The featured work on the series of San Francisco Symphony (SFS) subscription concerts for the week of November 17 will be Johannes Brahms’ Opus 45. Brahms called this Ein deutsches Requiem (a German Requiem), because he substituted the usual text of the mass for the dead with a selection of appropriate passages from the Bible in vernacular German. The conductor will be Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT), who last performed it in Davies Symphony Hall in 2002. The work is set for full chorus (the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, directed by Ragnar Bohlin) and two soloists, soprano (Jane Archibald) and baritone (Kyle Ketelsen).
The original plan was to precede this performance with the world premiere of a new work, composed under SFS commission, by Sofia Gubaidulina. Unfortunately, this performance will have to be postponed due to the composer’s illness. Two works will be performed in its place. The program will begin with a performance by the Chorus of a selection from Heinrich Schütz’ collection of sacred choral works, the motet “Ich bin ein rechter Weinstock” (I am the only true vine), SWV 389. Bohlin will conduct this work scored for two soprano parts, alto, two tenor parts, bass, and continuo. This will be followed by the original full-orchestra version of Arnold Schoenberg’s Opus 16 set of five orchestral pieces. This collection, composed between May and July of 1909, offers up Schoenberg’s richest approach to instrumentation since his 1901 hyper-romantic Gurre-Lieder, while departing radically from the sonorities (as well as the time scale) of the earlier work.
This concert will be performed in Davies Symphony Hall at 8 PM on Thursday, November 17, Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19, and at 2 PM on Sunday, November 20. All concerts will be preceded by an Inside Music talk one hour prior to performance to be given by James Keller. Ticket prices range from $35 to $145 and may be purchased through the event page on the SFS Web site. Tickets may also be purchased at the Davies Box Office on Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street or by calling 415-864-6000.
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