San Francisco Symphony presents Emanuel Ax
2015-01-11
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA
7:00 PM, Sunday, January 11, 2015

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• Debussy: Estampes
• Rameau: Pièces de clavecin
• Debussy: Images, Series 1
• Chopin: Four Scherzi

[7:00 PM lights down, announcements]

Georges Bizet (1838-1875): Variations Chromatiques de concert (1868)

1. [7:00 PM] ?14 variations!? (Lost count about halfway through)
   [work ends 7:13 PM; applause for a minute or so, then off]

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764): Suite in G from Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de clavecin (ca. 1730)

1. [7:14 PM] Les Tricotets (the Knitters) Rondeau
2. [7:16 PM] L'Indifférente (the Indifferent)
3. [7:18 PM] Menuet I & II
4. [7:20 PM] La Poule (the Hen)
5. [7:23 PM] L'Enharmonique (the Enharmonic) Gracieusement
6. [7:27 PM] L'Egyptienne (the Egyptian)
   [work ends 7:29 PM; applause for a minute or so, then off]

Achille-Claude Debussy (1862-1918): Estampes (Prints), L. 103 (1903)

1. [7:29 PM] Pagodes (Pagodas)
2. [7:34 PM] La Soirée dans Grenade (The evening in Granada)
3. [7:39 PM] Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the rain)
   [work ends 7:42 PM]

1. [7:42 PM] Hommage à Rameau from Images for Piano, Set 1, L. 110 (1905)
2. [7:48 PM] L'Isle joyeuse (The Joyful Island), L. 106 (1904)
   [set ends 7:54 PM; applause, bows, and off after a minute or two]

[8:16 PM lights down]

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849): Four Scherzi

1. [8:17 PM] Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20 (1832): Presto con fuoco
2. [8:26 PM] Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31 (1837): Presto
3. [8:37 PM] Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39, in C-sharp minor (1839)
4. [8:45 PM] Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54 (1842)
   [set ends 8:56 PM; applause, bows, then off]
    
   Encore
5. [8:58 PM] Chopin: Waltz No. 19 in A minor, Op. 34 No. 2
   [show ends 9:02 PM; more applause, off and out by 9:04]

• Emanuel Ax: piano.

Installation of the new security barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge has translated to a major clusterf#@k on the Bay Bridge tonight – both directions are a total mess – so a quick change of plans and I'm headed to SF via BART, which seems to be about normally busy for a Sunday night.

Easy trip on BART, then a brisk walk gets me to the hall about 20 minutes early – plenty of time to sit outside and peruse the program while I cool off, but in retrospect,I should have taken the chance to go drop off my long sleeve underlayer because it was darn stuffy inside the hall once I went in. Gotta remember that for future visits!

Anyways, Ax played masterfully, spinning the entire program from memory as if it was the easiest thing in the world. And for him it probably was easy, that's one of the traits that qualifies him as a master worth my repeated attention!

I tried to keep track of the variations in the opening Bizet piece, but the transitions weren't necessarily all that clearly delineated –never more than a brief pause at best – and I have up after losing track somewhere around number seven. I think that was my introduction to the work. Seemed OK. Nothing super catchy, but decent enough that I wouldn't mind hearing it again.

The following suite by Rameau was a bit more engaging, as well as being much easier to follow. My favorite section was the enigmatic titled Egyptian that closed the suite. Very much like the perpetuo moto writing of Bach, this one clattered around this way and that, kept me hypnotized, for sure. Can't say that it sounded the least bit Egyptian, though. Maybe I should look up an explanation for the title.

The Debussy pieces that closed the first set were also quite satisfying. I found Gardens in the Rainand Homage to be particularly fine – something about their two meshed perfectly with my mood tonight.

Break offered another chance to head outside and cool down, so I leaped to my feet to applaud as Ax concluded the set, then headed out as soon as I was able. Whew!

Concluding the night with a set of Chopin seemed like a good idea to me, and Ax delivered in spades, racing, smashing, grilling and gliding elegantly through the four compositions on the program. It's easy to argue that the four Scherzi are so similar that programming them in sequence does them a disservice, but I found them distinct enough to enjoy individually. Very good! Always fun to hear Chopin performed with such skill and grace.

The show closed with multiple call backs – at least five – and a single, unidentified encore, of a shorter, less hurried piece than the preceding Scherzi. Thanks to Harvey Steiman for identifying it in his review of the show – the only one I could find! I look forward to seeing Ax again soon.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2015 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2015 event list! ☸ On to the next event!