The Bay Area is a hot bed of innovation, and it is no different for the classical music scene here. As the traditional audience ages, the Bay Area’s classical music scene is looking to widen the appeal of their offerings, whether it is to focus on youth education, unusual pieces, or under-served communities.
Fall marks the start of the classical music season with the glittery galas from San Francisco Opera (Sept. 11) and San Francisco Symphony (Sept. 24). The opera opens with one of Verdi’s lesser performed works, Luisa Miller, the plot comes from Schiller’s play Intrigue and Love, while the symphony features actor Patrick Stewart singing Broadway show tunes.
Stretching beyond the society set, many smaller arts organizations open soon from Opera San José (Sept. 12) and Stanford Live (Sept. 19) in the South Bay to Green Music Center (Oct. 3) in Wine Country. Much of the programming is standard repertoire — Puccini, Schubert, and Bach — but there are also clear attempts to broaden the audience.
San Francisco Opera’s Sweeney Todd
Sept. 12 – 29
Schedule and Details
San Francisco Opera has performed the 1927 musical Show Boat, but this Fall is going even further by bringing Broadway hit Sweeney Todd to the War Memorial Stage. Less intimidating than true opera, Sondheim’s 1979 thriller has been introduced to a new generation through a film adaptation in 2007. Unlike with Show Boat, the cast looks to be entirely made up of opera singers, including Stephanie Blythe (Mrs. Lovett) who is known for her Wagner and Verdi roles. Versatile Brian Mulligan sings the title role, his rich voice seems equally comfortable portraying Valentin in Faust or Nixon in Nixon in China. Likewise, Maestro Patrick Summers can conduct everything from Baroque to contemporary with aplomb and it would not be surprising if this musical is led with his characteristic fluidity.
Berkeley RADICAL at Cal Performances
Sept. 22-26
Schedule and Details
Berkeley RADICAL stands for “Research And Development Initiative in Creativity, Arts and Learning,” and is Cal Performances new initiative to build a younger audience. The inaugural program begins with a residency of popular conductor Gustavo Dudamel and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (SBSOV), who have sold out events in their last appearances together here in 2012. They might be playing some very traditional music — this year’s theme is Beethoven — but SBSOV has its roots as a youth orchestra and the conductor himself is only 34. Included are performances at Berkeley middle schools and a full day symposium about Beethoven’s 9th and its impact on our culture. The five days culminate in concerts of Beethoven’s 7th and 8th at Zellerbach Hall on Sept. 24 and his 9th at the Hearst Greek Theatre on Sept. 25. The orchestra and Dudamel have an incredible amount of energy, and should have no trouble filling either venue with excitement and sheer sound.
Scarlatti’s La gloria di primavera at Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Oct. 4 – 10
Schedule and Details
Even period-instrument ensembles can bring new life to old work, as is the case with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Alessandro Scarlatti’s La gloria di primavera (“The Glory of Spring”), which has not been performed in 300 years. This serenata was written for the birth of Leopold John, Archduke of Austria in 1716. First performed in Naples, the piece was performed twice more, likely to accommodate the large number people who wanted to hear it. In addition to the renowned, historically-informed ensemble, the piece requires five vocal soloists, which will be provided by the Philharmonia’s fine Chorale, and will be conducted by Nicolas McGegan, who celebrates 30 years with the orchestra this season. The piece will also be taken to Carnegie Hall next May. Moreover, Philharmonia Baroque is trying to expand its audience with its SESSIONS program, an informal guided tour of classical music with a concise 90-minute run time. The next concert is on Nov. 9 at ODC Theater and features harpsichordist Richard Egarr leading excerpts from Bach’s Brandenburg concertos.
Bridge to Beethoven at San Francisco Performances
Nov. 4 – 7
Schedule and Details
Violinist Jennifer Koh brings her Bridge to Beethoven project with pianist Shai Wosner to San Francisco Performances this fall. Four recitals feature ten sonatas for violin and piano by Beethoven paired with newly commissioned work that was influenced by the revolutionary composer. The Nov. 4 recital includes Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata and 2013 MacArthur Fellow Vijay Iyer’s Bridgewater Fantasy in conversation with “Kreutzer,” while the Nov. 7 recital focuses on Beethoven’s Op. 24 in F Major “Spring” and Jörg Widmann’s Sommersonate (“Summer Sonata”). Koh is a dynamic player with a great deal of stamina — she was the violin soloist in the recent tour of Philip Glass’ 5-hour epic Einstein On The Beach — the Bridge to Beethoven performances are sure to be intense. (The second two recitals follow in March and April next year.)
The Nightmare Before Christmas at San Francisco Symphony
Nov. 25 – 28
Schedule and Details
After years of presenting silent films with live accompaniment, the San Francisco Symphony started an immensely popular film series in 2013-2014. This continues with Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas on Nov. 25, 26, and 28. This dark comedic movie kicks off the series this season, which includes It’s a Wonderful Life, Vertigo, and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Conducted by Joshua Gerson, the symphony will play Danny Elfman’s charmingly spooky score as the stop-motion animated film is projected above the stage. In our very visual culture, it helps to bring people into the symphony hall by giving them something to focus on besides simply music, and this painstakingly created work should be gratifying to see on a large screen. One can only imagine the music by Elfman — best known as the singer and songwriter of Oingo Boingo — will be a delightful change of pace for the symphony.
Savitri and River of Light at Festival Opera
Nov. 13 – 15
Schedule and Details
One of Festival Opera’s missions is to make the art form accessible to a diverse population. As the number of Indian-Americans in the Bay Area surges, the regional East Bay company looks to engage this community with two works that draw on South Asian themes. The first half of the program features Gustav Holst, best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, who had a strong interest in Indian mythology and wrote the chamber opera Savitri. Based on Mahabharata, the piece stars Indian-American soprano Maya Kherani, who recently received a M.A. from San Francisco Conservatory of Music and is familiar to local audiences for her brilliant coloratura. Kherani performed in the world premiere of Jack Perla‘s River of Light in Houston last year, and Festival Opera presents the West Coast premiere as the second half of this double-bill. River of Light deals with the immigrant experience in America, the libretto is from author Chitra Divakaruni, whose book The Mistress of Spices was made into a 2005 film. San Francisco-based composer Perla is a pianist influenced by jazz and classical traditions, his music for this piece is scored for tabla (a percussion instrument) and sitar in addition to violin, cello, and piano.
