Classical Music

By Melinda Bargreen
Seattle Times music critic

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Critics have called her "a force of nature," and audiences around the world cheer her concert and opera performances. Ewa Podles´, who returns to Seattle next week for Seattle Symphony performances of Mahler's colossal Third Symphony, is possibly the world's greatest contralto — but any way you categorize her, that powerful voice is unique. High notes, deep low tones, spectacular technique and a lot of stage savvy: The Polish-born Podles´ is a singer with everything.

First heard here in Seattle Opera's "Ring," in the short but pivotal role of Erda, Podles´ has most recently appeared this season in the title role of that company's very successful production of Handel's "Julius Caesar."

Gerard Schwarz will conduct the Mahler Third performances, which also feature the Northwest Boychoir and the women of the Seattle Symphony Chorale in a work considered one of Mahler's most memorable.

About 100 minutes in duration, the symphony was inspired by nature; Mahler composed it in 1895 at his country retreat. He originally called it "A Midsummer Morning's Dream," and gave each movement a title: No. 1, "Summer marches in (procession of Bacchus)"; No. 2, "What the flowers of the field tell me"; No. 3, "What the animals of the forest tell me"; No. 4, "What man tells me"; No. 5, "What the angels tell me"; No. 6, "What love tells me."

The work premiered in 1902 in Krefeld, Germany, in a concert with enthusiastic audience ovations between the movements — and, because deeply impressed young conductor Willem Mengelberg was in the house, it led to more than 450 subsequent Mahler concerts under his baton.

Start times for the Benaroya Hall performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. June 29-30 and 2 p.m. July 1. A lecture starting one hour prior to performances is titled "Mahler's Quest for a Music of the Cosmos"; the lecturer is Thomas May, senior editor at Amazon.com and author of "Decoding Wagner" and "The John Adams Reader."

Concert tickets are $15-$89 (206-215-4747 or www.seattlesymphony.org).

Gospel evening

Guest artist/composer Ysaye Barnwell (of "Sweet Honey in the Rock") joins the Sound of the Northwest choir in a gospel retrospective at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall. Proceeds benefit New Horizon Ministries, serving homeless and street-involved youth; tickets are $20 (206-292-ARTS or www.ticketmaster.com).

Open season for festival

The long-running Olympic Music Festival opens its gates this weekend with a pair of concerts at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in an 1890s dairy farm just west of the Hood Canal bridge. Concerts in the barn (or outside on the lawns) start with two piano recitals by Bay Area pianist Paul Hersh, a frequent guest at the festival.

The festival, now in its 24th season, is fun for all ages, from the youngsters who thrill to pet the friendly farm animals or tuck into bucolic picnics, to the senior citizens who turn up by the busload.

Among this year's musicians: Teddy Abrams (clarinet), Elza van den Heever (vocalist), Benjamin Noyes (cello) and Amy Sue Barston (cellist and sister of Seattle Symphony principal second violin Elisa Barston, who's also performing in the festival). Returning this year, after an extended absence, is celebrated cellist Bonnie Hampton.

The festival is also broadcast locally on KING-FM (98.1) on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer.

You'll find driving directions, notes on ferries and accommodations, programming details and a lot more at the festival's Web site, www.olympicmusicfestival.org, or call 206-527-8839.

Alan Iglitzin is the founder/director; this year's festival runs through Sept. 9. No dogs, please (service dogs excepted), because they make the donkeys bray during concerts, and the music doesn't need their input.

Melinda Bargreen: mbargreen@seattletimes.com