Alexandre Tharaud at Herbst Theatre, April 23, 2019

San Francisco Performances presents Alexandre Tharaud
Herbst Theatre
Veterans' Building, San Francisco War Memorial Performing Arts Center, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102-4522 USA
7:30 PM, Tuesday, April 23, 2019

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[7:32 PM lights down, announcements; welcome from Melanie Smith]

J.S. Bach (1685-1750): Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (1741)

1. Aria (sarabande)
2. Variatio 1. a 1 Clav. (?polonaise) »
3. Variatio 2. a 1 Clav.
4. Variatio 3. Canone all’Unisono. a 1 Clav.
5. Variatio 4. a 1 Clav. (?passepied)
6. Variatio 5. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav. (arabesque)
7. Variatio 6. Canone alla Seconda. a 1 Clav. »
8. Variatio 7. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav. al tempo di Giga
9. Variatio 8. a 2 Clav. (arabesque) »
10. Variatio 9. Canone alla Terza. a 1 Clav. »
11. Variatio 10. Fughetta. a 1 Clav.
12. Variatio 11. a 2 Clav. (arabesque)
13. Variatio 12. a 1 Clav. Canone alla Quarta in moto contrario
14. Variatio 13. a 2 Clav. (sarabande)
15. Variatio 14. a 2 Clav. (arabesque)
16. Variatio 15. Canone alla Quinta. a 1 Clav.: Andante (in G minor)
17. Variatio 16. Ouverture. a 1 Clav.
18. Variatio 17. a 2 Clav. (arabesque)
19. Variatio 18. Canone alla Sesta. a 1 Clav.
20. Variatio 19. a 1 Clav. »
21. Variatio 20. a 2 Clav. (arabesque)
22. Variatio 21. Canone alla Settima (in G minor) »
23. Variatio 22. a 1 Clav. alla breve
24. Variatio 23. a 2 Clav. (arabesque)
25. Variatio 24. Canone all'Ottava. a 1 Clav.
26. Variatio 25. a 2 Clav.: Adagio (in G minor)
27. Variatio 26. a 2 Clav. (arabesque)
28. Variatio 27. Canone alla Nona. a 2 Clav.
29. Variatio 28. a 2 Clav. »
30. Variatio 29. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav. (arabesque)
31. Variatio 30. a 1 Clav. Quodlibet
32. Aria da Capo e fine
    [8:45 PM set ends; AT heads off likety split!]
    
    Encore
33. [8:47 PM] Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757): Sonata in D minor, K. 141
    [show ends 8:50 PM; more applause, more bows]
    [8:52 PM Melanie Smith offers a brief preview of the coming SFP season]

Alexandre Tharaud: piano.

Alexandre Tharaud is quite a talented pianist. He could make the fingers fly on both hands, and independent of each other too! While I wasn't all that close (10th row?), I felt like I had a perfect vantage point for watching him work at the keyboard. Like many pianists, he most often appeared to be deep in concentration, but now and then he would scowl or smile … perhaps self-scolding or self-congratulating himself as he navigated particularly tricky bits.

I would have preferred him to pause just a bit more between variations – only for a second or two, rather than a fraction of a second – but as long as I kept my attention on the action, it wasn't all that hard to keep track of the changes. I'm sure I zoned out here and there … sometimes Bach does that to you! … but overall, I found this to be an excellent show, and I look forward to seeing Tharaud again in the future.

Program Notes or program notes

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2019 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2019 event list! ☸ On to the next event!