It’s a great week for Brahms: symphony, song cycle
There’s a fabulous array of music to choose from this week, with the top two events featuring Brahms — a great place to start for any music lover. Pablo HerasCasado returns to the San Francisco Symphony this week, and Brahms Symphony No. 1 is on the program. That’s good news — the Spanish conductor, who is adept in a range of music that includes symphonies and operas, early music and contemporary scores, is likely to be a powerful advocate for this enduring Romantic masterwork.
Heras-Casado has been a vibrant podium presence at the symphony ever since his first appearance at Davies, in 2010. The Spanish conductor, who is director of the Granada Festival, principal guest conductor of Teatro Real in Madrid and conductor laureate of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in New York, where he was principal conductor from 2011 to 2017, always seems to forge a strong musical bond with his musicians.
That quality should infuse this week’s concerts, which also include Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2, with San Francisco Symphony concertmaster Alexander Barantschik serving as soloist. Esa-Pekka Salonen’s “Helix” completes the program. Details: 8 p.m. today through Saturday; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $15$99; 415-864-6000; www. sfsymphony.org. BRAHMS FOR THE VOICE >> There’s more Brahms at the next Schwabacher Debut Recital — an intriguing concert that features the composer’s “Die Schöne Magelone.” Drawn from a 1797 novella by Ludwig Tieck, it’s a tale of love and chivalry between the French knight Peter and Neapolitan princess Magelone. Brahms’ cycle sets 15 poems from the novella; sung by soprano Felicia Moore and bass-baritone Christian Pursell, with accompaniment
by pianist César Cañón, the performance includes narration and visual projections. Expect a rare Romantic experience. Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday;
Taube Atrium Theater, San Francisco; $30; 415-864-3330, sfopera. com. FRENCH “INDULGENCE” >> The early music quintet Les Délices makes an appearance in San Francisco this weekend to play music of the French Rococo era. “Age of Indulgence: Music from the Eve of an Aesthetic Revolution” features the Ohio-based ensemble — founder and oboist Debra Nagy, along with Julie Andrijeski and Adriane Post (violins), Emily Walhout (viola da gamba), and Mark Edwards (harpsichord) — in works by Rameau, Philidon and others. Nagy, who founded Les Délices in 2009, says the program characterizes Paris in the 1740s and ’50s — “a fusion,” she says, “of baroque gestures and Classical forms that combine with harmonic and technical virtuosity to yield expressive extremes.” Details: 4 p.m. Sunday; Church of the Advent, San Francisco; $15-$50, www. sfems.org. REIF’S YOUTH MOVEMENT >> Christian Reif has made a big impression in the Bay Area since becoming the San Francisco Symphony’s resident conductor two seasons ago. In addition to his work in Davies Hall and at the symphony’s SoundBox series, he’s made appearances across the bay as guest conductor with the Berkeley Symphony. Yet, his greatest contributions may be as leader of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. To prepare its young musicians as the professional players of the future, he’s programmed challenging fare by Ligeti, Henze and others. This weekend, he’ll conduct the youth orchestra and members of the International Contemporary Ensemble in a program that includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and a world premiere by Iranian composer Anahita Abbasi. Details: 2 p.m. Sunday; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $15$55; 415-864-6000, www. sfsymphony.org. ATOS TRIO IN SAN JOSE >> Founded in 2003, the Atos Trio has been making beautiful music — and earning accolades — ever since. Winner of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson International Trio award, the Berlin-based threesome — pianist Thomas Hoppe, violinist Annette von Hehn and cellist Stefan Heinemeyer — appears in San Jose this weekend, hosted by the Steinway Society. Schubert, Mendelssohn and Turina are on the program. Details: 2:30 p.m. Sunday; Trianon Theatre, San Jose; $40-$60; 408-990-0872, www.steinwaysociety.com.
BRAVO MTT >> Congratulations to San Francisco Symphony music director Michael Tilson Thomas, who has been elected to the Academy of Arts and Letters as an American honorary member. The prestigious New York organization recognized his contributions as composer, conductor, educator and music advocate. Tilson Thomas joins previously named American honorary members Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Levin, Martin Scorsese, Alice Waters, Leontyne Price and Meryl Streep.