Luxembourg

The Orchestra leaves Wiesbaden and heads west along the banks of the Mosel and crosses the border into the tiny country of Luxembourg.  Officially it is called the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, landlocked and bordered by Germany, France and Belgium.  It's one of the smallest countries in the world, with only a half a million in population, but has one of the highest GDP's with banking and other financial exports accounting for most of it's economy.

The YO performs not in Luxembourg City but in the quaint border town of Echternach at the prestigious Festival International Echternach.

Concert venue in Echternach is the Trifolium Atrium, a modern structure nestled among the stately buildings just off the main square.

Welcoming the YO are SFS stage crew Dennis Devost and Mike Olague














As the Orchestra arrives, RTL (Radio Television Luxembourg) the national TV station is already there to tape some of the rehearsal, shooting a news feature for the evening news.   As two of the official languages of Luxembourg are German and French,  trombone Matthew Striplen does his interview in German while flutist Pavitra Rengarajan (you may remember her from the Regensburg video) says a few words in French.  Donato sticks to English for this one.  RTL is very impressed, not just with their language skills, but with their playing of course.

You can watch the RTL clip HERE

During a break between rehearsal and concert, a few members of the string section practice some chamber music, with special guest violist SFSYO Manager Jason Pyszkowski.

Librarian (and bassoonist) Alexis Luque tends to the scores backstage in Luxembourg.

You may remember Alexis from the following YO profile video.

A short detour back to Wiesbaden, here is Alexis and his fellow Bassoonist on their pilgrimage to the Heckel factory in Wiesbaden, the most revered name in Bassoons.  If you're a bassoonist, you know this name and the group was thrilled to get an opportunity to see where the best are made.

But back to Luxembourg and concert time at the Trifolium.  Everyone agrees it was one of the finest performances yet.  Go YO !  On to Berlin.

Review: Straubinger Tagblatt

One more review in from the Regensburg concert, from the Straubinger Tagblatt.

Overwhelming

The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra in Regensburg

The expectations were not exactly low when the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra appeared with German pianist Lars Vogt at the Regensburg Odeon Concerts; for years, the arts pages have been falling over themselves with praise for this extraordinary youth orchestra. Only after hearing it yourself, however, can you really understand why this young ensemble is so acclaimed. The self-confidence of the orchestra under the baton of Donato Cabrera was already apparent from their programming, since with John Adams’s Shaker Loops, Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, and Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony the young talents had tackled a big job.

The professional level of this youth orchestra was already clearly obvious in Shaker Loops by the American composer John Adams, who was born in 1947. It was amazing and fascinating to hear how much feeling the young musicians developed for this minimalist string composition. The orchestra gave spellbinding energy to the tremolos, which are continually altered in rhythm and pitch. Donato Cabrera carefully measured out the aggressiveness of the individual string clusters, and the young instrumentalists followed the conductor precisely in every sforzato and dynamic complexity. The harmonic glissandos were also excellent.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, which bears the title “the Titan” and displays programmatic characteristics, was incredibly impressive. Whether in the long dynamic buildups of tension, the dynamic nuances, the pure intonation in the horns, or the consistency of the individual sections, it all seems overwhelming when you consider that, in addition to instrumentalists in their late teens and twenties, other orchestra members have not even reached the age of 15 yet.

The quality of this youth orchestra was also apparent in its interaction with Lars Vogt during Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Lars Vogt made an electrifying impression. His power during the opening cadenza and the energetically attacked finale, his self-assured rubato during the solo cadenza of the first movement, his profound feeling for the lyrical passages, and above all the time he allowed for the notes to unfold is hard to surpass. The fact that even during his rests he was visibly conscious of the sound of the orchestra and could scarcely stay on the piano stool also demonstrated how inspired Vogt can be by a work like this – that is passion par excellence.

Naturally, the concert could not end without encores by the soloist and orchestra. For this performance the standing ovation in the main auditorium at the University of Regensburg was by no means excessive.

Wiesbaden concert day

The Orchestra arrives to play a concert in the lovely city of Wiesbaden, state capital of Hessen. About 40 miles west of Frankfurt, Wiesbaden has been around since the Romans built a fort here.   The area's hot springs have been popular for centuries with Germans taking their "Kur", or cure, a health break to soak in the baths as well as soak up some culture.  The YO plays in the beautiful Kurhaus, the town's cultural center.

