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Fall Arts
Classical music: Recitals galore

By Melinda Bargreen
Seattle Times music critic

CHRISTOPHER JACOBS Young pianist Lang Lang plays with astonishing maturity, Nov. 16.

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If there's one trend, it seems to be in the direction of the keyboard, where an amazing fall lineup of piano stars awaits local music lovers: Daniel Barenboim, Ivo Pogorelich, Garrick Ohlsson, Lang Lang, Simon Trpceski, Gary Graffman, Lorin Hollander, Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Leon Fleisher, Marc-André Hamelin, Jean Louis Steuerman, Yael Weiss, Craig Sheppard and Mark Salman.

What a gang, all in about eight weeks' span! You'd think we were living in New York City.

Of course, there's a lot more than piano recitals and concertos on the calendar, with the usual assortment of violin superstars (Itzhak Perlman, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Hilary Hahn, Vladimir Spivakov, Elmar Oliveira), plus Northwest native Mark O'Connor, and a Seattle Symphony world premiere by hot American composer Paul Schoenfield.

CRITIC'S PICKS

Itzhak Perlman with Seattle Symphony. The world's most beloved violinist returns to Benaroya Hall with one of today's top women conductors, JoAnn Falletta, on the podium for the Beethoven Violin Concerto (plus two orchestral works of Mendelssohn). Oct. 3, Benaroya Hall mainstage.

	Pianist Daniel Barenboim performs Oct. 11 at Benaroya Hall.

Daniel Barenboim. Presented by the Seattle Symphony Distinguished Artists Series, the Barenboim recital is a regional first for this great pianist (we've heard him conduct here last season). One of the true intellectuals of the music world and a stellar pianist. Oct. 11, Benaroya Hall.

Verdi's "Rigoletto." Seattle Opera follows up its "Lohengrin" with the Verdi classic about a hunchback and his beautiful daughter in the dissolute court of Mantua. Edoardo Müller conducts, with staging by the imaginative Linda Brovsky. Oct. 16-31, Marion Oliver McCaw Hall.

Lang Lang, President's Piano Series. The brilliant Chinese-born youngster brings a kinetic excitement and astonishing artistic maturity to whatever he plays. He's back by popular demand for his third performance on this recital series. Nov. 16, Meany Theater.

An American Journey, Northwest Chamber Orchestra. The Northwest Chamber Orchestra has guest violinist and composer Mark O'Connor in two programs of Americana — including O'Connor's own "American Seasons." Joseph Silverstein conducts. Nov. 13 and 14, Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall.

ONE TO WATCH

	YUEN LUI STUDIO Assistant conductor Christian Knapp leads the Seattle Symphony in "Carmina Burana."

Seattle Symphony assistant conductor Christian Knapp took a great leap forward last season, stepping in at the last minute to conduct a concert featuring violin star Itzhak Perlman in addition to a long list of scheduled podium appearances.

Knapp has impressed the symphony musicians — no easy task — and has gotten top New York management in recent months; now he is poised for an Oct. 21 "Symphony Specials" concert featuring another stellar violinist, Nadja Salerno-Sonnen-berg, with the orchestra. With credits that extend from London and Cape Town to St. Petersburg, Russia, Knapp has the background to go forward.

— Melinda Bargreen, mbargreen@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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