Monthly Archives: January 2025

San Francisco Ballet’s Manon: Beyond Beauty

There are three more performances of Manon:  tonight, Friday, Jan. 31st, and matinee and evening performances on Feb. 1. If you are anywhere near the SF Opera House, GO now. It is a tragic story, but the dances and the dancers are brilliant. Anywhere in the Bay Area? Go. Somewhere else like Portland? Just do it. You will be breathless when you see these dancers. GO.

Jasmine Jimison and Max Cauthorn; San Francisco Ballet in MacMillan’s Manon // © Lindsay Thomas

If you already know this story, skip ahead. If not, the next paragraph summarizes the sad tale.

The Story:  Manon is the story of a beautiful young woman who lives on her availability for wealthy men. Act I: Her brother, Lescaut (performed by Cavan Conley) convinces her that they can make money and leave the rough life of poverty if he sells her. While Lescaut takes an Old Gentleman into an inn to bargain for Manon (performed by Jasmine Jimison), she meets Des Grieux (performed by Max Cauthorn). They fall in love. When Lescaut and the Old Gentleman leave the inn, Manon is missing. The lovers have gone to Des Grieux’s room. When Des Grieux leaves to mail a letter to his father, Lescaut arrives with another wealthy man. Manon quickly submits to the new man, Monsieur G. M.  Des Grieux returns; the brother tells him they will all be rich if they sell Manon. Act II takes place in Madame’s hotel particulier, a brothel. The women dance and try to attract the men. Some are carried off. Manon is tempted by beautiful clothing and the wealth of Monsieur G. M. She tells Des Grieux to wait for a better time to be together. Des Grieux plays cards to make money for his love, but he is caught cheating; Manon and Des Grieux run to his room. Monsieur G.M. brings the police. Manon is arrested as a prostitute, and her brother is shot. Act III:  Manon is sent to a penal colony in New Orleans. Des Grieux came with her by pretending they are married. The Gaoler becomes jealous. He forces himself on Manon; Des Grieux finds them and kills the Gaoler. The lovers escape to a swamp. Manon was the victim of her own desires for wealth and  comfort, but she wanted to escape the miseries of poverty. She dies in Des Grieux’s arms.

Jasmine Jimison was magnificent as Manon. Her technique was exquisite. The choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan is innovative and powerful. The several pas de deux performed by Jimison and Max Cauthorn took my breath away. MacMillan likes to break a fouette turn into its parts. The balance and timing involved was beautiful. An arabesque with the supporting leg in plie then turns to releve to new directions and leaps. This challenging technique was an example of strength and beauty together; that is the heart of ballet. Jimison’s extension, suppleness, leaps: MacMillan could not ask for any more. The ballet seemed to be choreographed for her presence and astounding movement.

Jasmine Jimison in MacMillan’s Manon // © Lindsay Thomas

Cavan Conley in MacMillan’s Manon // © Lindsay Thomas

Jasmine Jimison and Max Cauthorn in MacMillan’s Manon // © Lindsay Thomas

San Francisco Ballet in MacMillan’s Manon // © Lindsay Thomas

San Francisco Ballet in MacMillan’s Manon//© Lindsay Thomas  Act II, Dancers at “Madame’s hotel particulier”

The music was wonderful. Martin West, Music Director and Principal Conductor led the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra to a triumphant performance. There were many choreographic moments which occurred exactly when the dancers needed the music to be the best partner possible. I remember Ms Jimison falling absolutely inside the musical moment. Fantastic. The Conductor, orchestra, dancers were wrapped up together as the music was so ideal it seemed we could see the music. MacMillan chose to use Jules Massenet’s music but, rather than the opera, he blended various pieces of Massenet’s work. The opera Manon, premiered in 1884; it continues in the international repertoire.

Now, get your tickets and marvel at the SF Ballet.

 

 

 

 

Ray Chen & James Gaffigan at SF Symphony

The San Francisco Symphony presented a marvelous program January 9-11; this audience member, there on Jan. 9th, found all three works fascinating and performed at the top. The Sf Symphony musicians found the heart of each selection. It was a wonderful concert. Conductor James Gaffigan was superb. In 2006-2009, he was the associate conductor for the SFS. He is now the General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin and Music Director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia. In addition, he conducts in music centers around the world. Jeremy Constant, Concertmaster of the Marin Symphony was the Acting Concertmaster and led the First Violins with excellent musicianship.

The curtain raiser was a brief work by Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres). Commissioned by the LA Philharmonic, its debut was 2014, in Los Angeles. This was its first performance at Davies Symphony Hall. Worried that the music would try its best to make me wish for Mozart, instead I wished it had not stopped so soon. It was a piece of imagination made musical. Performed with traditional instruments, there were also unusual sources of sounds: harmonicas, opera gong, and, pre-recorded, lion’s roar, and boombox. They blended and together lifted me up into what might be something like Out There

Missy Mazzoli, composer

The astronauts now stuck in their space ship might wish to have a tape of it. Although they were supposed to come home to Earth, on June 5, 2024, the timing has not worked out. They now look forward to Earth in late March, 2025. Please Ms Mazzoli, write more musical theme “songs” for the astronauts.

Roy Chen, violinist

Violinist Ray Chen was the amazing soloist in Samuel Barber’s lyrical Violin Concerto, Opus14 (1940). This music is a heart full of emotion. Do not think of sentimental hearts; this concerto reminds the listeners of glory. Humans do get there sometimes, or they know can fly above. Ray Chen is a performer. He captures the stage, collaborates with each musician, and becomes at one with the Conductor. Ray Chen also has the charisma of a rock star. His technical abilities make the lyrical movements sound like truth, and his incredibly fast playing movements are just on the verge of super-human. Think Steph Curry: graceful, fast, absolutely on the point. It seems like magic, but it is human. After many bows, he gave us a suitably amazing encore. It was Eugene Ysaye’s Sonata, No. 2, “Obsession” (Prelude). The music began with an excerpt from Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E major for solo violin.  Ysaye’ “obsession”  with Bach led him to include quotes from the Bach Prelude. He also incorporates the “Dies Irae” of the Mass for the Dead. It was beautiful. Ysaye’s Sonata allows Mr. Chen to play something very special.

Samuel Barber, composer (1910-1981)

After the excitement of the Barber concerto, one hoped that the audience was ready for Prokofiev. When Maestro Gaffigan opened the program to tell us about what we would hear, he said that Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Opus 100 (1944) was one of– or maybe he said it was his favorite symphony. I am a great fan of Prokofiev. This symphony has it all. It is big, powerful, monumental but still musical in every way.  He builds a world of music. Gaffigan took the opportunity for the SFS to play with everything: finesse, delicacy, bold gestures, and loud loud music. It was written during the war. On June 6, 1944, the Americans landed on Normandy beaches. Later in 1944, Russian forces broke into German territory. Prokofiev conducted the premiere of No. 5 at Moscow, 1945. He could hear artillery and explosions; he waited for the noises of war, and then started. Prokofiev felt hopeful and wrote about No. 5: “I conceived of it as glorifying the grandeur of the human spirit, praising the free and happy man—his strength, his generosity, and the purity of his soul.” Historically, the years that followed did not show humankind achieving its greatest character. Let’s hold on to Prokofiev’s moment feeling “the grandeur” of humanity and hope that Prokofiev could hold on to it, too.