled with music of passion, stillness and playfulness. It was the opening of the Second City Chamber Series’ new season, and the first of two such concerts at Lakewold. This one featured out-of-towners Laura Kobayashi on violin and Susan Keith Gray on piano, with Tacoman Cindy Renander on clarinet.

Fine programming too, courtesy of SCCS director Svend Ronning. Pairing music from two different cities in each program this year, Ronning made good choices for Thursday night’s pair of New York and San Francisco.

Opening was John Adams “Road Movies” to connect the two cities. Kobayashi and Gray slid confidently into each of the road’s three moods: the biting, bluegrassy opening with relentless rhythm, the calm inner movement (Kobayashi’s full tone almost viola-like) and the moto perpetuo spiccato third movement, which was driven and tight but could have used more flamboyance.

Darius Milhaud’s “Suite” made an introspective bid for San Francisco, the city of his exile during WWII France, and here Renander and Kobayashi struck some lyrical conversation, ringing sounds in the “Vif” and passionate intensity in the finale, with precise piano support.

But it was Bela Bartok’s “Contrasts” that was the centerpiece. Commissioned in New York by Benny Goodman, it mixes some incredibly Goodman-esque slides, runs and high squeaks with the Hungarian’s signature rhythms and folk harmonies. Renander swung a bristling clarinet part with ease and lyricism, Kobayashi and Gray launched into frenzied rhythms and deathlike calm with equal intensity, and the piece remained gripping til the end.

If you haven’t been to a Lakewold concert, be sure to take a picnic dinner and sit under the wisteria just outside the French doors (you can hear just fine.) But do bring a jacket.

Next SCCS concert is at Lakewold Gardens, 12317 Gravelly Lake Dr SW, Lakewood. 7:30 p.m. July 17, featuring the Regency Quartet. Tickets $35/$30/$15. 253-572-TUNE, www.scchamberseries.org