It’s September and off we go. . . .
Both the Opera and Symphony have official Opening Nights which are capital-S-Society occasions, and though I have to admit I’m too much of a musical snob to consider them of much interest, they do signal to a lot of people that it’s showtime again.
The San Francisco Opera presents Puccini’s Turandot with Irene Theorin, Marco Berti, and Leah Crocetto; the company premiere of Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia with Renee Fleming; and the world premiere of Heart of a Soldier, music by Christopher Theofanidis and libretto by Donna DiNovelli, with Thomas Hampson, William Burden, and Melody Moore.
The San Francisco Symphony launches its centennial season; this month we have (among other things) the Mahler 3 and a premiere from Thomas Ades.
The New Century Chamber Orchestra has a concert billed as Carmen Revisited, but Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite actually seems like the least interesting part of the program, which also features Stuart Canin in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and (the most appealing to me) Bartok’s Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta. September 22-25, in various locations.
The Aurora Theater opens its seasons with Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance (downtown Berkeley, September 2 through October 9). Check the start times: Aurora Theater starts at 7:00 on some days and 8:00 on others, for which I salute them – as you might know, I am increasingly annoyed and put off by the area-standard 8:00 start times.
Shotgun Players (right by the Ashby BART station) is now starting its Thursday shows at 7:00, so let me salute them too. They have Adam Bock’s adaptation of Phaedre running from September 21 to October 23.
Other Minds offers Something Else: A Fluxus Semicentenary 15-17 September.
Terry Riley performs a solo recital at the Berkeley Art Museum at 7:30 on Friday September 9.
The Stein collection has closed, but the Picasso show from the Musee National Picasso in Paris is at the DeYoung through October 10, and the Legion of Honor offers Dutch and Flemish Masterworks from the Rose-Marie and Erik van Otterloo Collection through October 2 and the Mourners from the medieval Burgundian tomb of John the Fearless through the end of the year.
Cal Performances starts off with the Mark Morris Dance Group in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, accompanied by Philharmonia Baroque, featuring soloists Stephanie Blythe and Philip Cutlip. Herbie Hancock is on September 21. And their annual Free for All, which is exactly what it sounds like, is Sunday September 25.
6 comments:
Sorry to tell you, the Bartok is no longer on the NCCO program. :(
Oh, thank you, and damn! I see it's been replaced by Ernest Bloch: Concerto Grosso No. 1 with Piano Obbligato.
I swear I checked on line yesterday, but I was in a bit of a hurry -- did this just change, or did I not read carefully enough?
Dear Patrick: I'll tell Dede hello for you tonight at the Symphony opening. I'm sure she's missed you terribly after that long summer break, even though you do sometimes admit to musical snobbery.
And yuck! Replacing Bartok with Bloch? No...
Mike, Give Dede big air kisses from me: four, one for each cheek (that's a Duke Ellington line, so I'm just sure she'd find it delicious!)
I remember seeing Dido and Aeneas back when Mr. Morris played Dido . . . I'll let you know what MMDG is doing out here!
Yes, last time I saw Dido (maybe 11 years ago?) Morris was still dancing Dido and the Sorcerer; this will be my first time seeing other dancers in those roles.
Yes, let me know what's going on when! Though I just got the termite report on my house and shouldn't plan expensive trips (not as bad as it might be, but I should have some work done).
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