San Francisco Symphony
Beethoven Project: MTT Explores Early Beethoven
2013-05-02
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA
8:00 PM, Thursday, May 2, 2013

[8:00 PM lights, announcement]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) (arr. Bolin): Adelaide (1796) (ca. 6 min)

• Ragnar Bolin: conductor;
• Robin Sutherland: piano.
  [8:09 PM pause]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II (1790), WoO 87 (ca. 30 min)

1. Choir and Soloists: Tot! Tot, stöhnt es durch die öde Nacht
2. Recitative: Ein Ungeheuer, sein Name Fanatismus
3. Aria: Da kam Joseph, mit Gottes Stärke
4. Aria with Chorus: Da stiegen die Menschen an's Licht
5. Recitative: Er schläft, von den Sorgen seiner Welten entladen
6. Aria: Hier schlummert seinen stillen Frieden der grosse Dulder
7. Choir and Soloists: Tot! Tot, stöhnt es durch die öde Nacht
   [8:51 PM ends … applause to ?8:55]

* Barry Banks: tenor vox; * Andrew Foster-Williams: bass-baritone vox; * Sally Matthews: soprano vox; * Tamara Mumford: mezzo-soprano vox.

[9:14 PM lights down]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Sonatina in C for Mandolin and Fortepiano (1796), WoO 44a (ca. 4 min)

• Joseph Brent: mandolin;
• Eric Zivian: fortepiano.
  [work ends 9:17 PM, pause]

[9:19 PM ready to roll!]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 2 in D (1802) (ca. 34 min)

1. Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
2. Larghetto (in A major)
3. Scherzo: Allegro
4. Allegro molto
   [work ends 9:55 PM]

* Barry Banks: tenor vox; * Ragnar Bolin: conductor, choral director; * Joseph Brent: mandolin; * Andrew Foster-Williams: bass-baritone vox; * Sally Matthews: soprano vox; * Tamara Mumford: mezzo-soprano vox; * Robin Sutherland: piano; * Michael Tilson Thomas: conductor; * Eric Zivian: fortepiano; * members of San Francisco Symphony TBD; * members of San Francisco Symphony Chorus TBD.

While I agree with Stephen Smoliar's assertion (read his review) that the first three works on the program are all comparatively light weight, I disagree with his criticism that the program should have been focused on how Beethoven got around to writing his 2nd Symphony, and I appreciated the programming decisions that led to the inclusion of the three more obscure pieces that got things started tonight.

Unfortunately, my experience of the first set was marred somewhat by the grunts and creaks of the woman sitting in front of me, who couldn't remain still (or quiet) for more than 30 seconds. Very distracting! Happily, I found a center section seat for the second half, allowing me to focus that much better on the musical presentation rather than my immediate environment.

For the first movement of the Symphony, I found it particularly interesting to watch Michael Tilson Thomas, as a few minutes in, he caught my attention when he practically kicked up his heels to do a Peanuts-style “happy dance.” Must've been the sheer joy of “driving” the symphony down the road! At some point this led to the bottom of one pant leg getting caught at shoe-top on his ankle, giving him a funny, off-balanced look. A few minutes later, MTT tossed off another little dance, but this time he grimaced and paused mid-kick to reach down and massage his left knee as if to suggest the extra exuberance came at a price. Sometimes young at heart will only get you so far!!

Midway through the larghetto I was further distracted when I noticed one of the patrons a few rows up and to the far left was wearing industrial safety goggles. Huh? Perhaps a precaution against invisible lasers emanating from the brass section? Stranger still, it appeared that this gentleman had inserted a flourescent orange highlighter behind the goggles, extending upright from the nose, somewhat like a bright gold antenna. Mystifying! While it's possible that this person was wearing a spy pen or some other sort of flash recorder, it was hardly worn in an inconspicuous fashion, so my conclusion is that this was really just another San Francisco eccentric out for a night at the symphony.