History repeated itself in Oakland Friday, in a way. About 40 years ago, Gerhard Samuel conducted the late Oakland Symphony in a work by Karlheinz Stockhausen and followed it with a Beethoven Symphony. The Stockhausen piece had an extraordinary effect on the Beethoven, on the players, and on the audience's perception. The complexities and difficulties of the Stockhausen and the effort of penetrating it and trying to discover its logic (whether or not a plain structure could be discerned or was even there) had cranked up the mental processes. With that concentration of effort released onto the familiar Beethoven, the symphony emerged with a clarity, a lucidity and directness that otherwise might not have occurred.

This was a memorable demonstration of how striking can be the effect of one work on another. It recurred Friday when a doughty Michael Morgan opened his Oakland East Bay Symphony season with an ultra-dense color/mass piece, Brian Current's This Isn't Silence, followed immediately by Beethoven's Sixth Symphony. Once again, the players struggled to keep their places in a thicket of successive climaxes while the audience members listened for all they were worth for the glimpses of tunes and other musical ideas (rhythms, color motives) that peeped through the hedgerows and brush. (Actually, "Fool's Gold" might have been a title more appropriate than the name Current had given his piece on a whim, because his musical ideas were merely teasing glints that didn't turn into anything).

But, the effort entailed by the Current served another purpose. Again, as forty years ago, following the challenge of a new and demanding piece, the Beethoven unfolded with a grace and smoothness, a suaveness of string blend, a nicety of phrasing, a musical unity and style that were estimable and not common. Morgan's way with the work had much to do with this, but there was a palpable sense that the players were collectively saying, "Ah..." and enjoying it more than usual. And for the listeners, after searching intently through the Current for 10 or 15 minutes, the logic, expressive design and consecutive development of the Beethoven seemed clearer than ever, the experiencing of it particularly grateful.

Many composers today don't appreciate that it is necessary, and in their music's interest, that the musicians enjoy playing their parts. The music must be grateful to the musicians to begin with. Pieces like Current's ignore that need, as they concentrate on texture, color and masses of sound. So do those minimalists who reduce players to hapless cogs in a grinding rhythm machine . The players can't hear themselves, can't identify with their section and its sound, can't feel their role in a structure they are unable to perceive or even sense.

Regardless of whatever individual listeners thought of the Current, it did get the attention of the audience that filled the Paramount Theater, 3,000 people, and at the least, primed the listening. The programming worked. Pieces on programs are musical individuals of course, but they do have an effect on each other. A program as a whole wants to have a certain artistic unity. Music directors and artists work hard to find these complementary relationships. It's a challenging, fascinating and often, crucial activity.

Morgan did well to open his program and season with a new, challenging work, as he will for the third and fourth of his orchestra's five programs for 2001-2002. Compare on your own what the other music directors are doing. In the face of the unease bouncing off the suspension of activities by the deeply indebted San Jose Symphony, and reports of the financial difficulties of three major orchestras, here is Oakland's come-back story, beginning its 13th year after the reorganization following the bankruptcy of the old Oakland Symphony. (Really, that was a bankruptcy of board leadership, not of the orchestra). Today, it's in the black, has a strong administrative staff and education program, and evidently, from the 3,000 votes Friday, a loyal and appreciative audience.

Next time you read one of the periodic music money pieces about the allegedly declining, aging, elite audience, and about the symphonic budget problems, take a good look at what orchestra is being described and how it is being run: by what kind of a conductor, what kind of board president, and how strong, representative and energized a board. Look at the Oakland East Bay, California, Santa Rosa Symphonies and, with its new conductor though still a skeleton staff, the Marin Symphony, too. Looks pretty good.

A friend and stout supporter of San Francisco Classical Voice chided us for not making it clear and up front, how and where readers and followers of this journal can get behind this operation and help keep it healthy and in the clear. Right. We need your support. As the text says in our "About Us" page (click the link on the navigation bar beneath or the same link immediately to the left):

SFCV is a not-for-profit enterprise supported by foundation grants and individual contributions. If you enjoy what you find here and can help with a contribution, that support will help insure our continuance through the year 2002 and beyond. Your contribution (tax-deductible) may be sent either to San Francisco Classical Voice, 6000 Wood Drive, Oakland, CA 94611, or to the San Francisco Foundation CIF, (San Francisco Classical Voice account), 225 Bush St. # 500, San Francisco, CA 94104. Thank you very much.

We welcome commentary, suggestions and reactions to the articles. Simply click on editor@sfcv.org and send your response by e-mail.