KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Morning Concert: New Music: When and Where? A Critique of the San Francisco Symphony, 2 of 2
Digital Audio
Event Type
Lectures and Panel DiscussionsOrigin
KPFAIdentifier
MC.1989.01.13.c2.BProgram Series
Morning ConcertProgram Length
135 minPart
2 of 2Dates
1989-01-13 | broadcast| 1989-01-13 | created
Description
In 1988 and 1989, a spate of articles and letters to the “San Francisco Chronicle” raised the question: “Is the San Francisco Symphony too radical in its programming of contemporary music?” In this program, recorded on Jan. 13, 1989, Charles Amirkhanian hosts a panel discussion, complete with musical examples, addressing this question. Participants include Michael Steinberg, Artistic Advisor to the Symphony and writer of the exemplary program notes which are distributed to concert-goers weekly, “San Francisco Chronicle” music critic Robert Commanday, and Mark Volkert, composer and assistant Concertmaster, whose public criticism on the brand of new music programmed by the Symphony has enlivened the dialogue. The four men discuss the history of contemporary music programming at the Symphony and how it compares to other large orchestras, including the question of how much rehearsal time is dedicated to new or difficult compositions. After an hour long discussion the phone lines are then opened up and many listeners call in with their opinions and insightful ideas, thus making for a quite thorough review of contemporary orchestral music in the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite having been recorded over twenty years ago, a time since which much minimal and serial music has gradually become more accepted by more of the concert going audience, the issues discussed by this learned panel continue to be relevant today.Genres
20th century classicalNew music
Musical Selections
The Golden Dance, for orchestra [excerpt] (1986) (2:12) / Charles Wuorinen -- Sinfonietta, for small orchestra [final movement] (1980) (6:16) / Mark Volkert -- A Symphony of Three Orchestras [excerpt] (1976) (0:27) / Elliott CarterPerformers
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (Golden ; Sinfonietta)Herbert Blomstedt, conductor (Golden)
Paul Renzi, flute (Sinfonietta)
Edo de Waart, conductor (Sinfonietta)
New York Philharmonic (Symphony)
Pierre Boulez, conductor (Symphony)
Subjects
20th century classicalNew music
Orchestral music
Symphonies
Related places
Berkeley (Calif.) (was recorded at)Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)
Related Entities
San Francisco Symphony OrchestraNew York Philharmonic
Amirkhanian, Charles
Steinberg, Michael, 1928-
Volkert, Mark
Commanday, Robert
Wuorinen, Charles
Blomstedt, Herbert, 1927-
Renzi, Paul
De Waart, Edo
Carter, Elliott, 1908-2012
Bishop, Elizabeth, 1911-1979
Boulez, Pierre, 1925-2016