This week the San Francisco Symphony presents a new staging of Kaija Saariaho’s opera Adriana Mater, directed by Peter Sellars and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. As we prepare for these important performances, we also pause to reflect on the recent passing of Kaija Saariaho, a visionary composer who left an indelible mark on the musical world. It is an honor for us to present this work, which stands as one of her most profound and deeply affecting creations.
composer Kaija Saariaho
Saariaho never set out to be an opera composer, but the collaborative nature of theater presented an appeal not found anywhere else. “I yearned more and more strongly, from my isolated composer’s perch, to open my music up to the world and let my music be influenced and marked by the world,” she recalled. A key driver in this evolution was Sellars, who with Salonen brought Adriana Mater to the stage in its 2006 premiere. Saariaho ended up dedicating the work to Sellars, who she said has always “striven to pry open the doors of real life.”
With a libretto by Amin Maalouf, Adriana Mater is a nuanced exploration of the unbreakable bond between mother and son in a world at war. For Saariaho, this relationship was the impetus for the work. “I suggested to Amin that we construct a story connected to the question of motherhood,” she said. “I told him about how formative the experience had been for me when I was pregnant with my first child, the feeling of two hearts beating within my body. Amin, in turn, introduced a motif that was just as crucial to him personally: war and its prevalent violence.” The result was a work that Sellars said “speaks with the clarity, force, and humanity that our world is searching for.”
Please note: This production is set in wartime and includes depictions of sexual violence and assault weapons, which may be triggering for some viewers.
COMMUNITY PARTNER HIGHLIGHT
Booker T. Washington Community Service Center
For 103 years, the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center — the oldest Black-led and serving organization in the Bay Area — has empowered our neighbors in Fillmore/Western Addition by offering individuals and families the services and support they need to become self-sufficient. Built on a strong tradition of stabilizing and uplifting families, our organization is an anchor institution for a community ravaged by racial and economic disparities.
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Box Office Hours
Mon–Fri: 10am–6pm, Sat: 12pm–6pm
Sun: 2 hours before concert
415.864.6000
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