Salzburg: the final stop

After conquering the musical capital of Berlin, the YO heads south via a Lufthansa charter to the picturesque Austrian town of Salzburg.

Air YO arrives

Onto the buses and into town

Ahhh....Salzburg.

Salzburg, literally "Salt Castle" is Austria's fourth largest city and sits on the banks of the Salzach River at the northern edge of the Alps.  The town's roots go back to the Celts around 5 centuries BC.  More recently, Salzburg is more famous as the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music.  Do-Re-Mi aside, every street seems to have some connection to Mozart.

Mozart was born here.

Mozart lived here

Mozart may or may not have eaten marzipan and nougat filled chocolate balls here

And now, a few shots and captions from guest blogger, Donato Cabrera:

Along the Attersee

Today, we took a tour of the lake district of Upper Austria. Along the way, the buses stopped to take in the scenery.  Behind me and the kids is the beautiful Attersee and on the distant shore is Steinbach am Attersee, where Mahler composed his Symphony No. 3 during the summers of 1895 and 1896.

In Weissenkirchen, the YO was thrilled to hear the Singfoniker in F perform folksongs from the region.  There was something in each song that was reminiscent of certain moments in Mahler Symphony No.1.   I’m sure our final performance will be greatly influenced by what the YO heard this afternoon!

After the concert by the Singfoniker in F, the YO was treated to an impromptu concert by the band!   Local ländler and polkas got members of the YO to tap their feet and dance along!

To top it off, local farmers prepared meats and cheeses that were made especially

for the YO’s visit to Weißenkirchen. Guten appetit!

 Stage crew inspect the local signage.....solid, but needs duct tape.

Back in Salzburg, it's concert day.  Tonight's venue, the Salzburg Congress, a modern structure next to the Mirabell Gardens (which include the gardens, steps and fountains from Do-Re-Mi).

Rehearsal in the Salzburg Congress.

And tonight's concert is a benefit concert. Once again, the YO underscores the value and importance of education and will be instrumental in helping raise funds for critical educational needs in Africa.  The message of this orchestra has never been more poignant.

The YO is no stranger to benefit concerts, for the past few years, along with five other  youth orchestras from around the Bay Area, it has participated in the San Francisco Symphony's Bay Area Youth Festival, a benefit for Bay Area homeless youth.  Here was a video about the most recent concert produced by SF Classical Voice.

But back to Salzburg, and the final concert of the 2012 European Tour.  The concert is about to start.

Congratulations musicians of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra on an incredible European tour, experiences that will last with them and the audiences lucky enough to have seen and heard them for a long time to come.

Safe travels home.

The critics agree: YO is a hit in Berlin !

Not only did the appearance by the SFS Youth Orchestra get the big three newspapers of Berlin out to the Philharmonie for review, the critics all agreed, the concert was phenomenal.  Included in the reviews, legendary Berlin critic Klaus Geitel, who has been reviewing concerts in Berlin since the days of Wilhelm Furtwangler.  The usually hard critics of this musical capital who see the best of the best on a nightly basis had come to a consensus:  the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra belongs to the world's elite.

July 5, 2012

Young Orchestra Is Brilliant in Early Works 


Klaus Geitel

Berlin’s summer music scene traditionally belongs to youth, such as the guest performances during the Young Euro Classic Festival at the Konzerthaus, which begins at the end of July. The festival was just preceded by a concert at the Philharmonie, however, the likes of which I have never heard from a young orchestra. The appearance by the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra was a highlight of the past season. Under its Music Director, Donato Cabrera, it achieved a real triumph.

Lars Vogt, the thrilling soloist in Edvard Grieg’s A minor Piano Concerto, made a major contribution to this success. He presented the work, once extremely popular, then unjustly relegated to oblivion, in its former splendor. He succeeded in reconciling the virtuosically impressive and romantically sensitive elements of the work, subordinating emotion and intellect to ten fingers and combining Grieg’s Nordic majesty with the indispensable trace of musical worldliness that characterizes his work. Grieg was only 25, approximately the same age as the orchestra members from San Francisco, when he composed his piano concerto. Perhaps that is what made the interpretation so moving and electrifying, further inflamed by the perceptiveness and exuberant insight of the marvelous pianist. Lars Vogt continually added vitality, youthful freshness, vigilance, and energy to his performance, along with an aesthetic sense in his fingertips that is rare today.

The concert opened with the quiet scampering of John Adams’s almost half-hour-long Shaker Loops – music with stamina, ingenuity, and restraint, which a single coughing fit could have spoiled. That did not happen, thank goodness, and Adams’s concert piece retained its subtle intimacy.

Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony provided the wonderfully showy conclusion of the concert. It can also rightly be called an early work – Mahler was just 28 at its premiere. Perhaps early works should generally be played by youth orchestras, in which naturalness, enthusiasm, and the hope of a great future resonate.

