Herbert Blomstedt conducting SFS (from the Web page for this week’s concert)
Last night saw the return of Herbert Blomstedt to the podium at Davies Symphony Hall. He had been the Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) from 1985 to 1995 and has made many return visits since then. Last night he presented a program consisting entirely of Gustav Mahler’s ninth symphony in D major. Completed in 1909, this was the last symphony to be fully composed.
Departing from the usual convention, the first and last (fourth) of the movements are given slow tempo markings. Many associate this framework as Mahler’s recognition of the onset of death. That shadow is cast over the two inner movements, the first given a sardonic interpretation of the otherwise “upbeat” Länder genre and the second an almost violent Rondo burleske.
All was not well last night. The performance of the first movement was halted roughly halfway through its duration. No explanation was given. However, the fact the Blomstedt conducted from a chair suggested that he may have been contending with some form of weakness. Nevertheless, it was clear that all the members of the orchestra were on his side, and the relationship between conductor and ensemble could not have been more symbiotic.
Still, the overall experience was more than a little disquieting. If Mahler had come to accept that his journey was nearing an end, Blomstedt may have been coming to grips with that same sense of mortality. It was as if all of the dark clouds hovering over every page of Mahler’s score were also hovering over the Davies stage. It is likely that the composer saw this as a “farewell” symphony (even though he subsequently began a tenth symphony); and it may be just as likely that Blomstedt planned this as his “farewell to San Francisco” performance.
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