San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, May 22, 2019

San Francisco Symphony presents an SFS Special Private Friends Rehearsal featuring Krzysztof Urbanski leading the San Francisco Symphony
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA
9:00 AM, Wednesday, May 22, 2019

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

• 9-10 AM Doors open for GA Seating; Complimentary coffee and pastries
• 9:10-9:30 AM Introduction and remarks on stage by Peter Grunberg
• 9:30-10 AM Musicians' warm-up period
• 10 AM-11 AM Rehearsal, Pt 1: Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Italian
• 11:15 AM-12:30 PM Rehearsal, Pt2: Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Italian

[10:00 AM Welcome from ?Ginny Cantor?]
[10:02 AM concert tuning and Krzysztof Urbanski entrance]

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847): Symphony No. 4 in A, Op. 90 (1833), Italian

Allegro vivace Andante con moto Con moto moderato Presto and Finale: Saltarello

1. [10:03 AM] Mvt 1: Allegro vivace
   [pause/interruption for Krzysztof Urbanski comments to the symphony performers]
2. [10:06 AM] Mvt 1: Allegro vivace … at least 7 snippets/takes
   [10:15 AM Krzysztof seems a little frustrated, let's try it again…]
3. [10:16 AM] Mvt 1: Allegro vivace … at least 4 snippets/takes
   [10:20 AM more instruction from K]
4. [10:21 AM] Mvt 1: Allegro vivace … 2 more snippets/takes
   [10:22 AM comments from K]
5. [10:23 AM] Mvt 1: Allegro vivace … marker 8 … another take or two
   [10:25 AM comments from K]
6. [10:26 AM] Mvt 1: Allegro vivace … marker 15 on through the end of this movement, then back to repeat a few phrases
   [10:29 AM comments from K]
7. [10:30 AM] Mvt 1: Allegro vivace … marker 17, two takes
   [10:32 AM comments from K]
8. [10:33 AM] Mvt 1: Allegro vivace … marker 18
   [10:34 AM brief pause, then performance continues]
9. [10:36 AM] Mvt 2: Andante con moto … marker 6 … at least six takes
   [10:43 AM comments from K]
10. [10:44 AM] Mvt 2: Andante con moto … marker 6 … another 5-6 takes
    [10:48 AM comments from K]
11. [10:49 AM] Mvt 2: Andante con moto … marker 12 on through the end of this movement
    [10:51 AM comments from K]
12. [10:52 AM] Mvt 2: Andante con moto … marker 15 … a few more takes
    [10:54 AM comments from K about the start of Mvt 3]
13. [10:55 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 2B … four or five more takes
    [11:00 AM comments from K to “01”?]
14. [11:01 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 3 … several more takes
    [set ends 11:05 AM; applause from all; intermission!]

[11:25 AM everyone back to start the second round of rehearsals]
[11:27 AM tuning]

1. [11:27 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 7A … a couple takes
   [11:28 AM comments from K]
2. [11:29 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 7A … a couple takes
   [11:31 AM comments from K]
3. [11:32 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 5A … a couple takes
   [11:33 AM comments from K]
4. [11:34 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 6
   [11:35 AM comments from K]
5. [11:37 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 4A
   [11:37 AM stop]
6. [11:37 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 4A through to end Mvt
   [11:43 AM comments from K]
7. [11:44 AM] Mvt 4: Presto and Finale: Saltarello … marker 8
   [11:45 AM Krzysztof dismisses the horns & percussion; strings and woodwinds remain for additional rehearsal]
8. [11:46 AM] Mvt 4: Presto and Finale: Saltarello … marker 9
   [11:49 AM comments from K]
9. [11:49 AM] Mvt 4: Presto and Finale: Saltarello … marker 4?
   [11:50 AM comments from K]
10. [11:50 AM] Mvt 4: Presto and Finale: Saltarello … marker 4 again
    [11:54 AM comments from K]
11. [11:54 AM] Mvt 4: Presto and Finale: Saltarello … marker 4B … a couple takes
    [11:56 AM comments from K]
12. [11:57 AM] Mvt 4: Presto and Finale: Saltarello … marker 2
    [11:58 AM comments from K]
13. [11:59 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker unintelligible
    [12:06 AM comments from K]
14. [12:07 AM] Mvt 3: Con moto moderato … marker 7
    [12:08 AM final comments from K, thanks to all, done!]

• Krzysztof Urbanski: conductor;
• symphony members vary by program; see the current list.

Unexpected BART delays this morning meant that I arrived about 10 minutes late – not so late to miss coffee & donuts, but late enough that I decided to skip the pre-rehearsal talk instead of sliding in after the start.

The rehearsal today was decidedly that – nothing like a full run-through that I'd hoped for. Instead, this event was a continual dialogue between Krzysztof Urbanski and the symphony members, though the performers side of the conversation was distinctly non-verbal for the most part!

Sadly, as Krzysztof was not wired or mic'd, it was quite difficult to hear most of his remarks, so what was communicated to most of the audience was mumbling and inscrutable hand-waving. Harumph!

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