“Something Completely Different” at Davies

Violinist Aleksey Igudesman and actor John Malkovich (courtesy of SFS)

Those old enough to remember Monty Python’s Flying Circus may be pleased to learn that the genre of off-beat comedy will be coming to Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony (SFS) will host violinist Aleksey Igudesman; but the ensemble will also have to contend with another guest artist seldom appearing in a concert hall, John Malkovich. I first encountered him when I was living in Stamford, Connecticut in 1982, making regular train rides into Grand Central Station.

While much of my time was spent in Lincoln Center, I also made regular visits to plays performed both on and off Broadway. It is probably fair to say that, even to this day, the most memorable of those plays was Sam Shepard’s True West. As the Wikipedia page puts it, the narrative involved a “volatile relationship between two brothers,” making for an uncanny mix of nostalgia and disaster. The role of one of those brothers was taken by Malkovich; and, after having seen him on the stage for the first time, I have done my best to keep track of every step in the advancement of his career.

Almost 45 years have elapsed; and, once again, I shall have the opportunity to see Malkovich on the stage. This time, however, the venue will be Davies. The title of his performance with Igudesman is The Music Critic. The violinist will perform works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Antonín Dvořák, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and Sergei Rachmaninoff with SFS. However, he will also share the stage with Malkovich assuming the “title role.” Once again, Malkovich will be performing a “volatile relationship,” this time unloading (in the words of the advance material) “a frivolous potpourri of musical insults” on Igudesman’s performance.

As most readers probably already know, this performance will take place in Davies Symphony Hall. It will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6. The address is 201 Van Ness Avenue; but it occupies the entire block with Van Ness to the west, Franklin Street to the east, Hayes Street to the south, and Grove Street to the north. The entrance is on the Grove Street side, which is also where tickets may be purchased at the Box Office. Tickets are currently available at prices from $75 in the Second Tier to $275 in the Orchestra. Seats will not available in the Terraces above the stage. A Web page has been created for online purchases. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the SFS Box Office at 415-864-6000.

SFP PIVOT Festival: the Second Program

The three Satellite performers: Bucket List (left), Koollooꓘ (upper right), and Trust Me (lower right) (from the San Francisco Performance Web page for this event)

The title of the second of the three programs in this season’s annual PIVOT Festival was a bit more enigmatic than the first: Satellite. It was a three-set evening with The Living Earth Show duo of guitarist Travis Andrews and percussionist Andy Meyerson playing in all of those sets. (As some readers may recall, Meyerson is also the Festival’s curator this year.) Each set involved a different combo as follows (in order of appearance):

1. Bucket List is a trio with Andrews and Meyerson joined by Mark Applebaum (previously their mentor) on keyboards.
2. Koollooꓘ is a punk dance quartet with Babatunji and Dennis Aman playing with the Living Earth duo.
3. Trust Me is a trio with Lynnee Breedlove providing vocals to sing in a Living Earth setting.

All this made for a generous share of diversity. Nevertheless, I could have sworn that, somewhere along this full-evening event, one of the players managed to sneak in a reference to Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust!” However, that was just a reminder of one of the more playful epithets in “the business:” “It’s all music!” What was more important was that, in this abundance of off-the-beaten-path invention, each of the three sets had its own way of both capturing and sustaining attentive listening.

Mind you, a more than generous amount of attention was in order. Fortunately, there were breaks each time the stage had to be reorganized, along with a fifteen-minute intermission prior to the final set. As a result, the entire evening proceeded at a manageable clip, having its full say without ever letting fatigue set in!