Listening Ahead
Our Critics’ Choices of Upcoming Events in the Bay Area
for October 28 – November 10, 2008
Dance
Dance Inventor
The prodigiously creative dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham has lived long enough to see dance history written around him. In November, he brings his company back to Berkeley, a tour stop for half a century now. The programs include some of his iconic works with John Cage, including 1958’s Suite for Five, as well as some newer works such as eyeSpace (2006-2007), and Split Sides (2003), to music by Radiohead and Sigur Ros.
Nov. 7-8, 8 p.m.; Nov. 14-15, 8 p.m.; Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, $26-$48, (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. (M.Z.)
Early Music
Musica Pacifca
Early Music mavens — Judith Linsenberg, recorder; Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin; David Morris, cello, viola da gamba; Charles Sherman, harpsichord — set their sights on entertainment with pieces that are inspired by Playford’s collections, “The Division Violin” and “The Division Flute.” Spicier sonatas by Matteis, as well as more somber ones from Purcell and his Italian contemporaries, share the program with fresh improvisations and a gamba fantasias. Guests include Robert Mealy, violin, and Peter Maund, percussion.
Oct. 31, 8 p.m., First Lutheran Church, Palo Alto; Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m., St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Berkeley; Nov. 2, 4 p.m., St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, San Francisco, $22-$25, (510) 528-1725, www.sfems.org. (C.G.)
Musica Pacifica
Chalice Consort
The new early music choir Chalice Consort opens its 2008-2009 season with a Bay Area premiere: Pierre de Manchicourt’s Requiem — a Franco-Flemish Renaissance masterpiece from the 16th century. The program, “Iberian Renaissance Music From Death to Life,” includes the polyphonic setting of the Requiem Mass Propers, framed with appropriate liturgical chants, as well as motets by Alonso Lobo and Duarte Lobo.
Nov. 8, 8 p.m., St. Monica Catholic Church, San Francisco; Nov. 9, 4 p.m., St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Oakland; $15-$20, (415) 875-9544, www.chaliceconsort.org. (C.G.)
Contemporary
Old Masters, Young Phenoms
Elliott Carter’s Luimen (1997) was given its name by the Dutch Nieuw Ensemble, who commissioned it. The work divides up texturally, in a favorite Carter manner, between plucked strings (guitar, harp, mandolin) and brass (trumpet, trombone), with a vibraphone moderating. In the performance by San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, the work is prefaced by a “Contemporary Insights” conversation with the players. Meanwhile, the 74-year-old Mario Davidovsky has composed the 12th in his series of Synchronisms, this time for clarinet (Carey Bell) and tape. Four younger composers make up the balance of this generation-spanning concert.
Nov. 3, 8 p.m., Herbst Theatre, $10-$28, (415) 278-9566, www.sfcmp.org. (M.Z.)
Symphony
From Chopin to Lutoslawski
Aristocratic pianist Krystian Zimerman, fresh off his Cal Performances recital, plays Witold Lutoslawski’s Piano Concerto, written for him and premiered at the 1988 Salzburg Festival. It should be something to hear him dash through it with the San Francisco Symphony. Also on the program is Anton Bruckner’s often-overlooked Symphony No. 2, conducted by his fervent champion, Herbert Blomstedt.
Oct. 29, 8 p.m.; Oct. 30, 2 p.m.; Nov. 1, 8 p.m., $35-$130, (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org. (M.Z.)
Krystian Zimerman
Marin Symphony
The Marin Symphony and pianist Orion Weiss play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, reprising their successful partnership of a year ago. The orchestra then brings out Mozart’s “Linz” Symphony, No. 36, and for a starter, Mendelssohn’s evergreen music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Nov. 2, 4, 7:30 p.m., Marin Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, $27-$65, (415) 479-8100, www.marinsymphony.org. (M.Z.)
Santa Rosa Symphony
Under Jeffrey Kahane, the Santa Rosa Symphony’s programming set a standard that most of the Bay Area’s regional orchestras didn’t really try to match — enterprising, thoughtful, offbeat, and graced moreover with an unusually interesting roster of guest artists. Those of us who wondered initially whether Bruno Ferrandis — now beginning his third season as Kahane’s successor — would follow his predecessor’s lead can now answer the question heartily in the affirmative. Santa Rosa’s 2008-2009 season is full of goodies, from Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass to Carl Maria von Weber’s piano-and-orchestra Konzertstück to Nikolai Miaskovsky’s Cello Concerto to three movements of Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-symphonie. The November set opens with a double whammy. First there’s György Ligeti’s 1967 Lontano, a wondrously intricate, glacially shifting study in orchestral color; then Gilles Apap in Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto. (Lovers of the Berg will, naturally, be looking forward to Gil Shaham’s return visit with the piece to the San Francisco Symphony next spring, but Apap — a sort of panstylistic violinist possibly better known as a fiddler than as a classical musician — has the kind of hyperinflected violinistic voice that would be fascinating to hear in this music.) It’s a heady combination, leavened (at “heavenly length”) by Schubert’s Ninth Symphony.
