An SFS Memorial Program for MTT at Davies

Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) became the eleventh Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) in 1995, meaning that my wife and I made our move from Singapore to Palo Alto in time to enjoy his first full season with that orchestra. This week’s performances, beginning last night, were dedicated in his memory. As might be expected, one of his own works was on the program, “Agnegram,” which he composed in 1998, giving its world premiere with SFS. This was preceded by the music of another American composer from the other end of the twentieth century. MTT clearly showed a particular fondness for Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question,” which served as a “prelude” to “Agnegram.” The first half of the program began with the SFS Chorus, directed by Jenny Wong, singing the fourth of the seven movements in Johannes Brahms’ Opus 45, A German Requiem. The Chorus returned following the intermission for the performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Opus 125 (ninth) symphony in D minor, whose final movement included both chorus and four vocal soloists: soprano Jessica Faselt, mezzo Kelley O’Connor, tenor Thomas Cooley, and bass Peixin Chen.

Conductor James Gaffigan (photograph by Miguel Lorenzo, courtesy of SFS)

Taken as a whole, this was a major undertaking to honor the memory of a conductor, who was never shy about major undertakings. Conductor James Gaffigan is no stranger to SFS, and he found just the right chemistry for approaching the contrasts of the different works on the program. The members of the orchestra (many of whom were familiar with MTT) followed Gaffigan every step of the way to give each of the offerings its own uniquely well-defined statement.

Both concert repertoires and their audiences tend to approach performance as an act of the present honoring the past. Between the twentieth century of MTT and Ives and the nineteenth century of two of the “three B’s,” Beethoven and Brahms, there was more than enough to honor. However, what was most important was that Gaffigan led the performers in the spirit of the immediate present, reflecting on the past but establishing a unique voice of its own.

This program will be given two more performances, tomorrow night (Saturday) at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday (June 21) at 2 p.m.; and the offering is definitely “one for the books!”