SFS Programmers Surround Magnificent Beethoven with Misfits

The first Beethoven of 2020 celebrating the master’s 250th birthday at the San Francisco Symphony--a performance of his Second Piano Concerto by Emmanuel Ax, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting—was a great success.

Both soloist and conductor set a very high bar for what’s to come in this celebratory Beethoven year.

What was notable about last evening’s performance was not only Ax’s magnificent playing—one does not expect less from this master musician--but the superb support given the soloist by the SFS under MTT. 

Ax couldn’t have hoped for a better accompaniment than that provided by MTT and the San Francisco musicians. 

The reason might be that Ax inspires greatness in his musical partners. He not only is a terrific player but also a terrific human being and the musicians respond to this.

Emmanuel Ax

Having watched MTT perform for many years, I have noticed that playing with the best always brings out the very best in him. And so it was with Manny Ax last evening at Davies Hall. 

Of Beethoven’s five piano concertos, the second—one of Beethoven’s earliest pieces-- is certainly not his most popular. Ax made the strongest possible case for this youthful, witty, rollicking music, full of twists and turns and surprises that delight players and audience alike. 

The third movement’s infectious rondo is perhaps the most memorable part of the concerto but I also liked the slow second movement—simple but affecting. 

It was a good audience—no coughing, squirming in the seats, rattling the pages of the programs, cell phones going off and the like--and Ax responded to the enthusiastic applause at the end by offering a Chopin Mazurka as an encore. That’s the kind of programming that fit!

What didn’t fit, however, were the compositions the SFS authorities chose to surround the Beethoven with. 

It would not have mattered one iota if a cell phone or two had gone off during the evening’s opening selection, “Fountain of Youth” by Julia Wolfe. 

The contemporary piece was so noisy, raucous and bizarre that no one would have noticed an errant cell phone ring or two—perhaps it would have improved matters. Who could tell? 

The versatile San Francisco musicians did their best imitation of the Spike Jones’ classic “Cocktails for Two” in the Wolfe and a good time apparently was had by all—or so it would seem. I listened from as far back in the hall as I could get.

Michael Tilson Thomas

For me, the concert began and ended with the Beethoven. Yes it is true that I expected a terrific performance of Berg’s ‘Three Pieces for Orchestra’—an MTT specialty-- after the intermission but I didn’t want to ruin the afterglow of that joyous and sublime Beethoven piano concerto with the ‘Sturm und Drang’ of Alban Berg. Who needs it?

I left the concert hall at intermission with a smile on my face and Beethoven in my heart, putting off ‘Sturm und Drang’ for another day when I could better face up to it. 

That’s the best way to beat errant programmers when they fumble the ball as they did on this very special occasion by surrounding Beethoven with the wrong composers and compositions.