The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: San Francisco Symphony
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* Notes * This week San Francisco Symphony performs a contemplative program of Urbaitis, Feldman, and Mozart. Ragnar Bohlin conducted the San Francisco Symphony Chorus in Mindaugas Urbaitis' Lacrimosa, an inoffensive, pretty piece, which was sung with beauty. Before Michael Tilson Thomas conducted Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel, he addressed the audience, and did an impression of…
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* Notes * Ton Koopman is conducting San Francisco Symphony this week in a program of J.S. Bach, Haydn, C.P.E. Bach, and Schubert. Last night’s performance began with J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3. The playing was stately and vigorous. One of the trumpets might have had a single bad note, but otherwise the playing was…
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* Notes * Yan Pascal Tortelier is conducting San Francisco Symphony this week in a program of Mussorgsky, Khachaturian, and Prokofiev. Last night's performance began with Mussorgsky's Prelude to Khovanshchina, orchestrated by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The playing was clear and lively. The Khachaturian Violin Concerto that followed was likewise sprightly, the soloist, Vadim Gluzman, sounded bright and…
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* Notes * Kirill Karabits made a promising conducting debut at San Francisco Symphony this week in a program of Silvestrov's Elegie, Schumann's Piano Concerto, and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances. Last night's performance began with the piece by Silvestrov, scored for string orchestra. The small ensemble played with grace and the work was rather pretty. Next came…
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September 7 2011: Gala w/ Lang Lang & Itzhak Perlman September 8 2011: Birthday Bash Free Concert September 9 2011: Community Concert October 23-24 2011: Gustavo Dudamel conducts LA PhilDecember 6-7 2011: James Levine conducts BSO January 2012: Herbert Blomstedt conducts SFSFebruary 2012: Edo de Waart conducts SFSFebruary 14-15 2012: Riccardo Muti conducts CSOMarch 8-17…
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* Notes * John Adams is conducting his nativity oratorio El Niño at San Francisco Symphony this week as part of Project San Francisco. The work was modestly staged, with direction from Kevin Newbury, set from Daniel Hubp, costumes from Paul Carey, and lighting from Kirk Bookman. The most charming bit might have been the…
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* Notes * Michael Tilson Thomas is conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Schubert and Richard Strauss this week. MTT introduced the Schubert piece, the Entr'acte No. 1 (Allegro molto moderato), from Incidental Music for the Play Rosamunde, D.797, noting it has never been played by SF Symphony before and is in B…
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* Notes * Michael Francis is currently conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Milhaud’s La Création du monde, Rufus Wainwright’s Five Shakespeare Sonnets, and Weill’s Symphony No. 2. Last night’s performance began with the jazz-influenced piece by Milhaud. The small ensemble did not appear to include a viola. The saxophone, clarinet, and oboe were particularly…
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* Notes * Carlos Kalmar is currently conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Schnittke's Moz-Art à la Haydn, Haydn's Symphony No. 97, and Orff's Carmina burana. Last night's performance commenced with the amusing piece by Schnittke, scored for 13 strings and conductor, the ensemble was clear and incisive. The two violin soloists, Alexander Barantschik and…
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* Notes * This week Pablo Heras-Casado just finished conducting San Francisco Symphony in a program of Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s Cave, Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1, György Kurtág‘s Grabstein für Stephan, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12. Yesterday’s performance began with Mendelssohn, and it seemed that Heras-Casado was drawing this music out of the players. The clarinet solo…
The Opera Tattler 