thoreau

I went to hear Chanticleer tonight at the New Conservatory of Music. Wowsers are they awesome!

They opened their 30th Anniversary season with early works by Byrd, Palestrina, Romantic music from the l9th and 20th centuries by Poulenc, Barber and Mahler, and newly commissioned works. One commission in particular - was simply breathtaking. More of a tonal portrait than a "song" persay - it was entitled "All Things Resounding" - - a round in wide tones around a snippet of Goethe's prose:

How all things weave themselves into a whole,
Each living and working in the others!
How celestial powers rise and fall,
Bearing aloft their golden vessels!
With heaven's benediction's fragrant on their wings
They suffuse the earth
Resounding
Harmonius
all through all.....

The text is from Part 1 of Goethe's Faust - and in contemplating the sign of the macrocosm, Faust is awestruck.

This piece was simply overwhelmingly beautiful. Rich thick harmonies punctuated with crystal clear diction and sliding movements. Truly, Chanticleer at it's best.

(and as an added attraction I ran into

furtummy who was uniformed up and working security for the event. What an adorable guy!)

One of the largest and greatest blessings of living in San Francisco - is the access to such an incredible array of arts organizations. Next up - I'm taking Morgan and Tommy to see "Blues in the Night" in early October! and also I'm off to see "Sweeney Todd" at ACT in October. and - oh gosh- ALSO in October at SFOpera is the premiere of Philip Glass's Appomattox (about the final days and the historic meeting of the two generals (Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant)). So it's going to be an action packed month of shows!

artwork in this post - "Fausts Nightmare" by August von Kreling (1819-1876)