Nov. 8, 8 p.m. (also Nov. 9, 3 p.m.; Nov. 10, 8 p.m.), Wells Fargo Center, Santa Rosa, $27-$50, (707) 546-8742, www.santarosasymphony.org. (M.D.T.)
Bruno Ferrandis
Chamber Music
Paris Piano Trio Debut
There are few better ways to spend your Sunday than in a mansion listening to great music. Three former prize-winning students at the Paris Conservatoire turned distinguished professors — Régis Pasquier (violin), Roland Pidoux (cello), and Jean-Claude Pennetier (piano) — make their debut at the Kohl Mansion. Their solo careers are impressive enough, but their rapport together should be something to enjoy. The program: Fauré’s Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 120; Schumann’s Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 110, and Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 49.
Nov. 2, 7 p.m., Kohl Mansion, Burlingame, $20-$42, (650) 762-1130, www.musicatkohl.org. (C.G.)
Paris Piano Trio
Anthony Marwood and Thomas Adès
To the extent that American audiences know violinist Anthony Marwood at all, it’s likely as a member of a number of busy British chamber ensembles (foremost among them the Florestan Trio), with whom he has recorded all sorts of mostly 19th-century repertoire staples. Adès, meanwhile, is far better known as a composer than as a pianist. But those who have heard Adès at the keyboard on his previous visits to the Bay Area still talk about the experience, and Marwood, for whom Adès wrote his 2005 violin concerto Concentric Paths, turns out to be as comfortable well away from German Romanticism as in it. The duo’s program — Stravinsky’s violin-and-piano music, nearly all of it adapted by the composer from his own earlier works at the behest of violinist Samuel Dushkin — might seem a limiting one. Actually, there’s plenty of variety in there, from the Baroque and Tchaikovskian sources of the Suite italienne (after Pulcinella) and the Divertimento (after Le Baiser de la fée) respectively, to the sinuous, early Pastorale (originally a vocalise), to the astringent Duo concertant of 1932.
Nov. 8, 7 p.m., Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, $32-$49, (415) 392-2545, www.performances.org. (M.D.T.)
Chamber Orchestra
Mill Phil
The Mill Valley Philharmonic is just one of a number of quality community orchestras in the Bay Area. In their next set of concerts, titled “The Works Progress Administration: Music and Art of the 1930s,” they’ve taken some of the more famous pieces of 1930s-inspired musical populism (Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings) and placed them next to two unfamiliar works from the same era, George Frederick McKay’s From a Moonlit Ceremony, and Ernst Bacon’s Symphony No. 2, “Americana.” Bacon has Bay Area connections, but beyond that, he wrote good-quality music, and the symphony will give you a flavor of the period beyond the standard repertory items. There’s also dramatic narration and a short video about the WPA. The orchestra has chosen to perform the concerts in various WPA sites around the Bay Area. Too cool for words.
Nov. 1, 2 p.m., Treasure Island (Building 1, 410 Avenue of the Palms); Nov. 2, 4 p.m., Mill Valley Community Center; Nov. 8, 4 p.m. Cavallo Point, The Lodge at the Golden Gate, Sausalito; Nov. 9, 1 p.m., The San Francisco Zoo; free, (415) 383-0930, www.millvalleyphilharmonic.org/home.html. (M.Z.)
Making Connections
The San Francisco Academy Orchestra allows young professional musicians to play alongside members of the San Francisco Symphony, something they call the “Academy experience.” It’s a fantastic opportunity for younger players, and the results are often superior quality. In their coming concert, the orchestra plays Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony, and Terry Riley’s In C.
Nov. 9, 6 p.m., Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, $15-$20, (415) 392-4400, www.sfacademyorchestra.org. (M.Z.)
Choral
Musing With Musae
There is so much musing in Musae’s season opener — its fifth — that it will be hard not to be inspired. The concert takes place at Muse Gallery and it is a special behind-the-scenes event featuring the winners of their 2008 Commission Competition. The composers will speak about their muses in creative process and preview of the group’s new works; Musae will perform with the artists in an intimate setting. If that’s not enough to chew over, head to the wine and cheese station.
Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m., a.Muse Gallery, San Francisco, free, info@musae.org, www.musae.org. (C.G.)
