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February 2010
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April 2010

Jordi Savall conducts PBO

Savall * Notes * 
Jordi Savall started his run of six performance with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in San Francisco last Friday. The program, entitled "The French Suite in Europe," began with the Suite du Ballet de Stockholm by Guillaume Dumanoir and Anonymous. The orchestra started off quite crisply and the concertmaster, Carla Moore, played boldly. The brass was clear, but the woodwinds squeaked, and someone was out of tune during the Presto (Tambourin). The oboes and bassoon sounded better in Lully's Suite from Alceste, and the piccolo was suitably harsh in Les Démons: 2ème Air. The trumpets were a bit hazy, but overall the piece had a pleasing stateliness followed by triumph at the end.

After the intermission Savall was the soloist in Telemann's Ouverture in D Major for Viola da gamba, strings, and continuo. The musicians of the Philharmonia played beautifully, and Savall was arresting, the viola da gamba sounded rich, passionate, and never cloying. The finale consisted of a vigorous performance of two suites from "Water Musick" by Händel, the second and third. With the exception of few stray sour notes from the trumpets in Alla Hornpipe, the orchestra sounded crystalline. The horns did particularly well.

* Tattling * 
There was only a tiny bit of talking from the couple in Row C Seats 8 and 10 of the orchestra, but just during the Suite du Ballet de Stockholm, when the first violin solo began. By chance, we were seated next to the friends who introduced us to PBO in the first place.

The encore, the contradanse from Ramaeu's Les Boréades, was wonderfully fun, as it involved audience participation. We clapped a certain rhythm, but only when cued by Savall, and "not too loud," as he requested.


San Francisco Symphony's 2010-2011 Season

September 7 2010: Gala with Jessye Norman
September 22-25 2010: Harrison, Copland, Tchaikovsky
September 29- October 3 2010: Ravel, Debussy, Berlioz
October 7-9 2010: Revueltas, Villa-Lobos, Varèse, Beethoven
October 14-17 2010: Bychkov conducts Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Walton
October 21-24 2010: Conlon conducts Wagner, Bruch, Dvořák; Joshua Bell, violin
October 24 2010: Dresden Staatskapelle plays Beethoven and Brahms
October 28-30 2010: Heras-Casado conducts Mendelssohn, Liszt, Kurtág, Shostakovich's 12th
October 31 2010: SF Symphony Youth Orchestra
October 31 2010: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920 film)
November 2 2010: Murray Perahia, piano
November 3-5 2010: Kalmar conducts Schnittke, Haydn, Orff
November 6 2010: Día de los Muertos Concert
November 7 2010: Mutter-Bashmet-Harrell Trio plays Beethoven
November 11-13 2010: Concerts for Kids
November 11-13 2010: Kahane conducts Ravel, Rufus Wainwright, Weill
November 14 2010: Music for Families
November 14 2010: Chamber Music Series
November 17-21 2010: MTT conducts Schubert, Strauss; Elza van den Heever, soprano
November 21 2010: Oliver Latry, organ
November 24-27 2010: MTT conducts Brahms, Berg; Yefim Bronfman, piano
December 2-4 2010: Adams' El Niño
December 5-6 2010: Deck the Hall
December 5 2010: Chamber Music at the Legion of Honor
December 5-6 2010: MTT conducts Cowell, Mozart, John Adams; Gil Shaham, violin
December 11-12 2010: Cabrera conducts Peter and the Wolf
December 12 2010: John Adams
December 13-15 2010: Colors of Christmas
December 18 2010: Music for Families
December 31 2010: New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball
January 6-9 2011: Karabits conducts Silverstrov, Schumann, Rachmaninoff; Hélène Grimaud, piano
January 13-15 2011: Tortelier conducts Mussorgsky, Khachaturian, Prokofiev; Vadim Gluzman, violin
January 18 2011: Lang Lang, piano
January 20-23 2011: Janowski conducts Beethoven; Juho Pohjonen, piano
January 23 2011: Itzhak Perlman, violin
January 26-28 2011: Robertson conducts Dukas, Prokofiev, Avner Dorman; Leonidas Kavakos, violin
January 29 2011: Chinese New Year Concert
January 30 2011: Paul Jacobs, organ
February 9-12 2011: Janowski conducts Beethoven
February 9-12 2011: Koopman conducts Bach, Haydn, CPE Bach, Schubert
February 12 2011: Music for Families
February 13 2011: Dmitri Hvorovstovsky, baritone; Ivari Ilja, piano
February 17-19 2011: Labadie conducts Mozart
February 20 2011: Chamber Music Series
February 23-26 2011: MTT conducts Feldman and Mozart
February 28 2011: Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
March 3-6 2011: MTT conducts Hindesmith, Grieg, Brahms; Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano
March 10-12 2011: Masur conducts Mendelssohn; Susannah Biller, soprano
March 13 2011: Yefim Bronfman, piano
March 14-17 2011: Concerts for Kids
March 16-20 2011: Mass in B Minor
March 9 2011: Music for Families
March 24-26 2011: Blomstedt conducts Mozart and Dvořák
March 27 2011: Chamber Music Series
March 27-28 2011: Saint Petersburg Philharmonic
March 30- April 2 2011: Blomstedt conducts Tchaikovsky, Sibelius
April 3 2011: Jane Parker-Smith, organ
April 7-9 2011: Vänskä conducts Mendelssohn and Vaughan Williams
April 10 2011: National Orchestra of Spain
April 14-17 2011: Dutoit conducts Dutilleux, Berlioz
April 28-30 2011: Oundjian conducts Rouse, Beethoven, Brahms
May 1 2011: Chamber Music Series
May 5-8 2011: MTT conducts Mahler's 9th
May 12-14 2011: MTT conducts Mahler's 6th
May 15 2011: SF Symphony Chorus Concert
May 22 2011: SF Symphony Youth Orchestra
June 14 2011: Yuja Wang, piano
June 16-19 2011: MTT conducts Bartók, Tchaikovsky; Yuja Wang, piano
June 21 2011: Yuja Wang, piano
June 23-26 2011: MTT conducts Missa solemnis; Christine Brewer, soprano
July 4 2011: Fourth of July Concert
July 10 2011: Dolores Park Free Concert
July 24 2011: Stern Grove Free Concert

The San Francisco Symphony announced the 2010-2011 season today. Jessye Norman, Dawn Upshaw, Michelle DeYoung, and Christine Brewer sing. Guest conductors include John Adams, Zubin Mehta, and Osmo Vänskä.

Press Release [PDF] | Official Site