At the close of his remarks on the works to be heard in San Diego Symphony’s final concert of the season, lecturer Nuvi Mehta delivered the Hearing Aid Speech. Surprisingly few airs for hearing aid were heard, perhaps as a result; but following the interval, during the New World Symphony’s Largo movement, with its heavenly triple pianissimos, a cell phone rang. Other than that it was just a normal afternoon of coughing and program rattling at Copley Symphony Hall. What does it take, music lovers, for us to be truly mindful of our neighbors?
In addition to the exquisite playing of Dvorak’s New World Symphony, patrons heard a even “newer” music with old world sensibilities in Bright Sheng’s “The Nightingale and the Rose,” ballet music written for New York City Ballet and based on a short story by Oscar Wilde.
In the fairytale scenario, a poor student hopes to woo a lofty maiden by presenting her a red rose. Alas, there are no red roses in the student’s garden, so the nightingale impales herself on the thorns whilst she sings of love all night, and in the morning a red rose blooms. Not a pretty tale and both rose and student are spurned by the maiden, so the poor songster died for naught, accompanied by much overwrought music and super titles yet.
Thankfully, both Cuban pianist Horacio Gutierrez ” who truly looks like Ralph Kramden in a Member’s Only jacket but plays like a god ” and the orchestra gave a dazzling and memorable performance of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor. Gutierrez is retiring the concerto from his repertoire and chose to do it under Jahja Ling’s baton, so the May 18 matinee audience heard his final performance of the piece in perpetuity throughout the universe. Gutierrez’s playing was meditative and bombastic as required by the music, and Maestro Ling’s conducting was extraordinarily supportive and sensitive. All received well deserved standing O’s. There are worse ways to retire a warhorse.
The Jacobs’ Masterworks and Winter Pops series and special performances for 2008-’09 were announced in San Diego Symphony’s stapled-in program insert, titled Aficionado. Tickets for all series are currently on sale. Maestro Ling will conduct 11 Masterworks season concerts next year. The gala opening Oct. 4 is set at the U.S. Grant Hotel, followed by a recital by Lang Lang at the Balboa Theatre.
Meanwhile, if you know the way to San Jose, San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops 2008 gets under way with a Tux and Tennies Gala featuring Dionne Warwick and Kool and The Gang on Saturday, June 14, at Embarcadero Marina Park South. Matthew Garbutt conducts Pops Goes Classical Sunday, Aug. 10.
For details of all series, visit www.sandiegosymphony.com or call (619) 235-0804.