San Francisco’s new season lacks … everything
OrchestrasThe San Francisco Symphony has declared ‘a unique transitional moment’ for 2025-26, which means the locker is bare.
It has no music director, not much original content, no strategy.
Jaap Van Zweden will lead the opening gala. He is committed to orchestras in Korea and France, so is unavailable as a potential leader. There is a plan to cover the nine Beethoven symphonies over three years. Why? Esa-Pekka Salonen has withdrawn from the season.
CEO Matthew Spivey promises ‘a season filled with dynamic and engaging musical experiences’.
More here.
Joshua Kosman writes in the Chronicle:
Why is this so important? It’s not because Salonen himself is an indispensable ingredient to an orchestra’s operation. After all, literally every other orchestra in the world is getting by without Esa-Pekka Salonen as their music director, and some of them are thriving.
No, what’s indispensable is the presence of some kind of artistic leadership. Without someone at the helm making choices, you end up with the kind of bland and shapeless season the Symphony just unveiled — a series of programs lacking a discernible aesthetic, or a reason for audiences to feel excited about attending concerts or supporting an organization in crisis.
The season’s repertoire is packed almost to overflowing with overplayed warhorses and classics of the past.
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