Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra presents Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
2015-04-17
Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA
8:00 PM, Friday, April 17, 2015

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Rossini: La cambiale di matrimonio (The Marriage Contract)

[7:58 PM tuning, lights turn down v-e-r-y s–l–o–w–l–y]
[8:00 PM long (tedious) speech by Kay Sprinkel Grace]

all works this set by Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756-1791)

1. [8:09 PM] Overture in D Major, K. 106 »
2. [8:10 PM] “Per questa bella mano”, K.612 (1791)
   featuring Anthony Reed: bass vox; and Kristin Zoernig: contrabass.
3. [8:18 PM] Contredanse No. 1 in D Major, K. 106
4. [8:19 PM] “Nehmt meinen Dank”, K.383 (1782)
   featuring Julie Adams: soprano vox.
5. [8:22 PM] Contredanse No. 2 in A Major, K. 106
6. [8:23 PM] “Con un vezzo all’Italiana” from La finta giardiniera, Act II, No.14 Aria, K. 196 (1775)
   featuring Edward Nelson: baritone vox.
7. [8:28 PM] Contredanse No. 3 in B-flat Major, K. 106
8. [8:29 PM] “Dite almeno, in che mancai”, K. 479 (1785)
   featuring Julie Adams: soprano vox; Edward Nelson: baritone vox; Anthony Reed: bass vox; Brian Thorsett: tenor vox.
   [set ends 8:35 PM; all off after a minute or so]

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868): La cambiale di matrimonio (The Marriage Contract, 1810)

[8:56 PM tuning, lights down]

1. [8:57 PM] Sinfonia
2. [9:03 PM] Scene I
3. [9:14 PM] Scene II
4. [9:21 PM] Scene III
5. [9:26 PM] Scene IV
6. [9:38 PM] Scene V
7. [9:42 PM] Scene VI
8. [9:50 PM] Scene VII
9. [9:59 PM] Finale
   [show ends 10:12 PM; all off after a few minutes for applause and bows]

• Jacqueline Piccolino as Fanny, Mill's daughter;
• Anthony Reed as Norton, a manservant;
• Efraín Solís as Slook, a Canadian merchant;
• Matthew Stump as Tobia Mill, an English merchant;
• Brian Thorsett as Edward Milfort, Fanny's fiancé;
• Nian Wang as Clarina, a maidservant.

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

• Paul Avril: horn;
• Elizabeth Blumenstock: violin;
• Danny Bond: principal bassoon;
• David Daniel Bowes: viola;
• Phoebe Carrai: cello;
• Maria Ionia Caswell: viola;
• Ronny Michael Greenberg: fortepiano;
• Lisa Grodin: violin;
• Paul Hale: cello;
• Diane Heffner: clarinet;
• Eric Hoeprich: principal clarinet;
• R.J. Kelley: principal horn;
• Katherine Kyme: concertmaster, violin;
• Tyler Lewis: violin;
• Noah Lindquist: fortepiano;
• Anthony Martin: principal viola;
• Nicholas McGegan: conductor, music director;
• Carla Moore: principal second violin;
• Maxine Nemerovski: violin;
• Ellie Nishi: viola;
• Gonzalo X. Ruiz: oboe;
• Marc Schachman: principal oboe;
• Janet See: flute;
• William Skeen: cello;
• Timothy Spears: contrabass;
• Laurie Young Stevens: violin;
• Noah Strick: violin;
• Tanya Tomkins: principal cello;
• Kate van Orden: bassoon;
• Jolianne von Einem: violin;
• Lisa Weiss: violin;
• Gabrielle Wunsch: violin;
• Alicia Yang: violin;
• Kristin Zoernig: principal contrabass.

• Julie Adams: soprano vox;
• Ted Huffman: director;
• Edward Nelson: baritone vox;
• Jacqueline Piccolino: soprano vox;
• Anthony Reed: bass vox;
• Efraín Solís: baritone vox;
• Matthew Stump: bass-baritone vox;
• Brian Thorsett: tenor vox;
• Nian Wang: mezzo-soprano vox;

Tonight's entertainment was pretty fun – about what I expected as far as the opera went – and certainly well worth the money for the balcony ticket (bargain of the year, that!). I thought it was a little odd that the Program Notes omitted any mention of the controversy over the Mozart Contredanses, K. 106 (ca. 1783, or possibly 1790), that served as musical breaks in the first set – numerous references online list them as spurious, being ascribed to Mozart without convincing proof. Wish I'd read that before the show … probably would have listened more closely so as to be able to offer my two cents on the subject.

And it was fun hanging out in the lobby upstairs after the show – free drinks and dessert? I'll stick around for that! Many thanks to the sponsors – the SFGLBQ Freinds of PBO? – for their generosity in putting on this season-ending celebration and inviting us to share in the party.

Stephen Smoliar posted a review for the Examiner.

Steven Winn posted review for SFCV.

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