Through the years, the San Francisco Symphony has hosted special birthday parties for Michael Tilson Thomas, aka MTT, to recognize his 25 years as music director, from 1995 to 2020.
On Saturday, another birthday celebration at Davies Symphony Hall marked MTT’s 80th birthday. It was a suitably flashy payback to the man who brought excitement and adventure, Grammy-winning recordings, SoundBox, the marvelous multimedia educational film series Keeping Score, and much more to eager audiences.
In the hall, there was MTT blue everywhere, from scarves in the seats to the thousand balloons waiting to be released at the finale. Even City Hall across the street was lit up for the occasion in bright blue lights.
MTT got right down to business with none of the verbal wordplay for which he is known. Somewhat disabled now by an aggressive cancer that was diagnosed in 2021, he was helped to the podium to lead a smartly paced performance of Benjamin Britten’s “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.”
The program ranged from 20th century England to Broadway and back—not a note of Mahler or Brahms, with conductors Teddy Abrams and Edwin Outwater sharing the podium. A performance of the finale from Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” featuring the golden-voiced symphony chorus spoke to the close relationship between Tilson Thomas and Bernstein.
Each offering on the two-act program came from a place close to MTT’s heart, as did each performer.
Among the highlights were mezzo soprano Sasha Cooke’s humorous and soulful rendering of MTT’s “Grace,” composed for Leonard Bernstein’s 70th birthday, and “Not Everyone Thinks That I’m Beautiful” featuring Cooke in duet with mezzo Frederica von Stade.
Ben Jones showed off his honeyed tenor in MTT’s “Answered Prayers,” and Jessica Vosk tossed off a super sassy “Take Back Your Mink” from “Guys and Dolls” that won hugs and laughter from MTT.
There were a few chaotic moments, such as when Mayor Daniel Lurie appeared with a proclamation to deliver and MTT was nowhere to be found. The mayor gave up looking for him, stowed the proclamation and went on to announce the next number.
When MTT returned, it was to lead Respighi’s “Roman Festivals” with fireworks, the orchestra stepping up to give him a grand finale served with love.