San Francisco Symphony 3/24/19

Celebrity Series of Boston

San Francisco Symphony

Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Christian Tetzlaff, violin 

Sunday, March 24, 2019
Symphony Hall

The acclaimed San Francisco Symphony returned for their final appearance under the baton of visionary music director Michael Tilson Thomas, who has announced his retirement in 2020. The program features "an artist who considers the ordinary unacceptable" (New York Times) and the brilliant violinist Christian Tetzlaff, who has more recently dazzled audiences in recital and chamber performances.

This performance marks the San Francisco Symphony's eighth concert with the Celebrity Series. They made their debut in 1947. They returned in 2014 under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas with Gil Shaham as violin soloist. Click here:

 This is Thomas's fifth performance with Celebrity Series; he made his debut in 1979 with the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra. For Christian Tetzlaff this was his sixth performance for Celebrity Series; he made his debut in 1991.

Program

M. Tilson Thomas   Agnegram

Mendelssohn  Violin Concerto in E minor, Opus 64

Beethoven    Symphony No. 3 in E Flat-Major, "Eroica"

Both Tetzlaff and Tilson Thomas and the orchestra rewarded our enthusiasm with encores. 

Maestro Tilson Thomas on his composition Agnegram:
  "Anegram was written to celebrate the 90th birthday of the San Francisco Symphony's extraordinary patron and friend Agnes Albert and is a portrait of her sophisticated and indefatigably enthusiastic spirit. It is entirely composed of themes derived from the spelling of her name." 
Our program gave very detailed information on the composition.


Charles T Downey review for Washington Classical Review: A heroic sendoff for Michael Tilson Thomas 
Click here

This is an interesting article on Michael Tilson Thomas:
Click here

David Wininger of the Boston Globe writes "The second act of Michael Tilson Thomas": Click here


Celebrity Series invited us to a post-performance reception and dinner for Circle Members.

After a wonderful evening of music, camaraderie, good friends