July 5, 2012

High Drama: San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra at the Philharmonie

Strictly speaking, youth orchestras cannot do anything wrong. They cover up any possible excessive demands with enthusiasm. That was also the case with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, but it was unnecessary in view of the brilliant performance the orchestra, which was founded in 1981, gave under Donato Cabrera at the Philharmonie. 

The excellent, homogeneous string section, from which individual colors continually emerged, was already apparent during the minimalistically vibrating Shaker Loops by John Adams. Complex syncopated rhythms turned up again in the folk elements of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor. Soloist Lars Vogt displayed perfect unity with the orchestra, whether in lyrical restraint or explosive climaxes. Only his extreme, at times murmuring, at times vehemently accentuated dynamics propelled the work back to the salon a little too much. 

In Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony, on the other hand, drama in detail is called for. Cabrera depicted the complexity of the worlds evoked in the sparse treble lines of the Adams work at the opening, the mysterious calls of the distant trumpets, the lighthearted “Wunderhorn” music, and its catastrophic breakdowns. The funeral march was oppressively heavy yet always transparent, and the finale, with its breathtaking solos, was world-weary, despairing, and consoling. Frenzied cheers.

July 5, 2012

GUSTAV MAHLER AT THE BEACH

San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra gives early concert of Young Euro Classics Season

The Young Euro Classics Festival doesn't begin in earnest until July 27, but on Tuesday evening, it offered an early opening concert at the Philharmonie.  The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra was the guest and immediately reduced popular notions of the capabilities of youth orchestras to absurdity.  This was playing at such levels of musicality known only to professional orchestras. And in this case, professional means:  this orchestra doesn't play themselves into the ground, without regard to casualties - as do most youth orchestras.  This next generation orchestra from San Francisco is instead always focused on a unified sound, no one breaks from the group in any way that would damage the ensemble playing.    In some passages it might have sounded at times a bit too detached, one almost misses the wildness of youth. And isn't this what one expects to hear from a youth orchestra that one doesn't from a professional one?

Doesn't matter.  On this evening one is impressed by youthful perfection - from a silvery clear sound of the ensemble.  No mistakes mar this tonal landscape, which led to a wonderfully good natured and brightly shining Mahler's First Symphony.  It's as if the eternally suffering Gustav Mahler had finally found his peace on the beach in the Californian sun sporting a perfect tan.  One would think this polished performance has a lot to do with their Music Director Donato Cabrera, who organized the Symphony cleanly and down to the last detail, but only rarely called for the maximum from his musicians.  One was left with the impression that we had not even seen the full capacity of this orchestra.

In the first half, the musicians showed their rhythmic discipline and elegant dexterity in John Adams' Shaker Loops which drove forward with relentless precision. In Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto, on the other hand was evocative of a water color painting:  elegant lines, soft colors.  With Lars Vogt, the piece had a soloist that took this Youth Orchestra seriously, not insisting the authority of the solo but working with them almost like a chamber musician. The subtle accompanying of the SFSYO was a perfect match.  The Piano Concerto turned into a marvelous collaborative project: flexible in tempo yet stylistically secure, dreamy but not otherworldly.

And one more conducting debut at the Phil...

In recognizing all of the birthdays that have happened on tour, Donato hands the baton to the youngest member of the Youth Orchestra, Alex Goldberg.  And from this day on, Alex can say he made his conducting debut at the Berlin Philharmonie at age 12.  Eat your heart our Sir Simon Rattle....

At the Berlin Philharmonie

Surely the most anticipated segment of the tour for many of the young musicians was performing at the Berlin Philharmonie, one of the greatest if not the greatest concert hall in the world.  Rightly praised for its absolutely incredible acoustics, both for the musicians and the audience, playing on the stage of the Berlin Philharmonie is for many, the experience of a lifetime.  The YO was ready for the challenge!

The unique pentagonal shape and banana yellow exterior of the Hans Scharoun designed Berlin Philharmonie, built in 1963 and home of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.  

The Orchestra arrives, very excited for their first rehearsal.

Every camera is out as musicians take photos from every angle to document they were indeed here and this really isn't a dream from which they would be rudely awoken at any moment.

Stage crew Dennis Devost does the honors for the cellos.

The YO in rehearsal at the Philharmonie.  The "vineyard" style seating was unique at the time and has since inspired many other modern concert halls.

The youngest member of the YO, Alex Goldberg with Donato, both making their debuts in the hall (you'll see more of Alex's debut later !)

The YO rehearses Mahler 1 in Berlin.  Many musicians are amazed at the acoustics and talk with each other about the things they hear.  Principal Viola Omar is overheard telling a news reporter that musicians can hear each other better than they have ever heard before in this hall, and that they now hear things in the music, be it Mahler 1 or John Adams' Shaker Loops that they didn't know were there.   For the audience, each instrument and each section can be heard with such clarity and such and definition, from every seat in the hall It's an eye (and ear) opening experience and the excitement level builds.

