A bountiful fall harvest…
After a summer of gadding about at music festivals, Bay Area musicians are returning to their home symphonies in time for an extraordinary autumn season.
Two of the bigger orchestras of the East Bay—the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Berkeley Symphony—plan to do what they do best, which is to bring us works that are accessible and adventurous, while the San Francisco Symphony promises polished performances, visiting icons and festivals that could be brilliant.
of local produce,
It has been a treat to witness the successful fusion of new conductor and established musicians, particularly when that matures into poise and subtlety. And that describes the Berkeley Symphony, where Joana Carneiro, after just four years at the helm, has established a reputation for electricity and simpatico. She has also developed an appealing programming format that blends cutting edge with older masterworks.
Their season opener this year, to be held Thursday, October 3 in Zellerbach Hall, hosts the premiere of Edmund Campion’s The Ossicles for symphony and electronics, tempered by Wagner’s magnificent tone poem, Siegfried Idyll, and Rachmaninoff’s passionate farewell to Romanticism, the Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor.
At Oakland’s Paramount Theatre Michael Morgan will be celebrating the two hundredth birthdays of both Verdi and Wagner along with his own 25th year with the Oakland Symphony. Their opening night, Friday November 8, will feature Canadian soprano 
Othalie Graham in favorite passages from Verdi’s Aida and Wagner’s Gotterdammerung— Egyptian grandeur and Germanic gods on fire. But then the Paramount’s art deco splendor will stage the launching of a postmodern mythos: The Mothership, Mason Bates’ blend of large-scale symphonic writing, electronic elements and improvisation, all driven by a heart-pounding beat. Morgan’s penchant for adventure is in high swing this season.
plums and perennials,
The usually well-funded SF Symphony had a crisis last year, when musicians struck over questions of parity. But they have returned with a very strong season, celebrating the centenary of Benjamin Britten with a semi-staged Peter Grimes, along with some very curious pairings—Mason Bates and Beethoven, Thomas Adès and Mendelssohn—plus a host of luminaries like pianists Evgeny Kissin and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and violinists Leila Josefowicz and Julia Fischer. It would be well worth one’s while to BART to Davies Symphony Hall almost any weekend this year.
the fruits of hard work,
Last year two more orchestras have reasserted their presence on the musical scene, the California and Santa Rosa Symphonies. After a long and exciting job hunt, the California Symphony has chosen Donato Cabrera for its conductor and artistic director, a choice that is a no-brainer for those who have heard him in action. Their new season looks to be balanced and thoughtful, and it is an easy commute to Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, their home base.
In the last two years I have heard Cabrero conduct these fine musicians in two riveting performances.
French conductor Bruno Ferrandis, known for his fire and expressiveness, has led the Santa Rosa Symphony for near a decade, but their move into the brand new Weill Hall at Sonoma State has increased their exposure and they have justly risen to the occasion.
Last May I heard Ferrandis conduct a stunning all-Russian program in the new hall’s vibrant acoustics. Their new season, “Encores and Debuts,” looks spectacular, and well worth the drive to Cotati.
Among the smaller ensembles, the New Century Chamber Orchestra is near the top of the Bay Area’s choices. After many years as Stuart Canin’s conductor-less ensemble, the NCCO joined forces in 2009 with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, their new star violinist and music director. Among several magical seasons, this one promises to be truly adventurous. Their season begins Sept. 26 – 29 with a tribute to contemporary composer Michael Daugherty. Then have a fling with the San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows, and finally join forces with Chanticleer for music that reprises a passage on a 1930’s ocean liner.
It is clever programming, augmenting the austere colorations of this strings-only ensemble with some of the best younger voices in the biz, along with a brand new violin concerto by Daugherty and the fine arranging of Clarice Assad.
…plus a smorgasbord!
For East Bay audiences, one must also mention one of the top presenters in the country and a veritable gorilla of musical genres, Cal Performances, which we are fortunate indeed to have in our own backyard. They start with a bang, their “Fall Free For All” on Sept. 29, a day of free musical tastings at Zellerbach and Hertz Hall on the UC campus.
Then each month proffers something for every taste. October begins with jazz great Keith Jarrett, moves along to a contemporary classical recital by up-and-coming mezzo star Kelley O’Connor and soprano Jessica Rivera, and then on Oct. 18 – 19 John Malkovich brings his high powered acting to The Giacomo Variations, a play/opera with the celebrated Orchestre Wiener Akademie. Filling out that month, period instrumentalists—Les Violons du Roy—back Met superstar Stephanie Blythe, and then Nederlands Dans Theater create their innovative and compelling choreography.
Much of their calendar is equally enticing, with some special gems later in the year, a roster that includes Barefoot Divas, Philharmonia Baroque, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Yo-Yo Ma and Emmanuel Ax, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the Kronos Quartet.
Definitely something for everyone.
—Adam Broner
Photos of conductors Joana Carneiro, Michael Morgan and Donato Cabrera.