2 concerts inspired by nature play at Benaroya Hall this week

Two concerts explore the brutality and beauty of nature this week at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.

Just after Earth Day (April 22) and near the end of National Park Week (April 20-28), the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and Washington Trails Association will team up Friday for “Crescendo: A Symphonic Celebration of Washington Landscapes.” 

On Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, the Seattle Symphony will perform “Antarctic Symphony,” telling the tale of British Royal Navy officer and explorer Robert Scott’s famed, but doomed, Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole.

Celebrating Washington landscapes 

From the coastline to the Cascades, rainforest to rolling hills of wheat, Washington has it all. NWSO and WTA will celebrate that variety, and the people who like to explore those diverse landscapes, during “Crescendo.”

Anthony Spain, conductor and artistic director of the orchestra, suggested the collaboration.

“It’s amazing how many compositions have been inspired by nature,” he said. “When [Beethoven] had a mental block, the first thing he would do is walk out the door and go hiking.”

WTA CEO Jaime Loucky said it made perfect sense to join forces, as both WTA and NWSO are homegrown institutions working to share their respective passions with the community.   

“When we think about our mission, which is to help everybody who loves the outdoors connect with the beauty and power of nature …, part of that is appreciating the different things that nature can bring, solace if we’re feeling down, inspiration, energy, community,” he said. “It’s the same as music. It can channel so many different emotions and make us feel so many ways.”

“Crescendo” features a presentation of photos submitted to WTA’s Northwest Exposure Photo Contest, curated by Seattle-based visual artist Adrian Wyard. Loucky said the photos celebrate the diverse landscapes, animals and people that make up Washington. 

“You get reminded of the breadth of beauty that our state has …,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of joy, a lot of beauty and hopefully some humor.”

This is NWSO’s first collaboration with WTA and also the first time Spain will premiere one of his own compositions, “Return to Joy,” at a NWSO concert. He said his love of the outdoors, which inspired the piece, emerged during COVID-19 lockdowns. 

“For many, getting outdoors was such an important element of our existence at that time,” he said. “It’s a short piece based on a short exuberant hike with a mountaintop experience at the end, but also all the different elements that you take in on a hike as you ascend the mountain.”

Like the diversity in the photographs, Spain built a program that highlighted a variety of landscapes. Claude Debussy’s “Nuages (Clouds)” reminds him of the rainy Olympic Peninsula, while Richard Wagner’s “Prelude” from the third act of “Lohengrin” and Hector Berlioz’s “Rákóczi March” bring majestic peaks to mind. 

The concert also features work by Frederick Delius, Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak and John Williams, as well as the Musical Mountaineers — violinist Anastasia Allison and pianist Rose Freeman — who perform unannounced concerts in the wilderness. 

Both Spain and Loucky are excited to see what comes from this collaboration and hope it inspires concertgoers to spend more time with both nonprofits.

“Their support is what powers both the music and the connection to the outdoors,” Loucky said.

Exploring an expedition

Though Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen beat Scott to Antarctica, and the Scott party perished on the journey home, Raff Wilson, Seattle Symphony’s vice president of artistic planning, said there’s still interest in the expedition because it comes from a bygone era — one of tall ships, gear made from reindeer pelt and the pure strength required to pull one’s own sled.

“Beyond the feat of exploration and adventure, the words of Scott as he faced death became a touchstone of heroism in defeat,” Wilson said. “Our concert brings together words, imagery and music to share this story.”

“Antarctic Symphony” opens with Salina Fisher’s “Rainphase,” which takes inspiration from clouds and rainfall, and Benjamin Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes,” which portrays the sea’s changing moods. 

The concerts close with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Antarctic” symphony, which draws on music he wrote for the 1948 film “Scott of the Antarctic.” Wilson said the film focuses on the patriotic elements of the expedition while also questioning some of the choices Scott made.

Throughout the performance, the Seattle Symphony Chorale and soloist Jennifer Bromagen will provide “wordless singing” that Wilson likens to “arctic wind on snow powder.” The concerts also feature photos from expedition photographer Herbert Ponting and readings from Scott’s diary by actor Ioan Gruffudd (“Titanic,” “Fantastic Four”).

“It’s been a joy to explore the readings with him and to discuss the many shades of wry humor, pathos and noble feeling that Scott’s diaries convey,” Wilson said. “He has wonderful insights into this heroic character.”

This concert series also features the return of conductor Gemma New, who first led the Seattle Symphony when the orchestra livestreamed concerts during COVID-19 lockdowns. 

Wilson believes it’s never too late to focus on the Terra Nova expedition, as the story still captivates people’s attention. He also believes performing the concert today sheds light on the effect global warming has had on the land, seascapes and Antarctic wildlife Scott and his team experienced.

“The story helps us contemplate the unspoiled wilderness these people saw in 1912 and how much we have changed it in just 110 years,” Wilson said.