More Diversity in Next SFS Chamber Program

Some readers may recall that, almost exactly a month ago, the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) presented the first Sunday afternoon program in the 2022–23 Chamber Music Series in Davies Symphony Hall. That turned out to be a thoroughly engaging (not to mention raucously amusing) “three centuries” program of music by (in reverse chronological order) Lera Auerbach, Claude Debussy, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (whose K. 522 “Musical Joke” provided the raucous side of the content). The next program in this series will be presented in a little over three weeks’ time, and all three of the compositions to be performed will fit in an interval of 100 years.

The earliest of those works will occupy the second half of the program. It will be Felix Mendelssohn’s Opus 87 (second) string quintet in B-flat major, scored for two violins (Nadya Tichman and Jessie Fellows), two violas (Katarzyna Bryla-Weiss and Katie Kadarauch), and cello Sébastien Gingras. This is a relatively mature work, composed in 1845 when the composer was in his mid-thirties; but it was not published until 1851, about four years after his death. The program will begin at the other end of the century span with the one “seasonal” selection. That will be André Jolivet’s “Pastorales de Noël” (Christmas Pastoral), composed in 1943 for the trio of flute (Catherine Payne), bassoon (Steven Dibner), and harp (Meredith Clark). Between these two “bookends” there will be a performance of the “Phantasy Quartet,” which Benjamin Britten composed in 1932 for oboe (James Button), violin (Fellows), viola (Kadarauch), and cello (Amos Yang).

The performance will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 18. Tickets are available only for the Orchestra, Boxes, Terraces, and Loge. All tickets are being sold for $40 and may be purchased through the Web page for this concert. Tickets may also be purchased by calling 415-864-6000. The Box Office will be taking telephone orders from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. In addition the Box Office will open at noon on the date of the performance. Davies is located on the south side of Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street.