San Francisco Classical Voice

In Praise of Anniversaries

You might have heard that Mozart was born 250 years ago — it was in all the papers, on every blog, even on TV. Lesser known, but equally true — and reflected on concert schedules — is that Shostakovich would celebrate his 100th birthday this year, Nikolai Miaskovsky his 125th, Sergei Taneyev his 150th ... and so on. Anniversaries are great to recognize important musical figures long after they are gone, even if it's rather bizarre how much more music you hear of a composer in the centenary year, but not at 99 or 101.

These Deep Thoughts came to the forefront on the local scene when, at the San Francisco Ballet gala last week, plans were announced for the company's 75th birthday, two years from now. Davies Symphony Hall is currently marking its 25th anniversary, and a quick check with S.F. Opera archivist Kori Lockhart brought up some other approaching dates of significance.

San Francisco Opera is coming up for its 85th birthday on September 26, 2008, but next year is the occasion for a potential big blowout in the Civic Center: The War Memorial Opera House will turn 75 on October 26. House manager Eric Colby — relatively new on the job, but with a deep respect for history — is suggesting that the many organizations using the facility could pull together for the mother of all anniversary galas.

The Opera and the Ballet are the current main tenants, but for a half a century, the Symphony was there; San Francisco Performances has used the hall, along with numerous organizations; and after World War II, the United Nations was formed at meetings in the Opera House ... and so on. There could be a real multimedia, multiorganization community celebration to honor this grand old building, a city (and regional) landmark.

Cal Symphony Resident Changes Residency

California Symphony's newly appointed composer-in-residence, Gabriela Frank, suddenly resigned her position last week, a few days after music director Barry Jekowsky announced her selection, praising her as "an amazing composer, offering a unique and well-defined voice." Apparently, in one of those "when it rains, it pours" episodes, the Symphony's prestigious award coincided with another — more attractive — opportunity. California Symphony executive director Stacey Street said Frank has received a "substantial gift" from a donor, enabling her to study in South America.

A Berkeley-born, San Francisco-based composer of Peruvian-Jewish-Chinese heritage, Frank, 34, has incorporated South American mythology, art, poetry, and folk music into Western classical form. Within the past year, Frank premiered Manchay Tiempo with the Seattle Symphony, Inkarr“ with the Kronos Quartet, Ccollanan Mar“a with Volti, and numerous other works. Her Three Latin American Dances, recorded by the Utah Symphony, will be released soon, along with the Chiara Quartet's recording of Frank's Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout.

For the time being, the two-year fellowship that Frank vacated remains unfilled, but an appointment is expected soon, from among the "number of strong contenders in last year's selection process," said Street. The Young American Composer-in-Residence Program is California Symphony's own, an "orchestra-as-laboratory" residency, started in 1991, and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Aaron Copland Fund, the BMI Foundation, and others.

Barenboim Released from the Hospital

Conductor/pianist Daniel Barenboim fell ill and was hospitalized Friday as he was getting ready to lead a Berlin Staatsoper gala concert, marking Mozart's 250th birthday. First reports about the 63-year-old Barenboim said that although he remained hospitalized, "nothing serious was found." He was released Monday morning, after being diagnosed with a temporary balance disorder, successfully treated by the doctors. Barenboim is general music director of the Staatsoper, chief conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and founder/director of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, of young Israeli and Palestinian musicians. Friday's Berlin performance went ahead, with Julien Salemkour conducting.

Internet Radio: Free No More?

In the past seven years or so, this column has been consistently sanguine about the delights of listening to classical music on the Internet. When KQED-FM abandoned music, and KDFC stopped broadcasting the Metropolitan Opera, snubbed vocal music, and chopped up anything running beyond 10 minutes — there was no choice but the Internet. The offerings were wondrous, from Bayreuth to Salzburg, to full-scale opera, oratorio, and what have you. Week after week, we offered yet another bunch of interesting sites of classical music.

And now: The roof is falling in. You would think oil-company profits would allow free air for the tires at service stations, but no, it's 50 cents or a dollar. You expect free airwaves too, but it's getting lost. The discovery came last weekend, when I tried to tune into New York's WQXR. Instead of music, I got this: "WQXR's audio stream is available exclusively at Radio@AOL. The WQXR stream at Radio@Netscape has been integrated into Radio@AOL." There is also a note about MX, a subscription service. You could force your way through AOL, but it's time-consuming, and you may end up with AOL residue all over your computer.

Many radio stations now restrict their Internet streaming to subscribers — paid or otherwise. Even KDFC-FM now requires filling out a questionnaire, without being clear about the consequences of providing personal information. The writing is on the wall. Just as newspapers are trying to squeeze money out of their Internet services ("Times Select" and the like), radio stations are upping their revenue stream. Here at Classical Voice, we'll rally on behalf of Radio Free Music and will pass along information about where to find the good stuff.

Gala for Gockley

To welcome David Gockley as new general director of the San Francisco Opera, a gala fund-raising event is to be held on February 10, in the Four Seasons Hotel. S.F. Opera Guild is in charge of the "Director's Ball," which will feature performances by soprano Patricia Racette (to be heard in the title role of Madama Butterfly in May), accompanied by Richard Rodney Bennett. See www.sfopera.com.

Essentials of Music on the Web

"Essential Classics," created in cooperation with W.W. Norton & Co., is now making "Essentials of Music" available at www.essentialsofmusic.com. In a straightforward organization, the site offers information about music various ways. If you go to "Eras Online," for example, you can choose "20th Century," then "Composers," and there you will find everyone from Scott Joplin to Libby Larsen. Give it a go.

A Music Publication You Can Count On

If music and mathematics are your twin passions, here's news about an invitation for articles and research papers to be submitted to the new Journal of Mathematics and Music. Published by the Taylor & Francis Group, from Barcelona's Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya (Thomas Knoll), and Louisiana State University (Robert Peck), the journal has the welcome mat out for research papers that involve "mathematical or computational approaches in the study of music."

The publication's goal is to advance the use of mathematical modeling and computation in music theory. It focuses on mathematical approaches to musical structures and processes, including investigations into theoretical or compositional issues, as well as mathematically motivated analyses of musical works or performances. The journal itself and submission guidelines will be soon available at JMM.