Musae
Mozartean Mass-terwork
The Masterworks Chorale of San Mateo begins its 45th season still going strong under Bryan Baker’s direction. The group takes on another big choral work in Mozart’s magnificent, unfinished Mass in C Minor, K. 427. Also on the program are Eric Whitacre’s popular Five Hebrew Love Songs and a premiere by chorus member Nicholas Carlozzi.
Nov. 8, 8 p.m.; Nov. 9, 4 p.m., Trinity Presbyterian Church, San Carlos, $10-$20, (650) 574-6210, www.masterworks.org. (M.Z.)
Opera
Idomeneo, San Francisco Opera
Idomeneo may be the most brilliant opera you’ve never seen. (See review.) Set on Crete in the aftermath of the Trojan War, Mozart’s 1781 opera seria has only been presented three times by San Francisco Opera — most recently, in 1999, with a cast that included Barbara Bonney as Ilia, Vesselina Kasarova as Idamante, and the late, great Gosta Winbergh in the title role. This fall, the company revives the opera for six performances starring today’s reigning Idomeneo, tenor Kurt Streit. The cast also features San Francisco Opera debuts by Genia Kuhmeier (Ilia) and Iano Tamar (Elettra); Alice Coote sings Idamante. Donald Runnicles conducts, and John Copley directs.
Through Oct. 31, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, $15-$290, (415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com. (G.R.)
A scene from Idomeneo
Stravinsky Double-Bill
Oakland Opera Theater opens its season with the musical fable L’histoire du Soldat (The soldier’s story), and the “burlesque for singing and acting” Renard the Fox, both by Igor Stravinsky, both derived from folktales. Written during the First World War, they both signal the artistic response to that cataclysm that became centered in Paris, with Stravinsky at the forefront.
Through Nov. 2, Thurs. to Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., Oakland Metro Operahouse, (510) 763-1146, www.oaklandopera.org. (M.Z.)
The Elixir of Love
The simplest and most enchanting of love stories, with Donizetti’s irresistible music, and a brilliant cast, including Inva Mula (the seven-foot-tall “blue diva” of The Fifth Element) as Adina, Ramón Vargas as Nemorino, and the San Francisco debuts of Giorgio Caoduro (Belcore) and Alessandro Corbelli (Dulcamara). Bruno Campanella conducts, James Robinson is stage director. The opera is 2 1/2 hours long, but a “family edition” presents a 2-hour version, with recent Adler Fellows in the principal roles, and reduced admission.
Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 1, 8 p.m.; Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 9, 2 p.m.; Nov. 14 and 18, 8 p.m.; Nov. 23, 2 p.m.; Nov. 26. 7:30 p.m. For families: Nov. 8 and 15, 12:30 p.m., War Memorial Opera House, $15-$260, (family performances: $20-$80), (415) 864-3330, www.sfopera.com. (J.G.)
Inva Mula
Film
The Phantom of the Opera
The iconic Lon Chaney silent film from 1925, the first of a myriad Phantoms of the Opera, will be screened in Davies Symphony Hall, as Dennis James provides musical accompaniment on Davies’ 9,000-pipe Ruffatti organ, the largest such instrument in North America. Chaney followed up on the great success of his previous monster movie, The Hunchback of the Notre Dame, made just two years before.
Oct. 31, 8 p.m., Davies Symphony Hall, $25-$55, (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org. (J.G.)
The Ruffatti Organ
Recital
The Girl Next Door (Practicing Takemitsu)
Although the first thing you’re liable to hear about Lara Downes is that she has a fun personality, she is also an accomplished concert pianist now in residence at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis. She specializes in American music of all kinds, but ranges widely. What makes her S.F. Performances-sponsored Salon at the Hotel Rex a must see, however, is the interestingly themed program, which yokes together excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons and Schumann’s Waldszenen (Forest scenes), with Toru Takemitsu’s Rain Tree Sketch and local composer Jonathan Russell’s Metamorphosis. Or perhaps you’d prefer a standard — Bill Evans’ arrangement of Autumn Leaves?
Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m., Hotel Rex, $20, (415) 398-6449, www.performances.org. (M.Z.)
Janos Gereben (janosg@gmail.com) is a regular contributor to San Francisco Classical Voice.
Catherine Getches is managing editor of San Francisco Classical Voice. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Salon.
Georgia Rowe is a Bay Area arts writer. Her work has appeared in Opera News, Gramophone, The San Jose Mercury News, The Oakland Tribune, The San Francisco Examiner, and The Contra Costa Times.
Michael Zwiebach holds a Ph.D. in music history from UC Berkeley.
©2008 By Janos Gereben, Catherine Getches, Georgia Rowe, Michael Zwiebach, all rights reserved.