And if they weren't yet excited enough to be here, the rehearsal was briefly stopped at noon for a few words from a special surprise guest:  US Ambassador to Germany, Phillip Murphy.

Ambassador Murphy explained to the YO that due to his busy diplomatic schedule around the 4th of July, he wouldn't be able to make the concert, but he wanted to make it a point to personally welcome the musicians of the Orchestra and he had a message for them.  He spoke eloquently and passionately about the importance of music and the arts telling them:  "what you are doing here is what I do every day:  and that is represent the United States of America.  And you are not just representing your country, you represent the very best about your country, all that is good about America.  So when you take the stage, you are America's Ambassadors.  So go out there and give 'em heck."  Yes, Sir ! If the YO wasn't fired up already, this speech certainly got them there.

Local television was on hand for the rehearsal. The excitement level was building.

Ambassador Murphy backstage with Mastro Cabrera and Mrs. Maestro, Niloufar Talebi

Another special guest making an appearance in Berlin is Alasdair Neale, former Music Director of the SFSYO.  Alasdair is Music Director of the Marin Symphony and has recently been back to lead the SFSYO in several rehearsals stepping in for Donato.  

Here's a sneak peak into their rehearsal for Mahler's Symphony No. 1

The YO is rehearsed and ready to go.  It is concert time.  One last round of photos at the backstage entrance.  

In the lobby, the audience arrives.  Making the trip from San Francisco are several board members from the SF Symphony including Claire Barnes and Catherine Holmes, who flank SFS Executive Director Brent Assink.

And now to the concert.  The YO definitely brought it's A-game.  With incredible energy, focus and passion, the YO gives a performance for the ages.  In John Adams' Shaker Loops (1978), one of his earliest works that have become contemporary classics, the strings gets a serious star turn, playing the minimalist work with an energy, clarity and subtlety that leaves the Berlin audiences erupting in thunderous cheers.  Next up the Grieg Piano Concerto with Lars Vogt again providing the solo.  A breathtakingly beautiful performance and the YO again is the perfect accompanist. After the break, Mahler 1.  In Berlin.  Wow.   Many listeners were stunned by the ability of a Youth Orchestra to not just tackle such a profoundly difficult work, but to play it with such passion and fervor.  The crowd erupted in cheers.  San Francisco audiences may remember Joshua Kosman's glowing review of Mahler 1 here  but I dare say that tonight's performance was on another level.  Let's see if the Berlin music critics agree, the big three Berlin newspapers were all here tonight (Berliner Zeitung, Tagesspiegel, Morgenpost) and the Berlin Philharmonic's PR Director was impressed, overheard saying "Wow, we don't even get that all the time."  In the end, the YO followed the orders of Ambassador Murphy to the tee.  They represented the best their country has to offer.  And gave 'em heck.  For the musicians on stage, an experience of a lifetime.  Whether they go on to become professional musicians or doctors or lawyers or teachers, they'll never forget the night they rocked the Berlin Phil !

Well wishes backstage  (l-r)  SFS General Manager John Kieser, SFS Executive Director Brent Assink, Donato and Niloufar, and SFS Director of Artistic Planning John Mangum

Smiles all around and more photos to document this very special night.

After the concert a special reception in honor of their appearance in Berlin, hosted by members of the Youth Orchestra Committee of the SFS Board of Governors, (l-r) Catherine Holmes, George Lucas, and Clair Barnes.

A well deserved round of Apple juice.  Now, I'm not sure if 16 year olds have a bucket list, but if they do, they can certainly cross one item off the list after tonight:  play Mahler to a rousing ovation in the Berlin Philharmonic?   Done. Check.   Bravo YO.  What a night.

Guest Photo Essay: The Road to Berlin

SFSYO cellist Adam Kwok provides an entry as guest photographer showing some of his favorite photos and places  that chronicle his journey so far and the road from Luxembourg to Germany's capital:

I like Munich. That's me on the left.

The famed Sausage Museum in Regensburg

And their sausages were very good indeed

In Swan Lake by Castle Neuschwanstein.   Brrrrrr.....

The Kurhaus in Wiesbaden

The fountain outside the Kurhaus

In Weimar w J.S. Bach

Almost to Berlin, we stopped in Leipzig, with statue of  J.S. Bach

The Paulanerkirche at the Univ. of Leipzig

We're in the Capital.

Having fun at the Berlin Zoo

The gardens of Sans Souci Palace in Potsdam, of Frederick the Great

The Checkpoint Charlie museum in Berlin

In front of the Brandenburg Gate

A nice view of the Reichstag

Did I mention how much I like German food?

And finally, we arrive at the famed Berlin Philharmonie.

Wow.  On stage at the Berlin Phil !