Great Expectations July 24, 2009
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When I see something on stage that I’m familiar with, I always have an idea of how it should look or sound in my head. Do they do it like the original Broadway cast, or do they dance it like how Balanchine “intended” (another argument all in itself), or does it sound appropriately Liszt-y enough? It’s always satisfying to see or hear something like how I want it to sound like.
But it’s still my favorite when I see a performance that is different from what I expect, yet it convinces me that this is how it should sound like. It’s that lightbulb moment of something learned anew from a persuasive performance, a challenge for the audience viewer. It’s a peek into a performer’s heart, an individual stamp, an unexpected twist, and a fleeting work of art.
At the San Francisco Symphony, the all-Mozart program was one such performance, with new revelations uncovered around every corner in pieces I thought I already knew. Last night’s performance of the all-Russian program was a little unclear in its intent and statement despite the sold out house, yet not without its romantic passionate outpourings. More to come on this later.
The San Francisco Symphony’s Summer & the City season has been a really fun one. I find it easier to bring people that have never attended the symphony before, and although many usual symphony members are missing, I found it really fun to sit back and revel in the music. Many are familiar pieces from my childhood that I played in various youth orchestras, and my musical memories are strongly tied to growing up with them.
San Francisco Symphony’s Summer & the City ends tonight with a fun program of Americana classics, including James Earl Jones narrating Copland’s Lincoln Portrait.
There isn’t much rehearsal for the “Summer & The Symphony” programs which works fine for Mozart when Gaffigan is conducting it. The music sounds incredibly fresh. However, when they try to do the same thing with big Russian warhorses, the lack of rehearsal can usually be heard all over the place. I’m sad I didn’t get to hear the Mozart, by the way.
Dear Mike,
As I was watching, I had to keep on reminding myself that they only had one rehearsal. Especially with a young soloist in tow, there were a few scary moments in the Rach 2 that was undoubtedly due to being underrehearsed, and didn’t aptly reflect the talent of the soloist. Unfortunately I think it shook the confidence of the performer, and the piece never fully recovered. It was nice to see a fuller orchestra than the Mozart concert though, and to see more familiar faces back on stage.
Gaffigan’s Mozart was heavenly, lacking the preciousness and antiqueness of music written so long ago. It ended up sounded very modern and alive. Will you be attending tonight’s performance?
I missed the Mozart program, but I thought last night’s Rach 2 was really well done. No ostentation, nothing showy and I appreciated the slower tempos and his playing within the work, rather than on top of it.
Hi Mark, you’re right that there wasn’t anything ostentatious about Weiss’ performance. It’s clear that he’s a very thoughtful performer and obviously, immensely talented. I’m looking forward to seeing him perform again. You can read what I thought of the Rach 2 in my review in the following entry. Thanks for commenting.