Cal Performances presents Gil Shaham with original films by David Michalek
2016-04-14
Zellerbach Hall Auditorium
U.C. Berkeley, Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94305
8:00 PM, Thursday, April 14, 2016

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[8:02 PM lights down, announcements, waiting]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Sonata No.1 in G minor, BWV 1001 (1720)

1. [8:03 PM] Adagio
2. [8:07 PM] Fuga (Allegro)
3. [8:11 PM] Siciliana
4. [8:15 PM] Presto
   [work ends 8:17 PM; pause to wait for late arrivals to be seated, ready to go after a few minutes]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Partita No.1 in B minor, BWV 1002 (1720)

1. [8:20 PM] Allemande
2. [8:24 PM] Double
3. [8:25 PM] Courante
4. [8:28 PM] Double (Presto)
5. [8:30 PM] Sarabande
6. [8:32 PM] Double
7. [8:34 PM] Tempo di Borea “Gavotte”
8. [8:36 PM] Double
   [set ends 8:38 PM; applause for a minute or two, then set break]

[8:55 PM lights down, waiting]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Sonata No.2 in A minor, BWV 1003 (1720)

1. [8:55 PM] Grave
2. [8:59 PM] Fuga
3. [9:06 PM] Andante
4. [9:10 PM] Allegro
   [work ends 9:13 PM; brief pause]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Partita No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 (1720)

1. [9:14 PM] Allemande
2. [9:18 PM] Courante
3. [9:20 PM] Sarabande
4. [9:24 PM] Gigue
5. [9:28 PM] Chaconne
   [set ends 9:39 PM; applause, then set break]

[9:58 PM lights down, waiting]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Sonata No.3 in C major, BWV 1005 (1720)

1. [10:00 PM] Adagio
2. [10:03 PM] Fuga
3. [10:12 PM] Largo
4. [10:15 PM] Allegro assai
   [work ends 10:19 PM, pause for a moment]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Partita No.2 in E major, BWV 1006 (1720)

1. [10:19 PM] Preludio
2. [10:23 PM] Loure
3. [10:26 PM] Gavotte en Rondeau
4. [10:29 PM] Menuett I
5. [10:33 PM] Menuett II
6. [10:35 PM] Bourrée
7. [10:36 PM] Gigue
   [set ends 10:39 PM; much applause, bows from both Gil and David, then done for the night]

• David Michalek: visual artist;
• Gil Shaham: violin.

It's a good thing that we're sitting relatively close tonight. Zellerbach is a cavernous space to fill with the sound of a single violin. The house seems relatively full, but thankfully, they are quite well behaved, with only the barest minimum of snorting and coughing. Consequently, it's easy enough to close my eyes and drift off into the aether as Shaham spins cascades of melody from his violin.

Michalek's video accompaniment is also quite spare. If you've ever wanted to spend a night watching paint dry, you'll probably like these bits more than I did. I can't imagine how folks might consider them high art worthy of museum display, but then, I'm just a rube from the flat farming fields of Southern California. That sophisticated city stuff goes right over my head!

I was glad to find that about half of the works were performed unaccompanied by the videos.

Video summaries: newborn portraiture; still life #1; young dancer #1; still life #2; japanese dancer; young violinists; still life #3 (vase of flowers); woman with dove; teen violinist; young dancer #2; still life #3 run backwards.

Program Notes are available online.

Rebecca Wishnia posted a review of the show at SFCV – apparently she took the videos to be significantly more profound than I. Perhaps the house slipped her a complimentary artist's statement or some other cheat sheet? Hard to know for sure, but hey, there's nothing wrong with having an opinion different from mine… and fresh ideas are a good thing, right?

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!}}