Friday, May 30, 2008

San Francisco Performances/Advice Sought

I saw the San Francisco Performance press release for next season a couple of months ago, and didn't comment at the time. Now the brochure has dropped into my mailbox, and YUM.

At the top of the must-see list, of course, is the Carter Centenary Celebration, starring the Pacific Quartet, which plays all five of the string quartets, and Ursula Oppens, who plays all of the piano music. The weekend also includes a long talk by Robert Greenberg, a film, and a reception. Okay, well worth missing jujitsu camp for.

But that's not all. A recital by Leif Ove Andsnes and Christian Tetzlaff, a joint recital by the retiring Guarneri Quartet and the Johannes Quartet, sundry other chamber groups and soloists, and an evening I need advice on: a traversal of Philip Glass's Music in Twelve Parts. Should I go? Will it drive me crazy?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think it may be his best piece; I'd go if I could.

Which doesn't mean it won't drive you crazy.

Why not get hold of the recording and preview it in the privacy of your own home :-)

Lisa Hirsch said...

Recording! Oh, WHEW. I didn't know there was one. :)

Anonymous said...

http://www.amazon.com/Music-in-Twelve-Parts/dp/B0011ZWOMU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1212155995&sr=8-3

Ten bucks to download the whole thing from Amazon.

Patrick J. Vaz said...

I've already sent in my subscription -- how could I resist a Carter weekend? I also signed up for the Glass because even if it drives me crazy, it's a rare opportunity to be driven crazy by this particular piece. . . .

Lisa Hirsch said...

I need to download the thing from Amazon, but I'm leaning toward going for exactly that reason. I can leave if it's really torture.

Sator Arepo said...

Go, it's a good piece, and I'm not minimalist-inclined most days. It's relaxing, pretty, and...yeah.

I'd probably nap instead of leave, I've found that's the best strategy for Glass (and Feldman, for some reason).

No guarantees about driving you crazy.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Hmmm, yeah!

I will have to look at the Amazon downloads and how they work. I got some stuff from the DG web site, and they recommend iTunes, which I don't have because I don't have an iPod or other MP3 player. But using Windows Media Player to organize music is a royal PITA.

Anonymous said...

iTunes is a pretty useful tool for organizing your MP3s even if you don't have an iPod. Of course, it may put on the slippery slope to buying one.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Probably not - I have CD players at home, at work, and in the car, and don't have any particular interest in having more than, say, ten or twenty sets available at a time.

rb said...

iTunes works great for Amazon downloads- you don't need an iPod (i have several from being gifted with them and never think to use them though the men in my life are glued to theirs)

i've been told they're good for more than just music files- they're like little portable flash drives

i'd go to the Philip Glass, btw

Lisa Hirsch said...

Lol, you could sell them on eBay!

Thanks - and, yeah, you can put photos and other stuff on an iPod, or use it for backup.

I am thinking seriously about Glass.

Civic Center said...

Marijuana brownies, if your system gets along with them, is also a helpful pre-concert item for four hours of Philip Glass.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Lol, I'm sure, but I am the only person of my generation who has never tried marijuana.

Unknown said...

I'd definitely go to theGlass if I could.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Uh-oh! I guess I'll have to go. :)

Robert Gable said...

This post just showed up in an RSS feed for some reason. Five years later, I'm guessing you still regret the concert. Not all of us share this sentiment, of course.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Hahahaha. Well, I regret not bringing ear plugs!