This concert is part of the acclaimed Rheingau Musik Festival, one of the most prominent in Europe.  SFS Music Director MTT will be here in August with the London Symphony, other renowned orchestras appearing in the festival are the Academy of St. Martin in the fields, the London Philharmonic, the Radio Symphony of Berlin among others. 

The festival calendar lists over 140 concerts in a variety of venues in the area.  In a previous visit to Germany, the YO performed as part of the festival in a 13th century cloister in the vineyards.  While scenic, the acoustics weren't ideal.  But festival organizers were so impressed with the Orchestra that they invited them back, but this time in the Festival's top venue.  And not just that, the YO's concert tonight opens the Rheingau festival calendar in the Kurhaus.  Quite an honor.

Inside, the hall is even more spectacular, as the YO rehearses for tonight's concert.  

Roll-call from a scenic perch above the stage.  Rapunzel, Rapunzel...

And as much as we all love Davies Symphony Hall, the practice room for the horns here is quite impressive.

And the brass don't have it so bad, either.....

Or the cellos...

And as the YO concert opens the Kurhaus Festival calendar, the microphones are on tonight, recorded for broadcast by the German National Cultural Channel, Deutschland Kulturadio.

Guest Photographer Donato Cabrera Offers the view from the Podium:

Violist Clara Chan checks out the acoustics on the Orchestra floor. 

And you can check out Clara's playing (and singing) ability in this video about her big brother Nathan, a former YO cellist.

And finally, it's concert time.  On the program is John Adams' Shaker Loops, Grieg's Piano Concerto and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5.  Another rousing ovation after an impressive concert.  

Grab your camera, we're in Rothenburg

Leaving Munich, home base for the past 5 days, the Orchestra heads Northwest, along the Romantic Road towards its next destination, Wiesbaden, the state capital of Hessen. But a scenic lunch stop halfway there was Rothenburg, one of the most picturesque and well preserved villages in Germany.

Out the town gate and on to Wiesbaden !

VIDEO: Benjamin Ring in Munich

Munich review

Another review, another rave.  This time from Munich's Merkur newspaper.  Let's hear it for our young heroes !!!

June 27, 2012

Young Heroes

The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra at the Munich Philharmonie am Gasteig

Mahler’s First Symphony is not a work that one would automatically believe people who do not know much about life and the world yet are capable of or entrust to them. If one expected anything at all of a youth orchestra, it would be exhilarated joy and boundless energy – only to be greatly surprised by the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. After a few bars of Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, the listener already knew that their playing is of an astonishingly high technical standard. The tricky coalescing transitions were impressively precise; the bright, rich American sound was exquisite.

In addition to tremendous talent, these 12- to 20-year-olds still have the luxury of being free from the commitments of a professional career and are able to rehearse works long and intensively with a conductor. And this conductor, Donato Cabrera, is undoubtedly part of the secret of their success. He spurs the musicians on firmly and calmly, calls for emotion with controlled gestures, and provides a secure anchorage.

Thus, in Grieg’s Piano Concerto the orchestra was not merely an accompanist that conformed closely to the soloist. Pianist Lars Vogt was obviously impressed by their ability to communicate. He gave the virtuoso warhorse distinctive angularity, removed the fat without taking away its force, and brought out the melody most clearly. In the teenagers he found amazingly understanding partners even for the mature, complex tenderness of the Adagio, which afterwards prompted him to literally bow to them.

Then Mahler’s “Titan,” negotiated with superb tonal brilliance. And this was an exploration by an ensemble that had a genuine, focused awareness of how long and difficult the path is to the appearance of the heroic closing theme. The timelessness of nature, the nostalgic irony of the village dance and funeral march – it was all there. Experienced musicians may intellectually comprehend and assimilate even more, but this interpretation had the most important thing – a willingness to expose oneself to the vastness of the mysteries of life and the universe. Well-deserved cheers in the Philharmonie.

Munich & the Philharmonie

Between daily rehearsals and occasional castle outings, the members of the YO have been quite taken with this cosmopolitan yet comfortable Bavarian capital.

