San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, April 28, 2016

San Francisco Symphony presents San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado, with Mason Bates AKA DJ Masonic
2016-04-28
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA
8:00 PM, Thursday, April 28, 2016

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

• Bartók: Dance Suite
• Mason Bates: SFS commission
• Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
• Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9

[8:01 PM lights down, announcements]

Béla Bartók (1881-1945): Dance Suite, Sz. 77, BB 86a (1923)

1. [8:04 PM] Moderato – Ritornello
2. [8:06 PM] Allegro molto – Ritornello
3. [8:07 PM] Allegro vivace
4. [8:10 PM] Molto tranquillo – Ritornello
5. [8:13 PM] Comodo
6. [8:16 PM] Finale: Allegro
   [work ends 8:22 PM; pause to reset the stage]

Mason Bates (b.1977): Auditorium (2016)

1. [8:25 PM] Auditorium
   [set ends 8:44 PM]

[9:02 PM lights down]

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): Le Tombeau de Couperin (1919)

1. [9:03 PM] Prélude
2. [9:06 PM] Forlane
3. [9:13 PM] Menuet
4. [9:18 PM] Rigaudon
   [work ends 9:21 PM; mini-break; ready to resume around 9:25 PM]

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906-1975): Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 70 (1945)

1. [9:26 PM] Allegro
2. [9:31 PM] Moderato
3. [9:39 PM] Presto »
4. [9:42 PM] Largo »
5. [9:46 PM] Allegretto - Allegro
   [set ends 9:52 PM]

• Mason Bates AKA DJ Masonic: composer, electronics;
• Pablo Heras-Casado: conductor;
• Michael Tilson Thomas: music director;
• symphony members vary by program; see the current list.

While I enjoyed almost of the world's on tonight's program, I definitely liked the opening Bartok piece the best, as it featured the most acutely focused writing. By contrast, the Bates work was quite slow, with only a single motive element (interaction with a ghost ensemble) playing out in a number of ways. Novel, but not nearly as catchy or attention grabbing as the East European motifs from the opener.

The second set was also pretty fun, particularly the quirky Shostakovich Symphony, with its sneaky bassoon lines and circus tent brass band dances. Always fun to imagine communist clowns dancing around at the Symphony Hall!

Stephen Smoliar posted a good review of the Wednesday night performance.

Likewise, Steve Winn posted a positive review at SFCV.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!