Really fine essay about the SF Symphony concert, absolutely one of your best. I love "El Dorado" too, by the way, and even heard the world premiere at Davies Hall decades ago. Thanks for confirming that I made the right decision in not going to the Age of Enlightenment concert. I looked at the posted program and thought, "Gosh, this makes KDFC programming look sophisticated." I went to the New Century Chamber Orchestra concert of Bartok and Shostakovich instead on Sunday afternoon, and it was great.
Re: Flat Baroque -- yes, very familiar pieces, and yes the odd awful bit of humor (not unlike "flat Baroque" in one instance). BUT -- another perspective from which to view the recent OAE performance at Zellerbach, and the great pleasure it gave me and my friend (a retired music professor, who enlightened me about the difference in bow design between then and now, among other things). How often does one have the opportunity to hear these pieces played live on era-appropriate instruments by a small group of such enthusiastic and dedicated musicians? In my experience, not very!
PS. I too could have done without the Pachelbel
PPS. SO glad and grateful to still have Kosman's insights available!
I like Carmina Burana but I am happy you now have the freedom to bash it.
But what would your preferred pairing have been, since other famous pieces (Tchaikovsky symphonies) aren't it? At 30ish minutes, After the Fall is probably too short to be the only work on the program. Would you have programmed an all-Adams night? Some lesser-known long symphonic work?
Also, I thought Esa-Pekka Salonen was responsible for the symphony's programming as its artistic director. Does the marketing department really control the pairings?
I can’t express adequately my enthusiasm for what I’ve come to think of as “Kosman Unbound”.
Really fine essay about the SF Symphony concert, absolutely one of your best. I love "El Dorado" too, by the way, and even heard the world premiere at Davies Hall decades ago. Thanks for confirming that I made the right decision in not going to the Age of Enlightenment concert. I looked at the posted program and thought, "Gosh, this makes KDFC programming look sophisticated." I went to the New Century Chamber Orchestra concert of Bartok and Shostakovich instead on Sunday afternoon, and it was great.
Re: Flat Baroque -- yes, very familiar pieces, and yes the odd awful bit of humor (not unlike "flat Baroque" in one instance). BUT -- another perspective from which to view the recent OAE performance at Zellerbach, and the great pleasure it gave me and my friend (a retired music professor, who enlightened me about the difference in bow design between then and now, among other things). How often does one have the opportunity to hear these pieces played live on era-appropriate instruments by a small group of such enthusiastic and dedicated musicians? In my experience, not very!
PS. I too could have done without the Pachelbel
PPS. SO glad and grateful to still have Kosman's insights available!
I like Carmina Burana but I am happy you now have the freedom to bash it.
But what would your preferred pairing have been, since other famous pieces (Tchaikovsky symphonies) aren't it? At 30ish minutes, After the Fall is probably too short to be the only work on the program. Would you have programmed an all-Adams night? Some lesser-known long symphonic work?
Also, I thought Esa-Pekka Salonen was responsible for the symphony's programming as its artistic director. Does the marketing department really control the pairings?