Imagine my surprise arriving for the first concert of the season (well, mine and Helene’s first since we were both out of town for the opening evening) to find that the Founder’s Room no longer serves dinner on Friday or Saturday concerts. Nothing like trying to find a table for four people at 6pm on a Friday night anywhere near Beneroya Hall.
Wild Gingergot us into the bar at a wonderful table (could have taken another one or two people) so that part of the evening was saved.
So — we go to the Founder’s Room for a pre-show cocktail. Weird, no Development Office host, and the place was as close to trashed as I’ve seen it. Apparently they had a private event earlier in the day and little of the furniture remained. Not a good sign. So, no food, little furniture, and only one person (the manager) on staff. And looking at the program they didn’t even manage to get Helene and I into the Founder’s Column (that’s $3,00 a year on top of the initial $25,000 contribution!) because their software seems to not count the Microsoft matching gift… and boy is she pissed. Apparently the same thing happened last year when she had to call repeatedly to get it fixed so we would get our Founder’s Room card. Add to the mix the lack ofDilettante Truffles at half-time replaced by wrapped Seattle Chocolate candies which are no match (of which one of the local paper’s music critic totally agrees) and you wonder why if you don’t have an opening night performance (they have “bistro” style food service), your benefits of being a Founder other than free Columbia Valley wine, chocolates, and mixed nuts (no peanuts — yet). Seems like alot of money.
And now for the concert review: the Copland piece (Music for the Theatre) the players looked bored and disinterested — maybe this is another case of the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) underwriting American music at the expense of others. the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor with Stefan Jacklw on the violin was good — well, he was stunning, and our local players were more going through the motions.
Cheap wine, nuts, and chocolates at half-time, followed by Brahms Symphony No.3 in F Major. Nothing like seeing a stage full of musicians going through the motions playing to a half empty house. Is it time for Schwarz to move on? Let him find another city that needs a new hall as he’s great at schmoozing money out of people.
Turns out the Development Office counted the match, they just didn’t add up all four quarterly amounts. They are looking into a long-term approach, and they’ve identified a good, interim solution.