* Notes *
Jeffrey Kahane is in town to conduct San Francisco Symphony in a program of Mozart and Mendelssohn. Kahane replaces Bernard Labadie, who withdrew due to a scheduling conflict. The evening began with Mozart's Haffner, which was played with a sprightly charm. This was followed with Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, with Marc-André Hamelin as the soloist. Hamelin's playing was elegant, and ranged from percussive to playful as necessary. The celli did especially well in the Andante, sounding lovely with both the violas and the piano.
After the intermission we heard a sunny rendition of Mozart's Jupiter. The woodwinds seemed to have a moment of trouble in the first movement, but recovered over the course of the piece. The brass, though not perfectly clear, sounded warm and pleasant.
* Tattling *
Everyone was very quiet in Premier Orchestra, there was only some light talking in between movements.
