# San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, April 9, 2015

[San Francisco Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2014-2015/Joshua-Bell-the-SFS.aspx) presents [Pablo Heras-Casado](http://www.pabloherascasado.com/) conducting the [San Francisco Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org) with guest soloist, [Joshua Bell](http://www.joshuabell.com/)  
2015-04-09  
[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)  
2:00 PM, Thursday, April 9, 2015

[[2015-04-08|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2015|Up to the 2015 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2015#April_events|Up to the 2015 event list!]] ☸ [[2015-04-09-2|On to the next event!]]

## Tentative Program

  * John Adams: Chamber Symphony;
  * Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No. 1;
  * Beethoven: Violin Concerto, featuring Joshua Bell -- 4/3/15, changed to Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

## Set One

[2:00 PM lights down, announcements]

### John Adams: Chamber Symphony

[John Adams](http://www.earbox.com/) (b. 1947): Chamber Symphony (1992) (SFS premiere)

01. [2:02 PM] Mongrel Airs
02. [2:11 PM] Aria with Walking Bass
03. [2:20 PM] Roadrunner  
[work ends 2:26 PM; applause for a minute, then break for about 5 min while the full orchestra enters and tunes up]

### Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No. 1

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951): Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9b (1906) (SFS premiere)

01. [2:32 PM] Sonata. Allegro >>
02. [2:m PM] Scherzo >>
03. [2:m PM] Development >>
04. [2:44 PM] Adagio >>
05. [2:51 PM] Recapitulation and Finale  
[set ends 2:55 PM]

## Set Two: Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

[3:15 PM orchestra onstage; 3:18 PM tuning/lights down]

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 (1878)

01. [3:19 PM] Allegro moderato
02. [3:39 PM] _Canzonetta_: Andante >>
03. [3:46 PM] _Finale_: Allegro vivacissimo  
[show ends 3:55 PM; no encore today]


## Performers

### San Francisco Symphony

[San Francisco Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org)

* [Joshua Bell](http://www.joshuabell.com/): violin;
* [Pablo Heras-Casado](http://www.pabloherascasado.com/): conductor;
* [Michael Tilson Thomas](http://www.michaeltilsonthomas.com/): music director;
* symphony members vary by program, see [the current list](http://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors).


## Notes

First of four performances of this program by the sfs.

I thought today's gig represented quite an adventurous program for the San Francisco Symphony, seeing as they opened with two modern works. To my ears, the opening piece from Adams clearly owed a composers debt to the following work by Schoenberg, and I was quite surprised to read that both performances today were SFS premieres. It's hard for me to understand why it took them over a hundred years to get around to the latter work -- it didn't seem *that* challenging to me! Maybe it's just the association of Schoenberg with more difficult listening that kept them from programming it earlier.

In any event,I liked the Adams piece more, but I think that has to do with the joyful _je ne sais quoi_ of his writing more than any sort of absolute rating that critics might  attempt to assert.

Following a nice break, hanging outside in the shade and cut chatting with my buddy Hawk, we were treated to a bravura performance of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Pablo Heras-Casado did a fine job leading the symphony, and Joshua Bell really knocked it out of the park, delivering a huge effort in the solo role. From memory. With _elan_!

I'm very glad to have put this show on my schedule, and I certainly plan to keep on the lookout for more performances by Bell.

Be'eri Moalem posted a laudatory [review](https://www.sfcv.org/reviews/San-Francisco-Symphony/Joshua-Bell-Joins-S-F-Symphony-for-Passionate-Tchaikovsky-Concerto) of the show for SFCV.

{{tag>music San_Francisco_Symphony Pablo_Heras-Casado Joshua_Bell Davies_Symphony_Hall John_Adams Schoenberg Tchaikovsky}}

[[2015-04-08|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2015|Up to the 2015 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2015#April_events|Up to the 2015 event list!]] ☸ [[2015-04-09-2|On to the next event!]]