The Opera Tattler

Mutter-Bashmet-Harrell Trio

* Notes * 
The Mutter-Bashmet-Harrell Trio played a program of Beethoven yesterday night at Davies Hall in San Francisco. The performance started with a charming rendition of the String Trio in C minor, Opus 9, No. 3. Anne-Sophie Mutter, Yuri Bashmet, and Lynn Harrell all have a different shape to their playing, but it seemed they had a lot of fun together. Mutter is especially aggressive, and even when playing quietly she has a hard-edge. Bashmet played evocatively, with grace and strength. Harrell produced a warm, expansive sound, but with a lovely restraint as well. The Serenade in D Major, Opus 8 was bright, the Scherzo witty, and the Allegretto alla Polacca provoked giggling. The String Trio in E-flat Major, Opus 3 sparkled.

* Tattling * 
The audience was confused and clapped after the first movement of the first piece. There was also applause in the middle of Tema (Andante quasi allegretto) con variazione. In the first half, light talking was noted from people in Row J Seats 1 and 3, and Row K Seats 5 and 7 on the Orchestra Level. There was quite a lot of sleeping noted.

My companion started to unwrap his cough drop during the first movement of the third piece, but I gave him such a look he was compelled to stop. Upon extracting his lozenge from the wrapper, he proceeded to place the latter on my lap. Of course my incensed expressions only made him laugh all the more.

Anne-Sophie Mutter at SFS

* Notes *
Anne-Sophie Mutter gave the US premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's second violin concerto, In tempus präsens, with San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, yesterday. The piece was played again tonight, and has a shimmering, yet compressive quality, filled with bumblebees and crickets. Mutter played cleanly and with much vigor. The violas, cellos, and basses sounded lovely, as did the percussion section, particularly the gong. It was a bit difficult to hear the harpsichord, even though it was amplified. The trombones and tuba sounded strangely sputtering, though this is probably not due to their skills as players.

The second half of the program consisted of Ravel walzes, first the rather dull Valses nobles et sentimentals, which were played nicely. La Valse, on the other hand, was exuberant, both delightful and wry.

* Tattling * 
The audience was well-behaved, though there were quite a few fidgety children present.