Davies Symphony Hall, SF
Photo by Lisa Hirsch
The California Festival is a celebration of new music to be held throughout the state this coming fall, from November 3-19. It's being led by - surprise - the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and San Diego Symphony, with their respective music directors. There are now 95 organizations in total participating.
SFS has two programs, called From the Edge and To the Edge (no, I have no idea how they came up with those program names).
To the Edge is on Saturday and Sunday, November 11 and 12, at Davies, with a runout to Zellerbach on Friday, November 10. The program features well-known Californian and contemporary composer Igor Stravinsky (Symphony in Three Movements), and new works by Jens Ibsen (Drowned in Light, world premiere) and oh yes, Esa-Pekka Salonen (Kinema, with clarinet soloist Carey Bell). I am glad to finally see some of Salonen's newer works appearing on SFS programs.
From the Edge is on Friday and Saturday, November 17 and 18, at Davies, and features works by Gabriella Smith (Breathing Forests) and more Stravinsky (Octet for Winds and Brass; Steven Stucky's orchestration of Les Noces, a curiosity given the force and brilliance of the four-piano original).
The recent press release with the list of participating organizations is after the cut. I don't think I can get to San Deigo or LA during the festival; if I travel in November, it will be to the mouth-watering Jenufa at Lyric Opera of Chicago (Jakob Hrusa; Lise Davidsen and Nina Stemme).
