San Francisco Symphony brings 'Paris' to Ann Arbor

Conductor and pianist Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony will join forces Sunday at Hill Auditorium. The orchestra will perform two George Gershwin pieces, the "Second Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra" and "An American in Paris," in celebration of the centenary of the beloved American composer's birth on Sept. 26. Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in D Major, "Titan," will conclude the afternoon's program.

Highly celebrated for his exuberant and zealous conducting, Michael Tilson Thomas, or MTT as he is affectionately known in San Francisco, brought a new burst of excitement to the SFS. Appointed music director of the SFS in 1995, Tilson revitalized the symphony and its role in the San Francisco community. Zoya Leybin, who plays in the first violin section of the SFS, praises Tilson, stating that "MTT is a very colorful and exciting musician, who shows a deep passion for music in his conducting

Courtesy of University Musical Society Michael Tilson Thomas will lead the San Francisco Symphony on Sunday at Hill Auditorium.

style. When you play under him, the music has a deep, warm and strong message."

With subscriptions 10 percent just one year after his inaugural season, Davies Hall, which houses the Symphony, is seeing a new barrage of music lovers in addition to its consistent following. These newly acquired attendants comprise a significantly younger group than the traditional concert-goers of previous generations. This phenomenon is without a doubt largely due to the directorship of Tilson, whose vigor has often been compared to that of the legendary Leonard Bernstein.

Throughout his tenure at the SFS, Tilson has shown a commendable commitment to American composers, including in each SFS performance a piece by an American. Although his range of depth includes a mastership of music by Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Mahler, it is precisely Tilson's dedication to American composers which will be highlighted this Sunday in Ann Arbor.

The program will begin with Gershwin's "Second Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra," with, interestingly, Tilson playing the piano. This rhythmic and melodic piece opens with the piano, advances to the blues melody, and closes with both piano and orchestra.

This undoubtedly American, modern work - darker than most Gershwin pieces - will be followed by "An American in Paris." Gershwin intended the music in this symphonic poem to emulate the wanderings of an American through Parisian streets and boulevards.

Beginning with a fast, joyous rhythm to signal the excitement of life in Paris, "An American in Paris" proceeds into a slower stage which evokes the American's loneliness amidst the hustle of the French city. Finally, the ending theme returns to its opening exuberance, to conclude in a renewed spark of city-inspired excitement.

The final component of the SFS's program will be Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in D Major, "Titan." This decidedly more Romantic narrative takes a cyclical form, with the first and last movements conjuring up the same theme. Mahler's symphony evokes both natural and emotional sounds, and, as Leybin states, "has a great ability to show many orchestral standards."

The Sunday performance will offer a unique opportunity to experience this "ethnically diverse and internationally recognized," orchestra and, as Leybin further emphasizes, to experience "the international language of music, which holds the soul of the people, and is at the heart of each nation's culture."

Sunday at 4 p.m.
Hill Auditorium
San Francisco Symphony

PREVIEW

09-25-98