Great performances and momentous news
Every year brings new developments and unforeseen shifts, but 2017 turned out to be a particularly consequential year for classical music in the Bay Area. There were significant changes of leadership at a number of local organizations, the first rumblings of a political groundswell that seems destined to keep playing out, and a number of extraordinary performances that will linger on in the memory long after the calendar turns over.
Michael Tilson Thomas stepping
down: The handoff to an unnamed successor isn’t scheduled to happen for another 2½ years, but just the announcement that this is in the cards marks a crucial turning point in the history of the San Francisco Symphony. Thomas’ tenure — an even 25 years when he bows out — seems destined to figure as the most notable era in the Symphony’s history, not to mention a powerful influence in the realignment of the American orchestral landscape. His devotion to challenging, inventive programming, his recorded legacy and the spirit of freedom and spontaneity he’s brought to the orchestra will reverberate for at least another generation.
“Elektra” at San Francisco Opera:
The September production of Richard Strauss’ taut and pitiless oneacter was not only the highlight of the company’s fall season and of the calendar year, but it also represented one of the landmark achievements of the past decade and more at the War Memorial Opera House — an unforgettable fusion of theatrical ingenuity and musical brilliance. Christine Goerke’s extraordinary, tireless performance in the title role was matched by the blazing accomplishments of the Opera Orchestra under debuting conductor Henrik Nánási, and a powerhouse supporting cast with soprano Adrienne Pieczonka first among equals. Director Keith Warner’s production, set in a modern-day museum, missed no opportunity to shed new light on the familiar tale.
Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony play
Schumann and Ives: These symphonies aren’t new additions to the orchestra’s repertoire, but this year found Thomas and his forces illuminating familiar works with new energy and finesse. The complete recorded set of the Schumann symphonies, released this year after a two-year rollout in live concerts, conjures up all the composer’s dramatic subtlety and vigor. And the back-to-back concert performances in November of Ives’ Third and Fourth Symphonies — also slated for future release — found the orchestra at its most rollicking and eloquent.
John Adams’ 70th birthday observances: We can disagree on the merits of the world premiere of “Girls of the Golden West” — other listeners found more to admire in this opera about the California Gold Rush than I could — while still agreeing that there was something exciting in the year-long celebrations of Adams’ distinguished musical legacy. That meant welcome San Francisco premieres of his oratorio “The Gospel According to the Other Mary” and the explosively fine violin concerto “Scheherazade.2” in consecutive Symphony programs, and a panoply of events around the world, including the release of a brick-like multimedia boxed set documenting his relationship with the Berlin Philharmonic.
A new boss at San Francisco Symphony: As if an impending shift in the artistic leadership weren’t sufficiently disorienting, this year also saw the departure of longtime Executive Director Brent Assink, a force for financial probity and artistic excellence. The board lost no time in tapping 43-year-old Mark Hanson, the chief executive officer of the Houston Symphony, to fill a very big pair of shoes.
Turnover at Cabrillo Music Festival and New Century Chamber
Orchestra: Both organizations saw the departure of powerful female artistic leaders who left an indelible imprint. At Cabrillo, conductor Marin Alsop stepped down after a remarkable 25-year run that made the Festival a go-to source for accessible but substantive contemporary orchestral music; she hands the baton to Cristian Macelaru, who will have to put his own stamp on the festival. And at New Century, the vigorous and indefatigable Nadja SalernoSonnenberg retired after bringing a welcome jolt of energy and artistic vision to an organization that badly needed both.
Krzysztof Urbanski: In two October guest appearances with the San Francisco Symphony, the suave and dynamic young Polish conductor offered a dazzling display of artistry in a range of repertoire. He programmed 20th century masterpieces by two of his compatriots — Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra and Penderecki’s groundbreaking “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima” — along with classics by Dvorák, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Shostakovich. And he brought technical and interpretive panache to all of it. He’s an artist to watch.
“Density 2036”: A dazzling December marathon in Berkeley by flutist and force-of-nature Claire Chase introduced audiences to the first fruits of her multiyear commissioning project, designed to celebrate the 2026 centennial of Edgard Varèse’s solo flute masterpiece “Density 21.5.” It was a whirlwind of inventiveness and commitment, mixing (predictably enough) keepers and dross, but all of it was infused with Chase’s unquenchable spirit of artistic curiosity and willingness to try just about anything.
“The Temple of Glory”: In one of its most ambitious undertakings in many years, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, along with Cal Performances and other contributors, tackled Rameau’s huge, sprawling theatrical entertainment and dispatched it with proud assurance. The piece is a fluid mix of vocal and instrumental music, ballet, elaborate stagecraft and more, and the April performances at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, nimbly conducted by Nicholas McGegan, captured the bounteous spirit of the French Baroque.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky: The Russian baritone’s death in November from brain cancer at just 55 was perhaps the year’s most heartbreaking musical development, robbing the operatic world of a performer of enormous aplomb and unshakable charisma. A regular visitor to San Francisco, he performed in operas by Verdi and Rimsky-Korsakov (though I cherish the memory of his triumphantly comic San Francisco Opera debut in Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”), sang with the San Francisco Symphony and gave solo recitals of almost unbearable intimacy and grace. It’s hard to imagine a musical world without him.
Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicle’s music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosman