Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Top-notch Mozart by way of Bach

San Diegos request to classical music might just be "talk to us a little"

Manuscript of Mass in C minor.
Manuscript of Mass in C minor.
Video:

W. A. Mozart - Mass In C Minor; K 427, Kyrie

Notice no big "k" here.

Notice no big "k" here.

Saturday night’s Mainly Mozart concert was a wonderful experience of musicology. Conductor Michael Francis spoke before each piece instead of having a printed “Maestro’s Notes” in the program. This is the type of approach which will work in San Diego. I’m not sure about other cities but this type of engagement will win in San Diego.

Here’s why: I’ve consistently heard from people all over the country that San Diego is one of the most relaxed cities with some of the nicest people. Austin sneaks in there, as does Seattle and Portland. (Of course, Austin is full of San Diegans who wanted a bigger house.)

When a conductor speaks to the nice folks of San Diego, we love it. We feel like we’ve made a new friend and we would do anything for a friend — except maybe show up on time.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The repertoire on the program also needed some justification, so it’s a good thing we had a little chat with the conductor beforehand. The concert began with a piece by Stravinsky based on Bach and a piece by Webern based on Bach. Without the introduction by Francis, these pieces could have fallen flat.

Both pieces were conceptualizations and therefore subject to the strength or weakness of the concept they were based upon. The music was interesting and almost impossibly difficult, but the orchestra made it sound effortless.

The Mozart Mass in C minor was the main event at this concert. This puts me in a tough spot. I might just stop reviewing concerts that have chorus and/or soloists. Why? That topic has a post unto itself which will include an extensive discussion of the soloist. I’m sure you can hardly wait.

I’ve never heard the San Diego Master Chorale sound better, but can we take a break from the explosive “k” at the start of every mass? (This also deserves its own post. I’m doing my best to stay on topic here instead of careening off into a polemic about the state of vocal music.)

The volume of the chorus was impressive and matched well with the orchestra.

Again, Maestro Francis’ talk at the top of the piece was wonderful. He emphasized the direction Mozart was going toward opera and away from church music. I might add it was a direction that the rest of the 18th and 19th Centuries would continue in. He also mentioned the connection to Bach, just as in the first two pieces of the concert.

With this in mind, the Domine Deus and Credo sounded particularly Bach-ish to me for the first time. Discovery during a concert is always a good thing.

The performance had an air of victory about it and there was a sense of occasion. Jezzez. I'm struggling here. When a writer uses phrases such as "sense of occasion," it's a sign that all is not well--or they're lazy.

The concert was a success. It wasn't the overpowering dominating experience I've come to associate with the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra. The main reason for that was the vocals. I'm sorry to say it, but I'll go ahead and be the jerk here.

I do not pretend to be objective because I think it's a fallacy. The chorus and soloists were simply nowhere close to the level of the orchestra. It's an issue that will be difficult for Mainly Mozart to figure out.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

NORTH COUNTY’S BEST PERSONAL TRAINER: NICOLE HANSULT HELPING YOU FEEL STRONG, CONFIDENT, AND VIBRANT AT ANY AGE

Manuscript of Mass in C minor.
Manuscript of Mass in C minor.
Video:

W. A. Mozart - Mass In C Minor; K 427, Kyrie

Notice no big "k" here.

Notice no big "k" here.

Saturday night’s Mainly Mozart concert was a wonderful experience of musicology. Conductor Michael Francis spoke before each piece instead of having a printed “Maestro’s Notes” in the program. This is the type of approach which will work in San Diego. I’m not sure about other cities but this type of engagement will win in San Diego.

Here’s why: I’ve consistently heard from people all over the country that San Diego is one of the most relaxed cities with some of the nicest people. Austin sneaks in there, as does Seattle and Portland. (Of course, Austin is full of San Diegans who wanted a bigger house.)

When a conductor speaks to the nice folks of San Diego, we love it. We feel like we’ve made a new friend and we would do anything for a friend — except maybe show up on time.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The repertoire on the program also needed some justification, so it’s a good thing we had a little chat with the conductor beforehand. The concert began with a piece by Stravinsky based on Bach and a piece by Webern based on Bach. Without the introduction by Francis, these pieces could have fallen flat.

Both pieces were conceptualizations and therefore subject to the strength or weakness of the concept they were based upon. The music was interesting and almost impossibly difficult, but the orchestra made it sound effortless.

The Mozart Mass in C minor was the main event at this concert. This puts me in a tough spot. I might just stop reviewing concerts that have chorus and/or soloists. Why? That topic has a post unto itself which will include an extensive discussion of the soloist. I’m sure you can hardly wait.

I’ve never heard the San Diego Master Chorale sound better, but can we take a break from the explosive “k” at the start of every mass? (This also deserves its own post. I’m doing my best to stay on topic here instead of careening off into a polemic about the state of vocal music.)

The volume of the chorus was impressive and matched well with the orchestra.

Again, Maestro Francis’ talk at the top of the piece was wonderful. He emphasized the direction Mozart was going toward opera and away from church music. I might add it was a direction that the rest of the 18th and 19th Centuries would continue in. He also mentioned the connection to Bach, just as in the first two pieces of the concert.

With this in mind, the Domine Deus and Credo sounded particularly Bach-ish to me for the first time. Discovery during a concert is always a good thing.

The performance had an air of victory about it and there was a sense of occasion. Jezzez. I'm struggling here. When a writer uses phrases such as "sense of occasion," it's a sign that all is not well--or they're lazy.

The concert was a success. It wasn't the overpowering dominating experience I've come to associate with the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra. The main reason for that was the vocals. I'm sorry to say it, but I'll go ahead and be the jerk here.

I do not pretend to be objective because I think it's a fallacy. The chorus and soloists were simply nowhere close to the level of the orchestra. It's an issue that will be difficult for Mainly Mozart to figure out.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

NORTH COUNTY’S BEST PERSONAL TRAINER: NICOLE HANSULT HELPING YOU FEEL STRONG, CONFIDENT, AND VIBRANT AT ANY AGE

Next Article

Escondido planners nix office building switch to apartments

Not enough open space, not enough closets for Hickory Street plans
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader