# San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, April 28, 2016

[San Francisco Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2015-2016/Shostakovich%E2%80%99s-Symphony-No-9.aspx) presents [San Francisco Symphony](http://www.sfsymphony.org), conducted by [Pablo Heras-Casado](http://pabloherascasado.com/), with [Mason Bates AKA DJ Masonic](http://www.masonbates.com/)  
2016-04-28  
[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)  
8:00 PM, Thursday, April 28, 2016

[[2016-04-27|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2016|Up to the 2016 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2016#April_events|Up to the 2016 event list!]] ☸  [[:2016:2016-05:2016-05-01|On to the next event!]]

## Tentative Program

* Bartók: Dance Suite
* Mason Bates: SFS commission
* Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
* Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9

## Set One

[8:01 PM lights down, announcements]

### Bartók: Dance Suite

Béla Bartók (1881-1945): _Dance Suite_, Sz. 77, BB 86a (1923)

01. [8:04 PM] Moderato -- Ritornello
02. [8:06 PM] Allegro molto -- Ritornello
03. [8:07 PM] Allegro vivace
04. [8:10 PM] Molto tranquillo -- Ritornello
05. [8:13 PM] Comodo
06. [8:16 PM] Finale: Allegro  
[work ends 8:22 PM; pause to reset the stage]

### Mason Bates: Auditorium

Mason Bates (b.1977): Auditorium (2016)

01. [8:25 PM] _Auditorium_  
[set ends 8:44 PM]

## Set Two

[9:02 PM lights down]

### Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): _Le Tombeau de Couperin_ (1919)

01. [9:03 PM] Prélude
02. [9:06 PM] Forlane
03. [9:13 PM] Menuet
04. [9:18 PM] Rigaudon  
[work ends 9:21 PM; mini-break; ready to resume around 9:25 PM]

### Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906-1975): Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 70 (1945)

05. [9:26 PM] Allegro
06. [9:31 PM] Moderato
07. [9:39 PM] Presto >>
08. [9:42 PM] Largo >>
09. [9:46 PM] Allegretto - Allegro  
[set ends 9:52 PM]


## Performers

* [Mason Bates AKA DJ Masonic](http://www.masonbates.com/): composer, electronics;
* [Pablo Heras-Casado](http://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

While I enjoyed almost of the world's on tonight's program, I definitely liked the opening Bartok piece the best, as it featured the most acutely focused writing. By contrast, the Bates work was quite slow, with only a single motive element (interaction with a ghost ensemble) playing out in a number of ways. Novel, but not nearly as catchy or attention grabbing as the East European motifs from the opener.

The second set was also pretty fun, particularly the quirky Shostakovich Symphony, with its sneaky bassoon lines and circus tent brass band dances. Always fun to imagine communist clowns dancing around at the Symphony Hall!

{{:2016:2016-04:clowns.jpg?nolink|}}

Stephen Smoliar posted a good [review](http://www.examiner.com/article/mason-bates-amalgamates-past-and-present-his-new-auditorium) of the Wednesday night performance.

Likewise, Steve Winn posted a positive [review](https://www.sfcv.org/reviews/San-Francisco-Symphony/Mason-Bates-Auditorium-Is-Abuzz-with-Musical-Conversations) at SFCV.

{{tag>music San_Francisco_Symphony Pablo_Heras-Casado  Mason_Bates Davies_Symphony_Hall Michael_Tilson_Thomas }}

[[2016-04-27|Back to the previous event!]] ☸ [[:#section2016|Up to the 2016 yearbox!]] ☸ [[:2016#April_events|Up to the 2016 event list!]] ☸  [[:2016:2016-05:2016-05-01|On to the next event!]]