If opera's rule of "the worse the dress rehearsal, the better the premiere"
holds true for touring orchestras, the San Francisco Symphony will do very
well in London next week.

Tonight's performance in Davies Hall, dubbed a "bon voyage concert," was
a kind of public rehearsal before Michael Tilson Thomas and the orchestra
leave on a two-week tour of Europe.  By and large, it was awful, the part
I heard simply the worst in the five years of MTT's otherwise glorious
reign.

Chances are, however, that the Copland on the tour schedule will not
improve; the problem is in the music, not the performance.  "Symphonic Ode"
is half genius, half schlock, with a circus finale of overwhelming clusters
of absolutely meaningless sound.  MTT brings something special to Copland
(and the rest of 20th century music), but this work isn't a "real" Copland.

Next came the Schumann Piano Concerto, with Helene Grimaud.  On the tour,
she will alternate with Martha Argerich.  You know what to do.  What you
may not know is how poorly Grimaud performed tonight.  From her puzzling
appearance in a grey checkered leisure suit (is Sears having a sale?),
and an awkward nod to the audience by way of taking an introductory bow,
Grimaud proceeded to a nervous, unsettled, inconsistent performance,
banging away at times, never getting into the music at all.  The orchestra
went on automatic pilot, the musicians trying not to look at the soloist.

Unlike her usual attack on the instrument, tonight Grimaud didn't even
climb into the piano, although those high kicks with the left leg still
made her body appear almost parallel with the keyboard -- not improving
the performance in the least.  She didn't quite wrestle with the piano
as much as usual, but the notes seldom added up to music anyway.

Even the "The Rite of Spring" which closed the concert didn't quite live
up to the high standard of the dozen occasions when I marvelled at the MTT
interpretation before.  But after the Copland-Schumann debacle, one's
overworked critical faculties were mercifully suspended.

[log in to unmask], SF
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