San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, June 12, 2022

San Francisco Symphony presents Peter Sellars' staging of the 1948 revisions of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex & Symphony of Psalms, featuring J'Nai Bridges, Laurel Jenkins, Breezy Leigh, Sean Panikkar, Jose Simerilla Romero, & Willard White
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA
2:00 PM, Sunday, June 12, 2022

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• Igor Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex [semi-staged];
• Igor Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms [semi-staged]

[2:05 PM] {pre-recorded announcements}
[2:06 PM] {enter EPS}

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971): Oedipus Rex (1948 revision)

1. [2:06 PM] Antigone: opening speech
2. [2:08 PM] (begin music)
   {As detailed notes weren't provided, I didn't try to track the performance}
   [3:12 PM] {work ends; applause & bows; curtain call with Peter Sellars}
   [3:13 PM] {set break}

[3:36 PM] {lights down; tuning}

Igor Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms (1948 revision)

1. [3:37 PM] Prelude (Psalm 38:13-14)
2. [3:47 PM] Double Fugue (Psalm 39:2-4)
3. [3:56 PM] Alleluia (Psalm 150)
   [4:09 PM] {show ends}

San Francisco Symphony & Chorus

• Esa-Pekka Salonen: conductor, music director;
• Andrew Whitfield: guest choral director;
• symphony members vary by program; see the current list.

• J'Nai Bridges: mezzo-soprano vox, as Jocasta, mother/wife of Oedipus;
• Laurel Jenkins: dancer, as Ismene, a daughter of Oedipus & Jocasta;
• Breezy Leigh: actress, as Antigone, a daughter of Oedipus & Jocasta;
• Sean Panikkar: tenor vox, as Oedipus;
• Jose Simerilla Romero: tenor vox, as shepherd;
• Willard White: bass-baritone vox as Creon, brother of Jocasta; messenger; and Tiresias, blind prophet of Apollo.

It's a laugh to see a credit for costume design when the primary characters all appeared in various iterations of casual modern dress. I don't get the artistic impulse there – how does that choice help the storyline or message in any way?

Likewise, why should the stage-dressing for Oedipus consist of various proto-African thrones and heraldic sculptures? Shouldn't that choice be consistent with the costuming?

Whoa! This section is incomplete for now, sorry!

Program Notes or program notes

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