I'll have a full review of New Century Chamber Orchestra's current program in to SFCV later today; I should have posted immediately Thursday night to encourage readers to get to the program if they can. It is all excellent except for the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, which is stunningly great. Go see it, really. They're playing at Herbst in SF tonight and at the Osher Marin JCC tomorrow afternoon.
Also, Other Minds' last day is tonight at the SF JCC.
Lastly, SF Renaissance Voices, 7:30 tonight at Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, beginning a great run of spring and summer programs.
Thanks for the recommendation. I went to Herbst tonight on your say-so and realized it was the first time to hear Britten's "Serenade" live. What a great piece of music. The duet between the tenor and horn with the strings as the third voice is probably the coolest combination of instruments imaginable.
ReplyDeleteNow why doesn't the SFS play the "Spring Symphony" some time? It's equally great and it would be right up MTT and the Symphony Chorus' alley.
I am so glad you enjoyed it, and, yes, what a great piece. I had heard the Serenade live once before, a good 20 years ago. It was at St. John's Presbyterian in Berkeley, and it may have been NCCO playing, in fact. I don't remember much about that performance.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the "Spring Symphony" and any other Britten; he is seriously underplayed. Perhaps he'll follow in Shostakovich's footsteps and be seen more often in the US orchestral repertory.
If you liked the tenor, he's singing with Cal Bach next week. They have concerts at St. Mark's Lutheran in SF Friday evening and First Congo in Berkeley on Sunday afternoon.
Dear Lisa: Wasn't crazy about the tenor, to tell you the truth. Though he was more than adequate, it was the orchestra and especially the horn soloist Kevin Rivard who had me all weepy.
ReplyDeleteLove "First Congo," which I've never heard before.
The opening horn solo really got me, and I can't quite say why. Something about hearing that sound live, with the slightly sour natural scale and the hush and suspense.
ReplyDeleteFirst Congo - common usage among people who perform there. Great venue, and I like the congregation and minister as well. I'm yer typical aetheist Jew, so not looking for a Christian congregation to attend, but if I were they'd be on the list.