But the night has arrived, their concert at the Munich Philharmonie, one of Germany's most important concert halls.

Kiosks all over town have heralded the arrival of the Youth Orchestra.  SFS Education Director Ron Gallman pleased to see a few posters near the hall.

No matter where the YO went, there were the posters... calling out  "Das Ereignis!"   "THE happening."   Yes it was.

One final tune-up for the big show.  Violist Omar Shelley warms up in the hall.

And the Youth Orchestra did not disappoint.  A marvelous concert, again featuring Lars Vogt in the Grieg Piano Concerto and a powerful perfomance of Mahler's Symphony No. 1.  The large hall was nearly full and was overheard to be very, very impressed by the SFSYO.  A great close to our stay in Munich.  The rest of Germany awaits !

Day trip to EuroDisney

Well, not really EuroDisney, that's in Paris.  But I think you'll guess the scenic excursion from the following:

After a morning rehearsal in Bavaria Studios (the Munich Philharmonie was booked) the orchestra hopped on the Autobahn and headed west.  Two scenic hours later, the YO arrived at Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th century romanesque revival castle built into the mountains above Hohenschwangau by crazy Ludwig II of Bavaria.  It was commissioned by the king as an homage to Richard Wagner and has inspired many castle builders since, including Walt Disney, whose Sleeping Beauty castle bears an eerie resemblance to the original.  You be the judge.

The trek up the mountainside was well worth it and passed by the Schwanensee (Swan Lake).  

Some made the journey up the hill a little faster than others.

And at last.....the famed castle.    Another lovely day in Germany.

First review is in, and it's a rave !

The first review of the YO tour came out this morning in the Mittelbayerische Zeitung.  I do believe our critic at large was suitably impressed:  

June 25, 2012

MUSIC MAKING WITH GUSTO AND ZEAL

The young American musicians of the S.F.S.Y.O. enchanted at the season’s final Odeon-Concert at the Audi-max.

VON GERHARD DIETEL, MZ 

REGENSBURG.   Such enthusiasm is rare.  As the audience for the final Odeon Concert of the season enters the Audi-max, the members of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra are already seated on the stage, warming up and practicing key passages from their scores.  Such a focused engagement with the music heralds the artistically superior result to come. The members of this internationally recognized next-generation-ensemble from the West Coast of the US plays under the direction of Maestro Donato Cabrera and is without a doubt on the same level as the professional orchestras that regularly appear in the Odeon-series - even as, at the end of the extremely long and difficult concert evening, some minimal tiredness became apparent.

The strings, in great numbers, opened the evening with "Shaker Loops" by John Adams, an American minimalist inspired composition. Except for the quieter middle section, this tone-study is alive with excited tremolos, while the sounds of swarming insects slowly give way to long waves of harmony and space. Those who wish can see a religious connotation in the title: Adams not only refers to the technique of playing but also to the dance of the "Shaker" movement.

Soloist for the evening is Lars Vogt who provides clear contours in the Grieg piano concerto. He sharply chisels his entry chords and later offers powerful octave runs and in the opening movement offers bursts of canon fire from the deepest bass region of the piano, out of which he jumps flawlessly into the upper part of the keyboard. And, just as the composer demands, Vogt also produces a feathery light scherzando sound; forms softly sliding thirds or sinks into a very soft, dreamy nocturne mood. Great applause followed his presentation and the pianist expresses his thanks by playing a waltz by Brahms.           

After the break, Donato Cabrera allows the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra  to begin Mahler's first symphony quietly,  the sound of morning awakening, as if singular voices and signal calls are lost among the stillness. And out of this diffuse opening forms a powerful and cohesive symphonic construction, which Cabrera allows to build by encouraging the youthful temperament of his musicians.  Like a furious storm, the first movement’s long buildup of forces is unleashed to finally break through into the theme as the music hastens to its end. As Mahler pushes “forward,” the young musicians enthusiastically comply, eagerly unleashing their spectacular sound, as demonstrated in the end by the horn section.  Where the composer marks in the score "bells up" the young musicians stand up and triumphantly belt out the victorious chorale-like theme. No wonder that it drove the enthusiastic audience up out of their seats.