Bay Area classical scene about to heat up in a big way — here’s a guide
Highlights include MTT's final season at SF Symphony, new offerings from Bay Area opera companies and Jonathan Biss playing Beethoven.
The fall classical season is all about the new – new works, new explorations, artists collaborating in new and exciting ways.
It starts with opera. San Francisco Opera opens its season Sept. 6 with “Romeo & Juliet,” with soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Bryan Hymel singing the title roles of Gounod’s Romantic masterpiece; the next night, the company unveils its much-awaited production of Britten’s “Billy Budd.” This month also brings revivals of Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” at Opera San Jose and Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” at Livermore Valley Opera.
There’s much more to come. The San Francisco Symphony’s Opening Night Gala at Davies Hall (Sept. 4) launches Michael Tilson Thomas’s final season as music director and honors his husband, Joshua Robison. Later in the month, Tilson Thomas will conduct an all-San Francisco concert, lead two performances with Metallica at the new Chase Center and introduce the world premiere of Berkeley composer John Adams’ latest orchestral work at Davies. Nicholas McGegan, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra’s beloved music director, also embarks on his final season, and conductor Joseph Young begins his tenure at Berkeley Symphony. The California Symphony and Symphony Silicon Valley kick off their seasons with excellent programs.
Solo and chamber works also thrive. Cal Performances presents pianist Jonathan Biss in a season-long exploration of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas; San Francisco Performances’ schedule has events featuring pianists Natasha Paremsky and Alfredo Rodriguez, the Calidore String Quartet and guitarist Jason Vieaux. San Francisco-based New Century Chamber Orchestra, the East Bay’s Gold Coast Chamber Players, and the South Bay’s Steinway series have enticing programs in store. And check out Bryce Dessner’s “Triptych,” coming to Cal Performances and Stanford Live. In order of appearance, here are our top ten recommendations.
“Billy Budd”: Expect a perfect storm when San Francisco Opera presents Benjamin Britten’s powerful seagoing drama, based on Herman Melville’s novella. Tony Award-winning director Michael Grandage helms the production, which features a star-studded cast with John Chest in the title role, William Burden as the evil Captain Vere and Christian Van Horne as Claggart. Details: Sept. 7-22, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, $26-$398; 415-864-3330; sfopera.com.
California Symphony: “Iconic Beethoven” is the title of the Walnut Creek-based orchestra’s opener. Music director Donato Cabrera conducts the composer’s “Creatures of Prometheus” Overture and Symphony No. 5, along with Mahler lieder and Gabriela Lena Frank’s “La Centinela y la Paloma,” featuring mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway. Details: Sept. 14-15, Lesher Center, Walnut Creek; $42-$72; 925-943-7469; www.californiasymphony.org.
“Die Fledermaus”: It’s the essence of Viennese charm: Opera San Jose gets off to an effervescent start with Johann Strauss’ operetta, conducted by Michael Morgan. Details: Sept. 14-29, California Theatre, San Jose; $55-$195; 408-437-4450; www.operasj.org.
“Bill and Flicka: Generous Spirits”: Two opera greats collaborate on one great program. Mezzo-soprano Frederica Von Stade and tenor William Burden, presented by Opera Parallèle, appear one night only in this duo recital featuring music by Britten, Duparc, Marcus Shelby and others. Details: Sept. 19, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, $35-$150; 415-392-4400; operaparallele.org.
S.F. Symphony and John Adams: Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the world premiere of John Adams’ “I Still Dance,” co-commissioned by the Symphony and Carnegie Hall. The program also includes sensational pianist Daniil Trifonov, playing Rachmaninoff’s piano Concerto No. 4, and Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish.” Details: 2 p.m. Sept. 19 and 22; 8 p.m. Sept. 20-21, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, $20-$160; 415-864-6000; sfsymphony.org.
Jonathan Biss plays Beethoven: As he approaches the end of a nine-year project to record Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas, Biss returns to Cal Performances to perform the full cycle in honor of the composer’s 250th birthday. These appearances, each with a separate program, kick off a season-long endeavor that Beethoven aficionados won’t want to miss. Details: Sept. 21 and 22, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley; $34-$76; 510-642-9988; calperformances.org.
“Triptych (Eyes of One on Another): Composer Bryce Dessner and librettist Korde Arrington Tuttle meditate on the legacy of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in this new work melding music, poetry and Mapplethorpe’s iconic images, performed by Roomful of Teeth and a 9-piece ensemble. Details: 8 p.m. Sept. 28, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley; also Oct. 3, Memorial Auditorium, Stanford University; $15-$63; calperformances.org; live.stanford.edu.
Oakland Symphony: “Hot as Hell/Cool Jazz” is the title of the Symphony’s season opener. Music director Michael Morgan mixes it up with Boito’s Prologue from “Mefistofele” and a new work by Taylor Eigsti, with the composer on piano and Josiah Woodson on trumpet. Details: Oct. 11, Paramount Theatre, Oakland; $25-$90; 510-444-0802; www.oaklandsymphony.org.
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: Nicholas McGegan launches his final season as music director of the Bay Area’s leading Baroque ensemble with “A Cosmic Notion,” featuring the world premiere of “The Listeners” by Caroline Shaw and works by Handel. Details: 8 p.m. Oct. 17, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18, First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto; 8 p.m. and 4 p.m. Oct. 19-20, First Congregational Church, Berkeley; $32-$120; philharmonia.org.
Z.E.N. Trio: San Francisco Performances presents the fast-rising U.K.-based trio in a program featuring Schubert, Brahms and Shostakovich. Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; $45-$70; 415-392-2545; sfperformances.org.
Contact Georgia Rowe at growe@pacbell.net.