According to my records, last month I wrote three separate articles to cover all the performances in Davies Symphony Hall. This month there are not as many activities, possibly due to the holiday at the end of the month and preparations for that occasion. Most of the month will be devoted to subscription concerts for both the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) and the SFS Youth Orchestra; but there will also be one “special event,” which has been an SFS tradition for as long as I can remember. Specifics are as follows:
This week SFS will be led by Gustavo Gimeno, who will be joined by piano soloist Javier Perianes. The program will begin with the SFS premiere performance of “Subito con Forza” by Unsuk Chin. The concerto selection will be Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s K. 467 in C major. The second half of the program will be devoted to a rather unconventional “geographic” pairing. The first selection will be György Ligeti’s “Concert Românesc.” This will be followed by the much more familiar Opus 90 (“Italian”) symphony by Felix Mendelssohn, the fourth of his five “full-orchestra” symphonies (distinguished from the thirteen symphonies for string ensemble that he composed at a very young age).
This concert will be given three performances, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 4, and Friday, November 5, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 7. A single Web page has been created with hyperlinks for purchasing tickets for each of those dates. Ticket prices range from $20 to $125 and may also be purchased by calling the SFS Box Office at 415-864-6000.
These performances will be preceded by the second Katherine Hanrahan Open Rehearsal of the season. This special behind-the-scenes experience begins at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 4, with coffee and complimentary doughnuts, followed by a half-hour introductory talk at 9 a.m. The rehearsal itself begins at 10 a.m.; and, of course, the pieces rehearsed are at the conductor’s discretion. General admission is $30 with $40 for reserved seats in the Premier Orchestra section, Rear Boxes and Side Boxes, and the Loge. Tickets may be purchased online through a separate event page.
As has already been reported, this program will not be performed on Saturday, because that is the date of the annual celebration of the Day of the Dead, which begins with family-friendly activities at 1 p.m., followed by a concert at 2 p.m., and a post-concert Fiesta dinner.
Also already reported will be the two weeks of performances conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) in his new capacity as Music Director Laureate. Each of the two programs will be given two performances. In addition, the second program will be preceded by another Katherine Hanrahan Open Rehearsal.
MTT’s visit will be followed almost immediately by the first concert of the season to be given by the SFS Youth Orchestra. As previously observed, this will mark the first complete season to be led by Wattis Foundation Music Director Daniel Stewart, who began his tenure in October of 2019. The second half of the program will be devoted entirely to Antonín Dvořák’s Opus 95 (ninth) symphony in E minor, given the title “From the New World.” The first half, on the other hand, will be more contemporary. The “overture” for the program will be Jessie Montgomery’s “Starburst.” This will be followed by a concerto for drum set (also known as a “drum kit,” the basic complement of percussion instruments for jazz, blues, pop, and rock) and orchestra.
This concert will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 21. General admission is $20 for unreserved seating. Reserved seats in the Loge and the Side Boxes will be sold for $55. Tickets range may be purchased through the concert’s Web page or by calling the SFS Box Office at 415-864-6000.
Stewart will then conduct the final subscription concert of the month, which will be devoted almost entirely to Ludwig van Beethoven’s Opus 125 (ninth) symphony in D minor. This is usually known as the “choral” symphony, since the final movement involves a setting of Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy” score for four vocal soloists and a chorus. The SFS Chorus will be joined by soprano Michelle Bradley, mezzo Jennifer Johnson Cano, tenor Mario Chang, and baritone Rod Gilfry. The program will begin with the West Coast premiere of Anna Clyne’s “Sound and Fury.”
This concert will be given three performances, all at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24, and Friday, November 26, and Saturday, November 27. A single Web page has been created with hyperlinks for purchasing tickets for each of those dates. Ticket prices range from $69 to $189 and may also be purchased by calling the SFS Box Office at 415-864-6000.
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