San Francisco Symphony Opening Gala: Glinka, Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila; Stravinsky, Violin Concerto; Dvorak, Symphony No. 8; Christian Tetzlaff, violin; San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, 06.09.2006 (HS)

 

 

Stravinsky's tart neo-classic violin concerto is not usually the stuff of opening galas, but San Francisco Symphony music director Michael Tilson Thomas has a higher opinion of his audience than to toss the usual pops-concert bouquets at them. Applause between every movement in the concerto and the Dvorak Symphony No. 8, which followed intermission, suggested that the general level of sophistication may have been somewhat south of what he expected.

Fortunately, the performances themselves fairly burst with life. If there was a theme to this concert, it was rhythm. The Glinka overture practically danced with glee. Violinist Christian Tetzlaff virtually danced himself, as he and Tilson Thomas reveled in Stravinsky's jaunty rhythms. The Dvorak symphony also relies on rhythmic propulsion, ranging from the fairly stately to something considerably wilder at the climaxes.

After this one concert at home, Tilson Thomas takes the orchestra on a European tour later this month that includes concerts in Luxembourg and a residency at the Lucerne Festival. They will be doing this program, a Mahler Symphony No. 8 and a third program of Ives, Ravel and Rismky-Korsakoff. It is the first year of a three-year commitment to Lucerne. The San Francisco season won't resume until Sept 28.

In the opening gala, Tetzlaff's unbuttoned performance of the Stravinsky was considerably more pedal-to-the-metal than I've heard from him in the past. Usually, he is a violinist of perfect articulation who lets the music speak for itself. Here, he dug into the rhythms with abandon, and if intonation veered off slightly, it was a small price for the excitement he generated.

As expected he was soulful and eloquent in the two arias that are at the center of the concerto, but the surprise was in how buoyant a sound he got in the spicier outer movements. This kind of metrical juiciness is something this orchestra and conductor do well, so the piece became a real treat to hear.

Although I've heard it played faster, the Glinka overture galloped along at a brisk enough pace that real dancers would have had considerable trouble keeping up. And it announced clearly what the evening would be about.

The Dvorak symphony started off with curvy, shapely phrasing in the stately opening section, blossoming beautifully into rich textures that strode confidently through the first movement exposition. The warm-hearted second movement found a comfortable balance with its out-of-nowhere band-like interruptions, and the intermezzo-like third movement moved gracefully through its simple, folk-like music. The finale, with its brass fanfares and variations on a dance theme, brought the proceedings to a brilliant close.

The newcomers may have got a richer musical meal than they expected, like the young gentleman behind me who sounded as if he had been dragged to the opening gala by his impeccably coifed wife. He was puzzled at the number of musicians leaving the stage after the overture for the scaled-down orchestration of the concerto. "They're just playing musical chairs," she explained. But he left the hall smiling, proving that lively music-making can win them over.

 

 

Harvey Steiman