San Francisco Performances presents
Pacifica Quartet
with Marc-André Hamelin
2013-11-11
Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA
7:30 PM, Monday, November 11, 2013
[7:31 PM lights down]
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906-1975): String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op.108 (1960)
[pause to add piano; move towards center; 7:48 PM out]
Leo Ornstein (1893-2002): Piano Quintet, Op.92, SO 610 (1927)
[8:46 PM lights down]
Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904): Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op.81, B.155 (1887)
the Pacifica Quartet
My first remark for tonight is that I found it quite rewarding to sit in the terrace above and behind the stage despite the limited sightlines. Without leaning forward in my seat, about all I could see was the heads of the quartet. Pushing my head out over the railing while leaning forward from my seat, I was rewarded with a view of the pianist's back and right hand. Had the page turner been absent, I probably could have seen the pianist's left hand too, but that would have required remaining in a somewhat precarious position, cantilevered out over the drink rail. While this arrangement was not entirely satisfactory, it was what I had selected, trading sightlines for proximity and a steeply discounted tariff. Happily, we were able to center ourselves a bit after the first piece, as the center terrace was unoccupied except for our group and a couple other folks.
And the music? Divine! The Pacifica Quartet certainly demonstrated an uncanny ability to meld arms and minds together in creating a unified performing organism. Simply put, they had IT!
Stephen Smoliar posted a promo article and a positive review at the Examiner website.