The Seasons Project: Vivaldi and New Music from Philip Glass in a Bay Area Premiere
Herbst Theatre at the San Francisco War Memorial Building (401 Van Ness Ave San Francisco, CA 94102)
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All offers for The Seasons Project: Vivaldi and Philip Glass in a Bay Area Premiere have expired.
The last date listed for The Seasons Project: Vivaldi and Philip Glass in a Bay Area Premiere was Tuesday November 2, 2010 / 8:00pm.
1 Goldstar Member Review
NobhillTreehouseSF
Wow! Better than expected. I had never seen Vivaldi 4 Seasons played live and it was a revelation. I couldn't hear the Lute before and the way the sound moved left to right, right to left like the wind and shimmered. Robert McDuffie was in a trance and the Venice Baroque Orchestra playful and interactive amongst each other. Just when I thought it was a hard act to follow. They played Phillip Glass' "American Four Seasons"-hypnotic, emotional- at one point my heart was just pounding, painful, beauty... The fact that we were in Front Row Center made it like a private concert and the soloist played in our laps. I regret not bringing more friends. If you are a Glass or Vivaldi fan, catch this if you can!Written on Nov 03 2010
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More Information About The Seasons Project: Vivaldi and Philip Glass in a Bay Area Premiere
Website
http://sfperformances.org/performances/1011/SeasonProject.html
Quotes & Highlights
- For much more on the American Four Seasons, including videos, a CD preview and more, see the project's website.
Description
Robert McDuffie, a musician melding charisma with technical brilliance, returns to San Francisco Performances with the Bay Area premiere of Philip Glass’s new Violin Concerto No. 2, “The American Four Seasons,” one-night only on Nov. 2 at the Herbst Theater. Paired with Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” concerti, the Glass work is the cornerstone of McDuffie’s “Seasons Project,” also featuring the Venice Baroque Orchestra.
McDuffie, who launched the commission of Glass’s “Seasons,” described it as “a home run.”
“I knew from the get-go it would be special,” he said. “And now I’m itching to take it on the road.” The work has been recorded with Marin Alsop and the London Philharmonic, and all its premieres—in London, Toronto, Rome and Aspen—have sold out.
McDuffie said the idea for the project came because the universality of “The Four Seasons” performances showed an opening for a complementary work by a modern counterpart to Vivaldi. “That’s Philip,” McDuffie said. “I went to him many years ago and said, ‘A lot of people think of you as America’s Vivaldi.’”
Glass responded to the challenge by producing what McDuffie has described as “a rock and roll Glass work” that is “achingly beautiful as well.”
The renowned Venice Baroque Orchestra, which specializes in Vivaldi, will trade out their period instruments after “The Four Seasons” for modern instruments and a synthesizer for the Glass work. The change heightens the energy, McDuffie said, and “gives a little more punch.”
In addition to the widespread appeal of both pieces, which draws the crowds, McDuffie said the piece works from the first note. “You know that something special is happening in the concert hall, and I can certainly feel that from the stage,” he said. “I have felt that in every venue so far, that it’s more than just a new piece—it’s an event.”
About the Ticket Supplier: San Francisco Performances
Founded in 1979, San Francisco Performances is the Bay Area's leading independent presenter of chamber music, vocal and instrumental recitals, jazz and contemporary dance. Under the artistic direction of its founder, Ruth Felt, the organization presents internationally acclaimed and emerging performing artists, introduces innovative programs, and builds new and diversified audiences for the arts through education and outreach activities that also strengthen the local performing arts community.