One of the many benefits of living in the Bay Area is enjoying Michael Tilson Thomas. It must be clear to you, or, with very little effort, become clear to you that Maestro Thomas is both a leading music director and the leading innovator in music direction.
The San Francisco Symphony is preparing to celebrate it's 100th anniversary and Maestro Thomas and his team have put together an amazing roster of performances and events. Be sure to take a look because I guarantee you there's something that will interest you no matter what your taste or interest. [Here's a complete rundown from the San Francisco Chronicle of the season.]
Here are some of the highlights that fit into my own aesthetic agenda:
- Sept. 21, 22, 24, 25 (m) - Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Katarina Karnéus, mezzo-soprano; women of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus; Ragnar Bohlin, director. Mahler: Symphony No. 3.
- Nov. 23, 25, 26 - Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Gil Shaham, violin. Wagner: Prelude to Act III of "Lohengrin"; Brahms: Violin Concerto; Brahms/ Schoenberg: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor.
- March 8, 9 - American Mavericks Festival: Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Paul Jacobs, organ. Copland: Orchestral Variations; Harrison: Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra; Ives/Brant: "A Concord Symphony."
- March 15, 16, 17 - American Mavericks Festival: Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Emanuel Ax, piano; Mason Bates, laptop; St. Lawrence String Quartet; San Francisco Symphony Chorus; Ragnar Bohlin, director. Mason Bates: "Mass Transmission"; John Adams: "Absolute Jest"; Feldman: "Piano and Orchestra"; Varèse: "Amériques."
- June 14, 15, 16, 17 (m) - Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Yuja Wang, piano. Fauré: "Pavane"; Sibelius: Symphony No. 3; Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3.
- Oct. 23 - Los Angeles Philharmonic; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Johannes Moser, electric cello; John Adams: "Tromba lontana"; Enrico Chapela: Concerto for Electric Cello; Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5.
Here's a snippet from the NYTimes about the symphony's centennary season:
With his strong theatrical roots, Mr. Tilson Thomas is better positioned to turn concerts into multimedia experiences than many other music directors.
His grandparents Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky were Yiddish theater stars. In 2005, Mr. Tilson Thomas based a musical revue, “The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of Life in the Yiddish Theater,” on them.
“Michael Tilson Thomas has been at the vanguard of multimedia programming,” said Chad Smith, the vice president for artistic planning for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Although Mr. Tilson Thomas relishes exploring the scenic possibilities of the concert hall, his strength as a stage director emphasizes subtlety over spectacle. [more]
