# San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, June 19, 2014

[SF Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2013-2014/Britten-Copland,-Shostakovich,-and-the-Serenade.aspx) presents a _Friends Private Rehearsal_ featuring [San Francisco Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org)  
2014-06-19  
[Davies Symphony Hall](http://www.sfsymphony.org)  
[201 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=201+Van+Ness,+San+Francisco,+CA&hl=en)  
10:00 AM, Thursday, June 19, 2014

[[2014-06-17-2|Back to the previous event]] ☸ [[:#section2014|Back to the 2014 yearbox]] ☸ [[:2014#june_events|Back to the 2014 event list!]] ☸ [[2014-06-19-2|On to the next event!]]


## Tentative Program

Copland: _Danzón Cubano_  
Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings  
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15

## Introduction

[9:10 AM Pre-show talk by Scott Fogelsong]  
[talk ends 9:34 AM; off for coffee and donuts!]

## Set One

[9:57 AM ready to go!]  
[9:58 AM lights down, welcome and announcements from Scott Pingel]

### Copland: Danzón Cubano

01. [10:06 AM] Aaron Copland (1900-1990): [[http://www.sfsymphony.org/Watch-Listen-Learn/Read-Program-Notes/Program-Notes/COPLAND-%C2%A0Danzon-Cubano.aspx|_Danzón Cubano_]] (1942)  
[work ends 10:13 AM]  
[extra practice, ends 10:20 AM]

[pause, ready to go at 10:22]

### Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings

Edward Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): [[http://www.sfsymphony.org/Watch-Listen-Learn/Read-Program-Notes/Program-Notes/BRITTEN-%C2%A0Serenade-for-Tenor,-Horn,-and-Strings,-Op.aspx|Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31]] (1943) (ca. 25 minutes)  
[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenade_for_Tenor,_Horn_and_Strings#Lyrics|Lyrics]]

01. [10:25 AM] Prologue (horn solo)
02. [10:m AM] Pastoral, a setting of _The Evening Quatrains_ by Charles Cotton (1630–1687)
03. [10:m AM] Nocturne, a setting of _Blow, bugle, blow_ by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892)
04. [10:m AM] Elegy, a setting of _The Sick Rose_ by William Blake (1757–1827)
05. [10:m AM] Dirge, a setting of the anonymous _Lyke-Wake Dirge_ (fifteenth century).
06. [10:m AM] Hymn, a setting of _Hymn to Diana_ by Ben Jonson (1572–1637)
07. [10:m AM] Sonnet, a setting of _To Sleep_ by John Keats (1795–1821)
08. [10:m AM] Epilogue (horn solo; reprise of Prologue, played offstage)  
[set ends 11:03 AM -- multiple takes of each movement? most had two]

## Set Two

[11:20 AM, back for the 15th!]  
[11:24 AM lights down, announcements from MTT]

### Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15

Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich (1906-1975): [[http://www.sfsymphony.org/Watch-Listen-Learn/Read-Program-Notes/Program-Notes/SHOSTAKOVICH-%C2%A0Symphony-No-15-in-A-major,-Opus-141.aspx|Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141]] (1971) (ca. 42 minutes)

01. [11:27 AM] Allegretto
02. [11:43 AM] Adagio - Largo - Adagio - Allegretto
03. [12:03 AM] Allegretto
04. [12:m PM] Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio - Allegretto  
[rehearsal ends 12:21 PM]


## Performers

* [Toby Spence](http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/singers/tenor/toby-spence): tenor vox;
* [Michael Tilson Thomas](http://www.michaeltilsonthomas.com/): conductor, music director;
* [Robert Ward](http://www.rnward.com/): French horn;
* symphony members vary by program, see [[http://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors|the current list]].


## Notes

GA Rehearsal for Symphony Friends (donors)

Being an open rehearsal rather than a formal concert, this morning's event was notable in any number of areas. First off, the front five rows were tarped over -- presumably to push the distraction of the audience further away than usual. Secondly, the only piece that received a straight, continuous performance was the Copeland opener. In the other cases, MTT would typically call for small changes or additional practice after concluding a movement. Without having the Britten text to follow, that made this work a bit difficult to track, and lacking words entirely, it made it darn near impossible for me to grasp the flow of the closing Shostakovich, particularly as it seemed that some of the movements were connected without a break, while other breaks were inserted as MTT saw fit. It was interesting to find out that assistant conductor Edwin Outwater was stationed in the audience with us, listening to the ensemble sound, and offering feedback on the overall sonic blend as called upon ("a little less violin, more cowbell").

While the rehearsals aren't something I enjoy enough to make a practice of signing up for, it's nice to attend one every now and then to get a peek behind the scenes on some of the hard work that goes into creating this musical artistry. And being engaged in observing that work, I did a particularly crappy job of keeping track of the timing of the portions of today's practice. Consider anything listed as having only the barest connection to what actually occurred!

Stephen Smoliar posted a warm [[http://www.examiner.com/article/mtt-successfully-juxtaposes-britten-shostakovich-and-copland-at-davies|review]] for the Examiner.

{{tag>music San_Francisco_Symphony Toby_Spence Robert_Ward Davies_Symphony_Hall Michael_Tilson_Thomas  }}

[[2014-06-17-2|Back to the previous event]] ☸ [[:#section2014|Back to the 2014 yearbox]] ☸ [[:2014#june_events|Back to the 2014 event list!]] ☸ [[2014-06-19-2|On to the next event!]]