Sarah Shafer at Herbst Theatre, April 29, 2019

San Francisco Performances presents Sarah Shafer
Herbst Theatre
Veterans' Building, San Francisco War Memorial Performing Arts Center, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102-4522 USA
7:30 PM, Monday, April 29, 2019

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[7:32 PM lights down, announcements, welcome by Melanie Smith; very brief pause, then performers out]

1. [7:34 PM] Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Ich folge dir gleichfalls mit freudigen Schritten (I follow you with joyful steps), from Johannes Passion (1724) BWV 245 Part 1, No. 9
   [work ends 7:38 PM; brief pause]

Four songs by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

1. [7:38 PM] Das Veilchen (the Little Violet), KV 476 (1785)
2. [7:41 PM] Die Kleine Spinnerin (the Spinning-Girl), KV 531 (1787)
3. [7:43 PM] Als Luise die Briefe (About Luise and the Letters), KV 520 (1787)
4. [7:45 PM] Abendempfindung (Evening Feeling), KV 523 (1787)
   [section ends 7:49 PM; applause, then long pause for latecomers to be seated]

Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (1860–1903): Selections from Mörike-Leider, IHW 22 (1888)

1. [7:51 PM] Der Knabe und das Immlein (the Lad and the Bee), H1, no. 2
2. [7:54 PM] Ein Stündlein wohl vor Tag (An Hour Before Daybreak), H1, no. 3
3. [7:57 PM] Er ist's (It's him!), H1, no. 6
4. [7:58 PM] Nixe Binsefuß (the Mermaid Rushfoot), H4, no. 45
5. [8:01 PM] Erstes Liebeslied eines Mädchens (First Love Song of a Girl), H4, no. 42
6. [8:03 PM] Begegnung (Encounter), H1, no. 8
7. [8:05 PM] Im Frühling (In the Spring), H2, no. 13
   [section ends 8:10 PM; long bit of applause, then break!]

[8:30 PM lights down, performers out]

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (1899–1963): Fiançailles pour rire (Betrothal for Laughs), FP101 (1939)

1. [8:30 PM] La Dame d'André (André's Lady)
2. [8:32 PM] Dans l'herbe (In the Grass)
3. [8:35 PM] Il vole (He Thieves)
4. [8:37 PM] Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant (My Corpse Is as Soft as a Glove)
5. [8:40 PM] Violon (Violin)
6. [8:42 PM] Fleurs (Flowers)
   [section ends 8:44 PM]

Samuel Barber: Hermit Songs, Op. 29 (1953)

1. [8:46 PM] At St Patrick’s Purgatory
2. [8:48 PM] Church Bell at Night
3. [8:49 PM] St Ita’s Vision
4. [8:52 PM] The Heavenly Banquet
5. [8:54 PM] The Crucifixion
6. [8:56 PM] Sea Snatch
7. [8:57 PM] Promiscuity
8. [8:58 PM] The Monk and his Cat
9. [9:01 PM] The Praises of God
10. [9:02 PM] The Desire for Hermitage
    [set ends 9:05 PM; bows, applause, then back for a little something extra…]

1. [9:07 PM] Auch kleine Dinge (Even Little Things), from Italienisches Liederbuch, IHW 15, no. 1 (ca. 1896)
   [tune ends 9:09 PM; applause and bows, another curtainless-call, then the show ends, 9:09 PM]

• Sarah Shafer: soprano vox;
• Timothy Shafer: piano.

Since you're wondering, Timothy is Sarah's father.

Between the usual work distractions, commute-time traffic and BART hassles, I was lucky to arrive at Herbst by show-time. I think I walked into the entrance lobby at exactly 7:30 PM – bad planning for getting a good seat at a GA show, and yet, as I hustled down the aisle, I noticed that the second row was practically empty. Lucky me! I took off my coat, plopped myself into a seat in the center, and then the house lights dimmed. Yep, cut it a little close tonight!

While looking up at a singer from second row might not give the most flattering view (“my, how jowly you look grandma,” said Little Red Riding Hood), I like that position for delivering a full warm sound from the piano. And without the usual distraction of rustling neighbors, that aspect of the performance was especially sublime: when Sarah wasn't singing, it was quite easy to close my eyes and slide away into piano bliss!

And for the singing? I thought it was top notch! Classical vocal recitals aren't something I devote my attention to often, but when I'm in the right mood, a powerful singer can be riveting. Sarah seemed to enjoy herself, trying on new characters for each song, and adding deliberately theatrical elements to emphasize the lyric turns. Bravo!

Program Notes or program notes

Joshua Kosman posted a glowing review of the performance with the SF Chronicle.

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