The SF Symphony Gala last Wednesday night, is one of the poshest events of the year -- a must-attend for anyone who’s anyone who has the right to live, breathe, receive adequate healthcare in SF. We were lucky to tag along for the ride. The performance of its annual opening is an afterthought, and we were not sure if there wasn't some subtle subversion going on. We mentioned already the choice of the Fanfare for the Common Man (inspired by a left-leaning speech by Roosevelt’s ex-vice president Henry Wallace), but looking back, we see that, except for one short Gounod excerpt, all the pieces where from after 1900. That is provocative! Way to backhandedly smack the bourgeoisie attending your opening, MTT! It’s no wonder that a significant chunk of the patrons only came back from intermission after a few glasses of freely flowing champagne, missing some fine singing by Renée Fleming.

To be honest, even though it was mainly 20th century stuff, it wasn't the most avant-garde music. You can ruffle feathers (or more accurately, mink furs) only so far. It started with three instrumental pieces, and MTT asked us to consider them as a whole, even though they spanned fifty years and three composers. Copland’s aforementioned fanfare was performed very deliberately and very LOUDLY. The common man must have poor hearing. Then an Andante for Strings by Ruth Seeger, where the string instruments undulate slowly around a key center, not unlike the sound of a fly in slow motion.