In Friday’s (11/30) Seattle Times, Tom Keogh writes, “There’s good reason to expect some of the old standards this year at Seattle Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO) holiday pops concert, performed next week at Benaroya Hall. ‘White Christmas,’ ‘Let It Snow,’ ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Winter Wonderland’ are all on the bill. Less anticipated, perhaps, is the spin Jeff Tyzik will give some of the show’s seasonal tunes in his first Seattle appearance since becoming SSO’s new principal pops conductor. … No less than six of the tunes in the program are arranged or orchestrated by Tyzik, 61. One example of his fresh approach will be the concert’s opener, ‘Christmas Overture,’ essentially variations on ‘Deck the Halls.’ ‘In three minutes it goes from sounding like Mozart to sounding like Count Basie, then ending like ‘The Firebird.’ It’s a fun, new take on the theme.’ … For many people, experiencing that creative stamp will be a good introduction to Tyzik, who has succeeded the late Marvin Hamlisch as SSO’s pops conductor. Tyzik also will be leading Christmas productions for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, for whom he has been principal pops conductor since 1994.” http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2019792758_symphonypopsxml.html
Posted December 3, 2012
