PROGRAM NOTES
Were you there? For one unforgettable night, Mercury Soul transformed San Francisco’s Hibernia building for a journey through luxe DJ beats, gorgeous arias, lush classical music, and immersive visuals.
Interspersed between sets by DJ Masonic (Mason Bates) and DJ Justin Reed, guests enjoyed captivating performances by the powerful, 22-person Mercury Soul Chamber Orchestra. Their selections spanned works from SF Opera’s upcoming season, featuring composers like Mozart, Bizet, Puccini, and Verdi. Custom interludes crafted exclusively for the event by composer Mason Bates created a journey that connected musical eras and genres. The night featured breathtaking arias from Mariya Kaganskaya, SF Opera Adler Fellow Olivia Smith, and 13-year-old soprano prodigy Alliana Lili Yang.
One of the few downtown structures to survive the 1906 earthquake, the gorgeous Hibernia was resplendent with its massive Tiffany-style stained-glass skylights and immaculately preserved red-marble bank vaults. Immersive projections illuminated the Hibernia’s ornate, gilded architecture with vibrant visuals and bursts of color. As classical music and soaring arias filled the space, moments of serene beauty captivated the audience.
Thank you to our partners at SF Opera!
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What did I hear?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Serenade No. 6 in D (1776)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart created a wealth of operas, concertos, symphonies and sonatas that profoundly shaped classical music. His music is admired for its melodic beauty, its formal elegance, and its richness of harmony and texture. Unlike any other composer in musical history, he excelled in all the musical genres of his day.
Historians believe his Serenade No. 6 was meant for a festive occasion, due to its delightful interplay of two small ensembles.
SF Opera presents Mozart’s Idomeneo in June 2025.
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
String Quartet in E Minor (1872)
Giuseppe Verdi was the leading Italian musical dramatist of the 19th Century. Whereas Wagner turned to myth and legend for inspiration, Verdi drew on dramas such as in Un Ballo in Maschera, which SF Opera presents this season.
The String Quartet is a rarity in Verdi’s output. Instead of the huge musical structures of the operas, there is manipulation of small cells, reminding us of Beethoven’s late quartets, the score of which he reportedly kept by his bedside.
SF Opera presents Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera through September 27th.
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Wesendonck Lieder (1858)
Performed by Mezzo-Soprano Mariya Kaganskaya
Richard Wagner had a revolutionary influence on the course of Western music. His advances in musical language, such as extreme chromaticism and shifting tonal centers, pushed the Romantic era into Modernism.
The Wesendonck Lider are settings of poems by Mathilde Wesendonck. Wagner called two of the songs “studies” for Tristan und Isolde, the intensity of which could be partly attributed to a possible affair between Wagner and Wesendonck.
SF Opera presents Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde Oct 19th through Nov 5th
Poul Ruders (b. 1949)
Shooting Stars (1999)
Poul Ruders is the foremost Danish composer, composing in a wide variety of techniques. In his works, he has incorporated features of minimalism, Medieval, Renaissance, and popular styles. This season, SF Opera presents The Handmaid’s Tale, his most famous work.
Shooting Stars originated as a work for solo piano, building contrasting textures out of hypnotically simple material.
SF Opera presents Ruders’ The Handmaid’s Tale through October 1st
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Donde Lieta Usci from La Bohème (1896)
Performed by Soprano Olivia Smith (2nd Year SF Opera Adler Fellow)
Regarded as the heir to Verdi, Giacomo Puccini was the greatest innovator of opera realism. Fast-moving, almost conversational scenes are anchored by extraordinary melodies and choral set pieces – such as in La Bohème, about a poor seamstress and her Bohemian friends, which will be presented by SF Opera this season.
In this aria, Mimì says goodbye to Rodolfo. She is returning to her apartment alone, where she will embroider her artificial flowers.
SF Opera presents Puccini’s La Bohème in June 2025
Ludwig von Beethoven (1770-1827)
Turkish March from Symphony No. 9 (1824)
Ludwig van Beethoven is considered the defining figure in the history of Western music for his role in the transition between Classical and Romantic eras. By middle age, he was completely deaf due to his affliction with tinnitus. Presented this season by SF Opera, the 9th Symphony was the first time choral voices appeared in a major symphony. The charming Turkish March is one of many variations on Ode to Joy in the finale.
In this recomposition by Mason Bates, the march evolves into techno.
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the work, SF Opera presents Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on October 26th.
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
“Je Dis” from Carmen (1874)
Performed by Soprano Olivia Smith (2nd Year SF Opera Adler Fellow)
The fame of Georges Bizet rests on his opera Carmen, which will be presented this season by SF Opera. Centering on a gypsy enchantress, the opera featured an innovative realism that scandalized critics. This approach influenced the verismo school of opera at the end of the 19th century, and the opera remains one of the most performed of the genre.
‘Je dis’ is sung by Micaela, who sings about the fears she is trying to overcome.
SF Opera presents Bizet’s Carmen November 13th – December 1st
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
“Ch’io vai ma possa” from Siroe (1728)
Performed by Soprano Alliana Lili Yang
George Frideric Handel was a German composer who went to live in England when he was a young man, later becoming a naturalized Briton. He is beloved for his operas and oratorios, which were highly influenced by his many trips abroad.
Siroe explores the dynastic infighting in the court of the King of the Sasanian Empire. In “Ch’io mai vi possa,” Emira sings of her love for Prince Siroe.
Mason Bates (b. 1977)
Mercury Interlude (2024)
Mercury Interludes precede and follow each classical set.
Artistic Director of Mercury Soul and composer of the Grammy-winning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Mason Bates is imaginatively transforming the way classical music is created and experienced as a composer, DJ, and curator. With electro- acoustic works such as Mothership and multimedia projects such as the animated film Philharmonia Fantastique, Bates has become a visible advocate for the modern orchestra and imaginatively integrates it into contemporary culture.
Mercury Interludes precede and follow each classical set. Mason Bates composes original interludes for each unique Mercury Soul experience to create a seamless transitions through eras and genres.
Performers
All works were performed by the Mercury Soul Chamber Ensemble
Conducted by Benjamin Shwartz
Violin I: Scot Moore, Aaron Colverson, Jessica Folson, Elizabeth Burch
Violin II: Asuka Yanai, Fiona Cunninghame-Murray, Asher Blackburn
Viola: Alexandra Simpson, Ruisi Doris Du, Lorenna Garcia
Cello: William Cayanan, Griffin Seuter, Julian Sommer; Bass: Carlos Valdez
Flute Jessie Nucho; Clarinet: Carlos Ortega; Oboe: Felisa Simon; Bassoon: Iain Forgey; Trombone: William Calderon-Lopez; Horns: Sarah Ference, Allyson Ward
Vocalists:
Soprano Olivia Smith (2nd Year SF Opera Adler Fellow)
Mezzo-Soprano Mariya Kaganskaya
Soprano Alliana Lili Yang
DJs:
DJ Masonic (Mason Bates)
DJ Justin Reed (illmeasures Chicago)
Immersive Visuals by Mark Johns
Special thanks to:
